Carl's Experience at Wal-Mart on the
Day After Thanksgiving, 2005
This year I did something I've always wanted to do—but will never do again. And that was to go shopping on Black Friday—the day after Thanksgiving.
During our annual Thanksgiving family get-together at my daughter's house, I was pouring over all the sales ads that had come in the mail. The day before, at about 2 AM (I couldn't sleep), on the QVC shopping channel I saw a great Casio keyboard for about $200. I thought it would be nice to replace my wife Sophia's old keyboard with this one; but I never shop on TV.
However, I later saw the very same keyboard advertised at Wal-Mart for $70.00. The store would open on "Black Friday" at 5 AM. I set my clock for 4 AM so I could go and buy one. The reason I did this was because the ad stated that they only had ten units, and I thought if I got there early I'd be able to get one.
Well, I planned on getting up at 4 AM to go shopping; but I woke up at 2 AM. Since I was up, I got dressed and drove over to Wal-Mart in the pouring rain. It was a good thing I had decided to go early, as the lines were already gathering and now stretched for over a mile. I was not going to stand in line in the rain.
So I got under an awning by the building and struck up a conversation with several people also staying out of the rain. There we talked until the store opened at 5 AM.
The time came and the doors opened—and the pandemonium started immediately. Everyone ran—and I mean RAN—into the store, stumbling over one another, with many people getting knocked down. I am so glad I had decided not to get in line.
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It took more than an hour for everyone to enter the store. When all this was done, I leisurely strolled in. I found my keyboard and stood in line to buy it. Someone came over to me and asked me if I wanted to move to another line and I went. I got checked out in five minutes. I later found out the original line I was in took over two hours to get checked out. I never did find out why I was asked to get into the other line—just lucky, I guess.
I got back home at 7 AM, undressed and flopped into bed, never to be heard from for the rest of the day.
This is not what Christmas is supposed to be about—but what it has become.
Merry Christmas to one and all.
Editor's Note:
Carl and I have been friends since we met at Le Conte Jr. High School in Hollywood, back in the mid-1940s. A lot of really funny things have happened to us in the years since. I've posted a few of the stories on this site...
Carl Got Me My First Job in Gower Gulch Page 353
Why Carl & I Got Fired from Gower Gulch Page 89
Carl & Don Doing Magic on Hollywood Blvd Page 352
Carl & Don + LA's 1st Stereo Radio Broadcast Page 351
Carl's Mom Banging on my Door with a Crutch Page 89
Carl Comes to Live at Mrs Glasser's Page 120
Carl & the Starlight Ballroom Mystery Page 15
Carl & Don Invited to a Gay Party Page 85
Carl & Sophia's Honeymoon Page 23
Carl Chased Out of Our Apartment by my Mom Page 121
Carl Gets a Visit from the Bellevue PD Page 14
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