In the words of the immortal Steely Dan, "When Black Friday comes I'm gonna dig myself a hole Gonna lay down in it till I satisfy my soul ". You like apples? How do you like them apples?! I have chosen an alternative path today, as is my modus operandi.

As tempting as the $299 laptop with some whistles & bells was at Circuit City… here I am. Lengthy perusing of ads resulted in the targeting of several items over the gift giving limbo pole. So, always anxious to gift myself as well, I spied a few items that all happened to be at Circuit City. That also happens to be a hop, skip, and a jump from home. Store opens at 5 a.m. ?!

5 a.m. sure is early! I may require a nap beforehand. Sure is cold out. I may require fire. Well, let’s cruise by on the way home from Thanksgiving dinner with the family. Lines at 7:30 pm the night before?! Whoa Nelly. Tents?! Have they always done this? Sleeping in is sounding better and better for Black Friday.

A quick trip to this new place called "the internet" quickly revealed that most of these items were not only available online now, but for even less money elsewhere! Feelin’ good baby. New digital SLR…fuggedaboutit. Dyson Animal… free shipping. Laptop schmaptop… Dell has a website too. Visions of sugar plumbs now danced through my head. Was that a little wine residual helping?

"At the crack of 9 I awoke to a clang, down to the woodpile, and coffee!", I sang. Huevos Rancheros, a cat by my side, CNN, email, no shopping I cried! In my robe, cozy warm, gonna write me a blog. No errands, no lines, just the pop of a log.