Thanksgiving with the Northerners…

We didn’t visit the Big House in Sautee Nachoochee for Thanksgiving like we usually do, partly due to my parents traveling overseas and my siblings spending the day with their in-laws.

The prospect of organizing the big feast was daunting – downright intimidating- especially the turkey business. When your feasting with the parents they always provide the meat and the adult children bring the side dishes, right?

I think I just grew up.

I grew into an adult who is capable of buying and preparing a turkey and a ham and organizing a Holiday meal. We shared the day with three families who were all in the same boat – spending Thanksgiving without family. I didn’t realize they were all northerners until my friend said -“Thanks for hosting us northerners”!

And there you have it, Thanksgiving with the Northerners. We feasted, we shared our thanks, we walked on driftwood beach after the feast, then returned to the house for coffee and desert.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best part of the day: The girls gathering at the dining table, coffee and desert in hand while pouring over black Friday ads. We made our plans, giggled and talked about what treasures we were going to land. We divided into teams of two and planned to meet up later in the night. Team 1 was actually brave enough for Walmart while team 2 played it safe and stuck with Target.

The coffee was brewing at 9:45p.m. and my household was long succumbed to slumber.

I was giddy with excitement – I kept thinking “I am one of those people”: The crazies. Then I pulled up at Target immediately gawking at all the people lined up. I saw people I knew, had reunions with old friends, finding my place in line conversation was electric, while  stories of trampling, hyper-ventilating and other horrors at Walmart flickered through the line like lightning bugs. The wal- mart sales started earlier so many shoppers were easing into the line at Target while processing the saga of Wally World.  Occasionally a  horn would loudly blare while a manager recited the rules of safe shopping. It was like elementary:

No pushing, no shoving, no guns??? What?  Oh, this is Target.

Then when our group of 30 was allotted into the store it was like walking into Heaven, ok, not really-  but it was nuts how exciting that stroll into target was, like there was red carpet under me and a symphony playing around me?

I kept speaking truth to myself:  this is target – I can come here ten times a day if I want.

I felt privledged to be among the first 150 people allowed in the store while the other latecomers had to suffer at the back of the line until their chosen 30 were allowed to enter. I ran from place to place with map in hand swiping all the amazing deals, I had carefully planned. My team mate and I worked together beautifully, one of us would man the buggy,  while the other raced through the crowds of people to grab items on sale.

So, yes my kids got the $ 20.00 dollar razor scooters among other things that were significantly on sale. It was a lot of fun, standing in line, feeling deliriously tired, in fact I was so tired that I turned around rapidly and busted right in the middle of the target aisle- I fell face first, it was embarrassing and it hurt, but no worries, I got my deals and I have a chiropractic appointment this week.

Team 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beyond all of this, I will never forget meeting team 1 at Fire house subs,  the only restaurant open at 3:30 a.m. That frenzied shopping made us hungry! We  shared stories of victories, deals conquered and the insanity we had seen.  We laughed and laughed some more, really thats all you can do when your up at a restaurant eating after a shopping spree at 3:30 a.m.!!!!!! It made me feel like I was in high school all over again. Fun times!