No Black Friday for Me

I got up at the normal hour of 8:30 this morning. I had absolutely no desire to join the Black Friday mobs. For one thing, I worked at 11AM today. For another, I have some pretty basic rules about holiday shopping. I don't do fancy electronics or video games, and all of the kids in the family know it. I try to stick to a budget limit as much as possible. I did buy a few things on Black Friday last year, but it was a couple of non-sale titles from the FYE in the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center that I picked up late in the afternoon at work. With that store gone, I have neither the reason nor desire to venture into the mall. You couldn't pay me to go into a Walmart today, especially one as small as the store in the mall!

I started taking down the Thanksgiving and fall decorations, but I didn't have a chance to finish before work. Work was surprisingly on-and-off busy all day. I figured it would be dead, like it was last year on Black Friday. A lot of people must have gotten their government money early. We were short on help, too, due to many people asking for today off to get their own shopping done. I was just barely out on time.

I did have to do some grocery shopping of my own today, but it was my usual Friday shopping. I needed to restock some baking items. Bought ground chicken and small beef steaks that had manager's coupons. Needed toiletries and contact lens cases, cranberries, celery, and to restock peanut butter and powdered sugar.

When I got home, I finished taking down the Thanksgiving and fall decorations, then ran With a Song In My Heart while I had leftovers for dinner. This is a fairly intimate 20th Century Fox musical drama about real-life radio singer Jane Froman, who was a major star when she was badly injured in a horrible crash during a World War II USO tour. Despite needing 39 operations on her legs and arm during her lifetime, she would continue to perform for troops and radio, TV, and nightclub audiences for another decade and a half, including several years after the movie came out in 1952. Susan Hayward, herself no stranger to playing tough women, was marvelous as Froman (who did all the singing). I also liked Thelma Ritter as her sensible nurse who becomes her most supportive friend.

Oh, and I have a pretty good schedule this week, probably the best I've had since September. Tuesday and Thursday off, no days later than 8PM.