Where Did Thanksgiving Go?

“Black Friday, black Friday, everybody loves black Friday!”

Thanks to Kohl’s Department Stores, I can’t get that obnoxious little ditty out of my head.  As if I needed another reminder that today is the official start of the holiday shopping season. Yep, only 30 shopping days left.  Perhaps you’re one of the estimated 152 million people who’ve already been shopping this morning. Or last night. Maybe, you’ve got all your shopping done.  Yes, I know there are those people out there.  One in particular will call me this weekend to let me know of her superior, Martha Stewart like, shopping skills.

Except this year, I’m not going to let it get to me.  I’m taking a stand.  I’m clinging to the last vestiges of Thanksgiving. You know, the actual holiday we celebrated this weekend.

When did we lose Thanksgiving?  It wasn’t long ago the last Thursday in November was a restful day when family gathered to eat too much, drink too much, and watch too much football. (Note to husband:  I know you think there can never be too much football, but this post is geared toward women readers.)  Yep, Thanksgiving Day was always the boring, restful, reprieve before the frantic holiday season.

Now, the Thanksgiving holiday is simply a time to fill our bellies and plan our strategy for late night shopping runs.  We comb through ad circulars while stuffing the turkey.  We ready the car, not for the long trip home from Grandma’s, but to fill it with gifts. We nap after dinner, not because we’ve overindulged, but to ready ourselves for the melee sure to follow in a discount store parking lot later in the evening.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a good bargain as well as the next gal.  I’m just not willing to get out of my pjs to get one.  Sorry kids. Nope, you won’t get me out among those crowds, especially when OSHA has to issue warnings to retailers to protect their employees from hordes of overzealous shoppers.  I’ll sit (or sleep) this one out, thank you very much.

Will I miss the deals?  Hardly.  Many retailers have begun to offer Black Friday prices BEFORE Thanksgiving.  In fact, you can shop on Thanksgiving Day if you want—22 million folks did last year. Forget about parades with hot air balloons and marching bands.  Forget about the tryptophan daze of a turkey dinner. Nope, all of that is relegated to second place when it comes to bargain hunting.  Soon, folks will simply snap up their turkey and sweet potatoes at a mall food court so as not to miss a good deal.

Oh wait—that’s already happening!  Bass Pro Shop was open all day yesterday, treating customers to turkey they’d deep fried out in the parking lot.  (Note to husband:  If you had gone—even for a little while—you’d be eating your Thanksgiving dinner there for the rest of your life.)  Walmart and several other discount stores were open yesterday as well.

And I think that’s kind of sad.

If you were out there among the millions shopping already this weekend, l hope you got everything you were looking for.  I hope the deals were outstanding.  As for me, I’m sleeping in and enjoying my post-Thanksgiving breakfast of cranberry pancakes with a side of leftover apple pie. For dessert, I’m going to enjoy George Clooney in The Descendants.  Tomorrow I’ll take advantage of Small Business Saturday and pick up some gifts. Happy Black Friday!  Shop til you drop!

How about you?  Do you miss the old fashioned Thanksgiving? What was the best deal you found out there?

Football, Family Traditions, and Legends in the Making

My family and I went to the Georgia Bulldogs football game on Saturday where they beat the snot out of the Auburn Tigers. We did the whole experience. We went to the corner of the field at the end of the game and cheered on the players as they went to the locker room. One of the kids even got a sweaty glove! They had their picture taken with the quintessential Georgia fan who paints his baldhead with a bulldog for every game and also with “Russ,” the UGA stand-in for the unexpectedly departed UGA VIII. They even rang the bell on North Campus—a tradition after every Georgia victory.

All in all, it was a great day and a wonderful tradition for our family. Both my husband and I went to the University of Georgia where we met and fell in love. After such an awesome day at our almamater, it got me to thinking about Penn State University. Our family takes great pride in being a fan of Georgia football. We have a well-respected coach and an iconic program. My memories of the University are so intertwined with my memories of Georgia football, I’m not sure how I’d feel if one or both were embroiled in scandal.

Of course, the verdict is still out on all fronts, but I feel for the alumnae and their families who, like us, have grown up loving the traditions around the esteemed football program. The victims of the scandal are the ones who deserve our most heartfelt support, but the alumnae and fans are left feeling…lost and not sure where to place their allegiance. I’d imagine they feel like I did when I realized Santa wasn’t real and that my mom was the Tooth Fairy—shocked, saddened, and very disappointed.

We have wonderful friends who are PSU grads and huge fans of the program. For their sake and for the sake of the victims, I hope everyone responsible is brought to justice. If we take anything away from this developing scandal, I hope it is the knowledge that sometimes doing the right thing, both morally and legally, is what being a true legend is all about.