The Po Show

Conspicuous Consumption

Ah, the grand tradition of Black Friday! The day that sounds like people are jumping out of windows because the market crashed, when in fact it's the day when people are crashing into stores in the dark cold of pre-dawn, trampling each other to get the cheapest plasma TV in creation. I actually didn't hear of any tramplings this year (there seems to be at least one every year--last year it was at a Wal-Mart in CT).

Ross actually hauled himself out of bed and was at Best Buy at 4AM, trying to score a cheap laptop to replace the one that died a few weeks ago. We need a new desktop too, since our PC is on its very last legs, but we were hoping for a new laptop to take to CA with us next month (not flying JetBlue, so no screens in front of children for 6 hours). By 4AM, there were, Ross estimates, about 1,500 people at Best Buy. Hopelessly outnumbered, he headed to Circuit City to see about their laptop specials. Crowds were overwhelming there as well. He headed to the Apple store (the mall opened at 6AM) and talked at length with a salesguy about the iMac. We've wanted to get back to a Mac for a long time, but there weren't very good deals going, so Ross came home at 6:30 empty-handed.

I got up and was ready to hit my two Gymboree stores. I'd already stayed up till 1:10AM getting my online order submitted (crappy Gymboree.com!!! It kept dumping my cart!!!). I'd already put down my holds on Wed., and the stores were nice and empty. This is my kind of Black Friday! 30% off plus an additional 20% off plus my 5% Gymboree Visa discount.

I stopped by the Apple store and thought the iMac looked nice. I called Ross and he agreed I should just get it. We needed a computer desperately and sometimes you just have to decide not to try and go for the cheap and less satisfying. We still want to get a laptop, but we're now giddily in love with the new iMac.

We may be in the red, but it was a good Black Friday.