Black Friday

How many of you headed out early on the Friday after Thanksgiving? Better yet, how many of you were in line not long after your turkey dinner? Y'all know I do enjoy shopping and it must include a bargain but I just don't have it in me to be a part of the 'mob scene in the morning'. Don't get me wrong, I went online to search the ads before publication, I poured over the pages diligently comparing bargains on my couch and I noted a few things that I really needed to pick up.

On Friday afternoon, my husband and I headed out to shop. First stop, Wal-Mart. To begin, I have to say the Apple Valley Wal-Mart sucks! I realize I am spoiled by having had two Wal-Mart Super Centers in Sioux Falls but shopping at the Apple Valley Wal-Mart is like having to shop at Family Dollar after having been a regular customer of the Dollar Tree. It's a poor, poor option. We went to Wal-Mart to purchase a $5 cd for my husband and a $6 game for my honorary nieces Shianne and Katie. We walked out of there with a stack of cds, two dvds, a sweater, some holiday stationary and a few grocery items. The children's game was sold out. A $13 visit had become more than $100.

After that, we headed to Circuit City. My husband wanted a dvd. At two o'clock in the afternoon the place was still crazy. All of the parking stalls were full. The dvd bins were empty. People were standing in lines that stretched from the checkout counter, down the central walk way of the store and toward the computer department. I couldn't believe the number of large ticket items that were being loaded up in the luxury SUVs as we exited the store. Hari bought another $5 cd and we were off to Kmart in Bloomington. This was a refreshing experience. The music was soothing, the sales were good and there were relatively few shoppers. We found the dvd that had eluded us at Circuit City. We browsed the display of Christmas trees and plotted our upcoming purchase and once again, we went through the check-out with more than we had intended. However, Hari now has some new shirts for work and we have a beautiful rug instead of a carpet remnant in our entry way. Hari grew up without malls and discount stores and as a result does not have the stamina for shopping that I have developed over the years. Therefore, after returning some items from Lands End to the local Sears store, we decided to head home.

In case you are keeping track, that would be zero Christmas presents purchased and numerous items that will not make it to our wish lists!

The day after Thanksgiving reminds me of a roulette wheel. You throw down your money and if you are a merchant you bet on black. If you are a consumer, your best bet is on red. And just as the wheel spins round and round, we go through this each and every year. There is one distinct difference -- shopping for Christmas brings greater returns than Vegas. Here's hoping that the effort expended and the gifts you purchased bring satisfaction to you and your loved ones and may the holiday day season bring you true love and joy.

For those of you who are more like me, have fun as you complete your list. Me, I have to make my list and get started. Although I may look like Chicken Little while trying to get it all done, rest assured it will all come together in the end.

I am employed!

Hari and I are back to having some structure to our day. This has come courtesy of Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN, my new employer. I started on November 12 and after a full day of orientation activiites, class began. This is the first time I have been through a thorough training class since 1997. I must confess, I was nervous -- wondering if I could still learn, afraid I would be the only "oldie" in the class and panicking about not having enough "business casual" clothing to wear. Wow, did I get a pleasant surprise or what. To begin, I figured my best bet was to be right up front so I plopped myself there. Now, I realize this isn't where the 'cool' kids sit but you have to weigh the pros and cons and there is plenty of time to hang in the back row once I actually understand what is going on.

You know how the first day is. Everybody is trying to get a read on everyone else and then you get to play a "get to know you" game. What was ours you may ask? It consisted of passing around a roll of toilet paper and taking however many sheets you felt you needed. And guess who they started with - damn! I couldn't even watch what the others did. Ugh! I chose 4 and hoped it would turn out okay. What a relief to find that I wasn't the only one taking a "safety" amount. It was great to learn we weren't using this for the intended purpose but to determine how much information we had to relay. For each sheet we had taken, we had to share something about ourselves. Not only did we learn a little about each other but it was refreshing to find myself in a class of new hires that are at least 24 years old.

We have completed our first two weeks in fine fashion. We have met our teams and our mentors, completed our first side-by-side observations and had a highly successful potluck. In addition, we have been informed we are able to wear jeans as long as we adhere to the dress code! After more than 10 years of a "casual" dress code that was music to my ears.

I am amazed that I am comprehending nearly all that is being presented. Health insurance is complicated on its own but learning new computer programs at the same time is putting my brain on overload. By the time I get home at night my brain is a pile of mush. Maybe this old dog can still learn a few new tricks!

And . . . in another week I get my first monetary reward. Finally, a deposit into my bank account instead of a withdrawl. (Just in time for Christmas!)