Pre-Black Friday Shenanigans

I've never been much of a Black Friday shopper. When I was in college my roommates and I would lay around and talk about how great it was to NOT use coupons and pay full price for things while we were still young. I never really ventured out into the cold when I could be sleeping in my bed, a tummy full of turkey and not out with all the CRAZIES that try to get good deals. (With the exception of Black Friday 2009 where I procured all of the episodes of Friends for 8.99 each. Best purchase I ever made in my entire life) (Also I just checked to see if the Black Friday ads were out because I would really love a Kurig to make me coffee every morning but alas they are not out yet)

But today was a different story.

I work on a college campus with a full functioning Apple Store. You can buy Laptops, iPads, iPods, accessories, etc. It's in a little nook in the University Center and that's where our office purchased the iPads that they distributed us.

Well, they were having a one-day holiday sale. And let me tell you, the prices were literally insane. When I checked the website and saw that a 13-inch MacBook Pro was only $899 I literally died a little.

(Sidenote - I have been a loyal Apple customer my entire life. The first thing I ever saved my money for was a first-gen iPod and I had that for years until I gave it to my mom full-functioning and I upgraded to the touch. I have had 2 iPhones and  my first laptop (white MacBook) when I was shipped off to college is still in my possession to this day.)

I love my computer. It's been with me through college, through late night study sessions, through marathon Facebook creeping, through papers and hundreds of iTunes playlists that turn into mix CDs. But it's dying. Last summer the hard drive crashed (luckily I had everything backed up) and I mean really, a piece of machinery that I've had since 2006 may not last much longer.

So I decided to venture out and purchase a new laptop.

(Second Sidenote - I am not currently typing this entry on my new computer. This is the first in the series of contradictions in this post)

The sale was one-day only and was scheduled to start at 9am. It was also on campus so I told my boss that I was going to be late for a very important reason, to help save the economy. He didn't seem to mind.

I really couldn't sleep last night because I was so excited. I lept out of bed into the Wellness Center and rushed through my workout so I could get ready for work and go to the sale.

I got to the place around 8am and was probably the 20th person in line. I sat on a bench for 30 minutes reading Game of Thrones when the fun/action/stress finally started.

FIRST OF ALL, I was sitting on a bench right next to the stairs, so on the other side of the stairs was where another girl that was in front of me was sitting. Around 8:30 a suspicious man stood next to the girl, effectively cutting me in line. I silently noted that and moved on the conversation that was in front of me.

A girl and her boyfriend asked if they could get behind me in line because they were waiting all along and they just didn't want to sit at the bench but they were still waiting. Yes I saw them EATING A CINNAMON ROLL  AND DRINKING STARBUCKS while I was patiently waiting in line. Okay lady, whatever. It really didn't matter to me because they were chinese-cutting me so the lady that was sitting next to me let them in.

We then sat for awhile and I saw that the one guy that had cut me turned into two guys. I was kind of mad before but then I got even more upset because what if they took the last laptop and I didn't get one at all? So while I'm silently fuming over this the line grows:

 

After chatting for awhile with two lovely German exchange students I turn around and the guys are still there. I finally decided to say something so I leaned up to the younger one and said:

"I hope you are not getting the same thing as me and the last one because I saw you cut me."

He literally looked at me like I had lost my marbles. 

He said: "I'm getting a 13-inch MacBook Pro"

and I looked at him and he KNEW that's what I was getting too. His friend that was with him was like:

"Lady, calm down I'm just along for the ride"

SEE HOW MOB MENTALITY TURNS YOU INTO A CRAZY PERSON. 

So then one of my students that I work with texted me and asked if she could come to the front of the line. I had literally just gotten done yelling at these dudes and I thought maybe that was teetering on the risque side so I said she shouldn't. But then I felt bad so I let her come up in line with me. 

I don't know why I wasn't killed today. 

Then it was time for the sale to begin. 

We start walking in and word comes down through the line that if you say "The Tech Store Rocks!" you got a free backpack. WELL OF COURSE I NEED A FREE BACKPACK CONSIDERING ALL THE CLASSES I GO TO. But when people are talking and they are all excited you just get excited too. 

I'm walking in and there's literally so many products in that one room. There's no way I wouldn't get a laptop. But then as people are grabbing cases and keyboard covers and printers I'm like grabbing them too! I met this girl in line and we started talking about how if you buy the extended warranty you get a free printer. I DO NOT NEED A PRINTER. I have a great one at work. But as I got up to the checkout I obviously needed to buy it so I could get the huge ass printer. After I walked out she just looked at me and shook her head. 

I waited in line and people kept cutting me which I did not understand. I'm like YOU ALREADY HAVE YOUR COMPUTER JUST WAIT 5 SECONDS. While I was freaking out about that I saw a guy that looked like "The Bug" from Men in Black and proceeded to freak out even more. 

So here I am. I walked out of the store with a new laptop, apple care, a case and a keyboard cover. Oh and a free printer and backpack. My little white laptop is sitting sadly in the corner of my apartment getting ready to be sold for parts. 

I can't imagine what I would be like if I tried to go shopping on Black Friday. There's nothing I really want/need except one of those coffee makers and I'll probably ask for that for Christmas. 

It's going to be great to lay in bed next week and watch Revenge on my new screen! 

Happy Thanksgiving to me!

Ciao, 

Mal xoxo