Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Santa

We had a nice, calm Thanksgiving. My parents were the only visitors we had. They came into town Wednesday and left Saturday morning, so the whole long weekend has been pretty low-key.

I accidentally took some non-drowsy cold medicine at 2:15 a.m. Friday morning. So when I was still awake at 3:40, I thought, "Hey, why don't I go to Target?" It was 3:40, I wasn't thinking clearly!

I brushed my teeth and threw on some slouchy clothes, then I got in the car and drove the 10 minutes to Target. I saw a few other cars on the highway and wondered whether they were going to work or going shopping. But as I rounded the corner into the shopping center parking lot, my jaw dropped.

The Target parking lot was full. FULL - as in there wasn't a single parking space left. The parking lot next to the Target one was full, too. I honestly thought when I saw that many cars that other stores were open, too. Nope, just Target.

They had a path cordoned off out the side door, down the side of the building, past four small shops, across the front of Bed, Bath and Beyond and almost to where the door of Michael's is. And the line wasn't single-file, either. It was about three or four people wide in most spots.

I got there at 3:58 and decided there was no way I was going to walk to the end of that line. So I sat in this little courtyard at the side of the building and waiting until the doors opened and the hoards of people started filing into the store. I stepped into the back of the line and made my way into the store. It was crazy. I only wanted a couple of things, so I didn't get a buggy.

I was heading back to the electronics department, so I was really, really glad I didn't have a buggy. It was worse than any traffic jam I've ever seen. People were running over the ankles of the people in front of them. Luckily, the only incidents of that I saw were accidents.

They had a whole separate line for the big fancy TVs. That wasn't what I was after, so I just kept on walking.

I grabbed the things I needed and headed to the checkout. Boy was I surprised when I saw the checkout line stretching down the main aisle of the store then turning down the aisle where the food is. It stretched all the way back to candy aisle.

I almost put my stuff down and walked out, but I realized that the line wasn't standing still. It was moving slowly, but it was moving.

I made it to the checkout area, and there was a Target employee directing each person to a cashier. Every single cash register was open. I asked my cashier if she was ready to go home yet. "Not yet," she said, "but come back about 10 a.m. and see how it's going." The employees had to be there at 3:45 a.m.

I grabbed my bags and headed to the car. It was 4:38 a.m. All of that hooplah, and it only took me 38 minutes to get done.

I have to say, they have clearly done that drill before because everything was so organized and all the employees were so nice and cheerful. I hope the shoppers returned that favor!

I headed back home and caught a couple more hours of sleep before I had to head in to work. Then I met Jeff, Biscuit and my parents for lunch, then drove over to see Santa.

A friend at work had told me about this great Santa last year, and we were really pleased with him when we took Biscuit there. The man was soft-spoken and very attentive to each child. He took some time with the kids and made them feel really comfortable. We didn't get a head-on photo of Biscuit last year. He was too busy staring at Santa's face and beard.

This year, he was a little more freaked out. Biscuit is either crying or not crying, but for the first time ever, he was doing that almost-cry thing where his bottom lip was quivering, his eyes were darting back and forth, and he was sort of wringing his hands. It was freaking me out.

I've held Biscuit while a nurse gave him shots. I've stepped right over him when he was having a little crying fit while lying in the floor. But for some reason, seeing his response to sitting in Santa's lap, not sure of whether he wanted to be there or not, looking back and forth between the girls operating the camera and me, like he was wondering what he should do. I'll admit it. I teared up.

Santa talked to him and let him hold his sleigh bells, and Biscuit seemed to get a little more comfortable. Then Santa sang "Jingle Bells" to him and asked him what songs he knew. Then after about 10 minutes, Jeff asked Biscuit if he was ready to get out of Santa's lap. "Nope," Biscuit said.

Here's the photo evidence: