Column -- Black Friday

Two things immediately tagged me as an amateur when I walked through that plate glass department store door on Friday.

First, it already was 8 a.m. - several crucial hours into the biggest shopping day of the year.

The Gazette's own Richard Pratt, for example, had left his house around 2 a.m. to chase down deals at area big box stores.

So I was late to the starting block, and worse - I hadn't even dressed for the occasion. No singing, plush Christmas tree hat; no flashing Christmas light necklace - not an ounce of holiday spirit showing anywhere.

In fact, with my big bag and heavy wool coat, I hardly was nimble enough to scamper between the suitcases, sheet sets and other special buys that were being snapped up by my fellow shoppers like candy at a parade.

I usually don't do Black Friday but we're spending less this holiday season. So, armed with a stack of advertising circulars, my daughter and I hit the stores.

Once we got to the Coral Ridge Mall, it was clear that we were out of our league - well, I was, at least. I was like a raccoon distracted by shiny objects - swept away by “60 percent off.”

Maybe I was hypnotized by Bing Crosby singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” over the sound system. Maybe that boiling-hot wool coat was making me delirious. All I know is one minute I was shopping for gifts, and the next minute I was in a dressing room, trying on sweater after bargain-priced sweater.

Wait a minute, that's not on the list. I shook my head, reminded myself of the difference between wants and needs, and headed out to find my daughter.

The pattern would repeat itself as we wound our way from store to store. “Catch yourself,” she'd say and steer me back into the flow of traffic after I'd been run off course by a discounted jacket, a pair of boots.

It's a good thing she was there, or the folks on my gift list would all be getting clothes and shoes in my size this year.

“How nice,” my dad would say. “A scoop neck jersey with a three-quarter length sleeve.”

Not quite.

So we didn't get much accomplished on Friday; our shopping list is about the same size as it was when we started.

But it was good to get out and be part of the excitement. So good in fact, that a cheery teenage girl - or maybe she was just loopy from lack of sleep - gave my arm a little squeeze.

“I think we should get up at four next year,” she said.

Oh, help me, Santa.

Jennifer Hemmingsen's column appears on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Contact the writer at (319) 339-3154 or jennifer.hemmingsen@gazcomm.com