Christmas in the '06 - part 2, the shopping

I think it started in November when Wal-Mart announced that their 3rd quarter profits would be lower than expected…and in an effort to regain lost profits by slashing prices on flat screen tvs. Maybe because they are the #1 US retailer. Maybe it's because there are 5 in every town in the country, but when they said that EVERYBODY started having major sales on flatscreens. I must admit, I too was in the market for one myself. I went by Circuit City on the week AFTER black Friday. They had as many open box tvs as new ones on the floor. So I asked a salesperson "why so many 'open box' tvs?" She said alot of people buy those tvs just because they are on sale and then return them because

1) Too big for the space they intended.
2) They don't know you have to have HD PROGRAMMING from your cable or satellite provider
3) They don't know you have to have an HD receiver to receive HD programming
4) After they get the TV and realize all those extra costs...can't afford it
5) Without those things, its just a big TV...that looks nothing like what you see in the store (except for DVDs)

Aside from all that, I have never seen so many men looking so vulnerable at a store. I mean droves of guys, big and tall, short and small with that hungry look like "I want one, don't you?" I can only imagine budget concerns and/or wife/girlfriend somewhere else in the store or on the cyberleash (cell phone) with warranted concern a spouse on the loose in an electronics store is going to spend this month's mortgage on a 42' plasma. So while I was out doing my rounds I would check prices (mostly online) beforehand and check for returned items in Best Buy and Circuit City. I actually settled on a 37" vizio. I know what you're thinking. VIZIO? Who the heck is that? Well, they are are this upstart no-frills LCD TV manufacturer. Under normal circumstances I would have stuck with a brand I know, but through Costco which offers a lifetime guarantee on their products, if something goes wrong, I can just take it back, no questions asked.

Other things of note:
-Linen N' Things accepts Bed Bath & Beyond coupons, expired or not
-Wal-Mart had a bunch of old movies for $4.50
-Bath and Body works had coupons for $10 off any purchase of $30 or more
(I got this Black Currant and Vanilla lotion & pillow mist of the same-NICE)
-Kohl's had "Kohl's Cash", something like 25% of your purchase that could be used towards your next purchase
-Macy's had 20% off coupons
-And the much hyped PS3? My local Best Buy had about 10 in stock.

I didn't notice any particularly obsessive behavior like people cutting each other off in parking lots, or rudeness in stores. At least everybody I came in contact with was polite and even outgoing. I was surprised at how courteous some of the younger kids at retail places were. It was a pretty good experience all the way around.

This year was the first time in years that I actually had money to do Chrstmas shopping at Christmas time. I remember when I was married, we were so broke one year all I could get my wife was a box of rain-blo gumballs. That was a rough year. Totally contrast of 2006. I am thankful that God allowed me to get everything I wanted this year AND debt free AND get gifts for a bunch of my friends and family. Only God can do that, and I'm lovin it!

Christmas in the '06 - part 1, the music

Christmas this year was very different for me for many reasons, so much so that I wanted to write it all down...well as much as I remember anyway.

Music
Now in the past, I wasn't really a big fan of Christmas music because it is sooo...used. The Donnie Hathaway "This Christmas", The Temptations "Silent Night" and all the "classics" then Boys to Men and the now very stereotypical "Christmas in Hollis." So after the the first few days it's just boring. It's also kinda hard to relate to "Winter Wonderland" when it's 68º outisde. I heard some of the words to some songs for the first time. "My Favorite Things" for one I had only heard on Charlie Brown and Jazz guitarist Ronny Jordan. This year I heard Diana Ross singing it. I had no idea how nonsensical the lyrics were...

when the dog bites
when the bee stings
or when I'm just feeling sad
I simply think of my favorite things
and it doesn't seem soooo bad

Fill in other verses with other tragic events. Okay, so maybe I'm being a little too critical of this silly Christmas song, but bee stings and dog bites are not usually things that people just change their thoughts to get over. Uhhhh, ER maybe?!?! Maybe its an analogy of the poor state of healthcare for working class Americans, so since they have no healthcare, they think of their favorite...okay yeah, I'm trying too hard now. But it's just silly.

Another song I heard was "Happy Holidays" (Beef Wellington Remix) by Bing Crosby. This is from the 50's I think. It is totally hilarious! I can't help but think this started as a commercial for Holiday Inn that just stuck on and became a song. This one I heard a remixed version, so it was about 3 minutes long, but here's the chorus and one of the verses. Man it doesn't get any simpler than this.....

Happy Holidays
Happy Holidays
May the calendar keep bringin'
Happy Holidays to you

If the traffic noise affects you
like a squeaky vio-lin
Kick your cares
down the stairs
come to Holiday Inn!

It was a couple of others, but those 2 really stuck out. I bought some Christmas music for the first time in a long time, Christmas Remixed, Volumes 1 & 2–go check it out on iTunes music store. This stuff is phat! It actually put me in a "Christmas spirit" if such a thing exists-just happy because it's this time of year. I mean I'm loving these songs, rolling down the street blasting a remix of the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" I made an imix, "Sadorian Christmas remixes" so you can hear them for yourself. And if you see a black dude in an acura noddin his head to Christmas music...it's me.