Black Friday Shopping 2011

So, my bestie, Sarah, mentioned Black Friday shopping several months ago, and I thought nothing of it.  Or what I did think was, "Ummm, yeah, I'm pregnant, I want/need my sleep". 
However, the closer it got, the bigger my tummy got and the more I bonded with my son, the more I thought of how economical it could be.
Her hubs ending up not really wanting to go again (lemme tell ya, my bestie, is a BF vet!!) so I said I'd tag along.
We left my house at 8:30 on Thanksgiving night and headed to WalMart.
All I can say is wow.
People were laying out on blankets, pillows and chairs from the home furnishings department.  There were huge balloons marking where certain sale items were, there were dvds and video games in the produce section for crying out loud. 
So after standing in line for a ticket for an xBox 360 with the kinect feature, we roamed the store for the next deal.  (Thankfully, she was able to coerce her husband into bring their son and they stood in line for 2.5 hours to get my family the xBox-God Bless Them!).
Sarah had a map of the store and where the goods were and we both had our lists of desired items.
The first stop was for a frame set for Sarah.  For the past three years she has not been able to get this particular frame set and she realllllllllly wanted it this year as they are re doing their living room.  While we were waiting for the friendly Wal Mart associate to cut into that great shrink wrap I meandered over to the toys to look for a few random gift item for my step daughter.  Luckily, with no injuries, she was able to finally get the frames! YAY.  Score one for the night.
Meanwhile her husband and son were still standing in line with my ticket for the xBox. Which, I guess, technically would've been score one, as they only hand out as many tickets as they have items, so as long as you can stand in line and wait (they do give you 20 minute bathroom breaks, however) you are guaranteed the item.
So we proceeded to make a perimiter round of the store.  We found some excellent deals on little kitchen gadgets, some tupperware (which I still need to wash...oops) and pj's for my step daughter. 
We made our way to the dvds and movies, yeah, the ones in the produce department, and even though they were very picked over, we were able to find a few good deals each. 
I had been eyeing a particular camera and was more than willing to stand in line for 2 hours to get it.  The lady next to me said her husband had researched a lot of items before heading out and this was a really good deal.  I also got a memory stick and a carry case for it. 
While I was waiting, Sarah went around the store again for other miscellaneous items and on our way to the check out, she picked up a great deal on a printer/scanner/copier and I snagged a BluRay player. 
We got done at about 1:30 a.m. and headed to IHOP to refuel. 
Next stop was the mall. 
We hit JCPenney first, and of course, were one of the first 250 people so got a Mickey Mouse snowglobe.
Didn't necessarily hit the jackpot, so to speak (I was reallllllllly wanting some great deals on clothes for Blake) but found a few good things and moved on.
Next stop was Bath & Body Works and I don't know what they had given those girls for breakfast, but I pray they never do it again.  They were entirely too chipper for 5:15 a.m. Again, no major deals, but I blame myself as I was EX.HAUS.TED by this poitn and didn't even know what I was looking for or at.
This is the point in which I tapped out.  My poor bestie.  I bailed on her.  She still wanted to go to three more stores, but they didn't open till 6 a.m. and I just couldn't do it. 
So she took me home and proceeded on her way.  She later said she found some good deals, but none of them seemed worth the sleep I gained.
We briefly discussed doing it again next year, on a bigger scale, in a bigger city, but I will have a 9 month old at home, and my husband will inevitably have to work the next day, so I am thinkign this may be out.  Even staying here in town may be as I slept until 2:30 p.m. on Friday. Yeah, I am thinking that isn't going to be conducive to properly caring for an infant.
My husband still thinks I am nuts.  He tells everyone what time I left and got back and gives me flack for it.  But I think seeing how jazzed his daughter is at Christmas that we got the xBox for a family gift, which will be totally unexpected for her will quiet him down.
Overall, it was a great time (especially after the Thanksgiving dinner we had at my in laws, but that's a whole other story) and I had fun with my best friend.