When Black Friday Comes...

...I'm usually as far from a mall as humanly possible. Today was the notable exception, as a couple of my prize players had a gig today at Barnes and Noble this afternoon. Actually, if I have to go to a mall at all, I'd rather it be Firewheel, because of the open-air nature of the place (and today was perfect, weather-wise, once the morning fog lifted), and because I don't mind the walk at all, seeing as how I walk through the place all the time anyway.

With that in mind, I didn't even try for a good parking place, choosing to park as far back as I could without encroaching on the movie theatre's lot. There were a lot of people there all day, but getting in and out wasn't too bad, and the fact that it seems more like a small town than a traditional mall just made it seem not so much crowded, as vibrant. And just two minutes from home! I like it...

As for the rest of Black Friday, let's see: I did just what I felt for most of the day (which today meant eating and watching football), but I did wear socks and shoes on occasion, and there were no holes to dig and no kangaroos to feed (if you haven't caught the Steely Dan reference in the title of this post, check out the lyrics here). Mom and Dad stayed until about fifteen minutes ago, and they're headed back to Sugar Land in the morning; it was a very nice visit, as the visits have been lately.

I'll try to get caught up on all the old posts in the next few days, and I'll get caught up on the news stuff now.

Just in time for Black Friday: There's a new website that's dedicated to the fine--and slippery--art of regifting. (According to a survey by the site's creators, 40% of respondents admitted to doing so.)

One more reason to put an iPod on your gift list: It's not just an mp3 player; it might actually help save your life.

They took a joyride and got iced for it: Two employees of a Boise ice-skating rink, faced with the midnight munchies, made a fast-food run by driving the rink's two Zambonis through the drive-thru.

Is this taking "recycling" too far? An enterprising group of Thai zookeepers is now selling paper products--notebooks, fans, bookmarks, and the like--made from recycled panda poop.

So I guess the makers of Eskimo Pies are in trouble now, too: A British sausage-making company has been advised that they could face legal trouble because their product, "Welsh Dragon Sausage," doesn't actually contain any dragon.