Black Friday

Four years ago, my brother Stephen decided that he desperately needed a TV on special from Best Buy on Black Friday.

He declared his intent to my parents -- he was going to gather some friends and spend the night outside of Best Buy to get that TV.

My parents thought this was hilarious. Stephen exuberantly told them to go through the ads and pick out what they wanted him to pick up for them. They thought the whole thing was so funny that they went through and circled a bunch of stuff, knowing that he wouldn't get any of it. Best Buy is, after all, one of the crazy and crowded places on Black Friday

Stephen left before midnight, braved the cold and the dark. During the night, the rest of the family exchanged sly smiles. Stephen was so excited and he was going to get there, spend all that time, and not get anything. He had no idea how crowded it was going to be.

He got back around 6:45 and burst into the house.

He woke Mom and Dad up by opening the garage door. I woke up too, and walked out into the hallway that overlooks my parents' living room. He stood there, smiling ear to ear, thrilled.

"I GOT EVERYTHING!!!!!!" he yelled up at us.

And he did. A TV. Several digital cameras. Movies. Photoshop Elements. And several other things.

My parents learned a lesson tonight. They knew not to load up a list of things for Stephen to get the next year, on the very real possibility that he would get it all.

Stephen has gone every year since that first year. Last year, he and his friends (and Hal) added a fire pit and corn hole (a bean bag toss game) to their arsenal for passing the hours. The police thought this was a good idea. This year, although it was much warmer, several other people had followed their lead.

I suppose my little brother is the most hard-core shopper in the family.

At least when it comes to electronics.