Bogieblog

Black Friday Shopping

Black Friday morning I headed out to snag a printer at a price I couldn't resist ($20 more than what it would cost just to have someone look at my old printer, much less actually fix it).

The sale on this particualr item was from 6AM until 10 AM. I got up at the time I normally would on a workday, actually had time to spare before I left at 5:15 (I normally leave a bit before 5), made a detour to get coffee at the local DD, then got to the Concord store at 5:45 (speed limit, there ain't no stinking speed limit on the highway).

There were 70-80 people already in line waiting for the doors to open. I got a chuckle at the guy behind me: he called his wife and said there were a couple of hundred of people in line. Everyone was mannerly, even talking to their neighbors, and newcomers, asking what stores they had already hit, what they had scored, what they were hoping to score at the office supply place (henceforth known as St*ples) etc. 

Every 5 minutes employees St*ples, would go up and down the line of people offering coupons for especially hot items (some items one had to have a store coupon to buy the item). Eventually the doors opened and the line moved swiftly, but still orderly thru and people began to fan out to find their desired items.

After much searching by myself and St*ples staff, I located the printer I wanted (it, unlike most of the sales stuff, was in an out-of-the-way corner). Even the customers in line at the registers were upbeat and mannerly as I stood in line for about 10 minutes to be checked out by a smiling employee.

I made it home by 7:15, after hstopping to get gas. Not a bad deal considering all the time I spent doing non-shopping related activities.

I was pleasantly surprised that the experience was, although not enjoyable (I hate shopping at the best of times), not unpleasant either. Everyone was smiling, polite, informative (I saw some shoppers helping others find what they were after - heck, even I helped a lady decide between getting DVD-rs and CD-rs - she needed CD's as she wanted to record music to play in her car) while the sales person was helping me find the printer. There was no rudeness, no shoving, no panic, no tug-of-wars for the last item, none of the bad stuff you read about in magazines and hear about on TV.

Last year, when shopping for the fridge on Black Friday afternoon, we me rude, loudmouthed people who were shoving their way, bad-temperedly thru the crowds.The sales staff was so frazzled at that point, they were no longer friendly or happy - although not actively rude, they were obviously trying to just survive the day.

Sad as this sounds, I am convinced that early morning shopping on Black Friday is much better than shopping later on that day (should one need to do so).

Shopping Madness

As much as I hate shopping and crowds, this is the second Black Friday in a row that I have to go out to buy a much needed item. Shortly, I will be leaving to be in line for the early opening of an office supply store to get $80 off on a printer that is comparable to the one that broke (and can handle Vista and wireless from the laptops).

Wish me luck.

Civics Test

I got 30/33 right, for a score of 90.9% on the civics test featured in this article. I am not only smarter than the average bear, but also than the average elected official (at least as far as the test goes). I find that rather sad.

Thanks to The Weekend Pundit for the link.

Turkey Day 2008

Thanksgiving is a time for Family, Friends and reflecting upon the good things in life.

The Bogie family hopes you and yours have a safe and healthy Turkey Day!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Airport Security

If you get discombobulated at an airport while going to security (divest self of all electronics, turn on the electronics that must be checked, divest of shoe etc.), where do you get yourself and your stuff back together?

Why, at the recombobulation area of course!

A Sport Tourer In My Future?

The Motorcycle Personality Quiz:

My results.

Yamaha FJR1300

You have the characteristics of a master street rider. On the way to work, your love for riding sometimes leads you to take the long way. The 50-miles-of-back-roads long way. You live for the perfect road, and plan vacations around riding.

You need a bike that can handle your addiction to the twisties as well as comfortably carry two on a weekend trip through the mountains. Your bike is the FJR1300. Can I borrow it someday?

Compared to other takers

• You scored 2 on moxie, higher than 30% of your peers.
• You scored 11 on zeal, higher than 87% of your peers.
• You scored 2 on pomp, higher than 40% of your peers

 

Woodpecker Sighting

I shot video of a woodpecker that visited the platform feeder several times today. I belive it is a red-bellied woodpecker, which is odd as we would be at the northern extreme of its summer range, and as cold as its been, it really should be further south. We have not seen this bird before, but WS saw it early this morning, and I saw it several times during the afternoon.

The video starts out at 3x magnification and partway thru I up it some more. I wish I had a better zoom, but If wishes were horses - and all that stuff.

I sent an email to the NH Audubon Society with the sighting since they are interested in rare bird sightings.

Fridge Magnets

Cop Car was writing about how she only had one magnet on her refrigerator. One? Only one? How can a fridge survive with only one magnet? Everyone knows that fridges need magnets to socialize with. I call that refrigerator abuse!

The Refrigerator at the Bogie household will never, ever complain about being deprived of magnets (or other stuff to mingle with):

    

Looking to Print

Let's see, it has been a whole 4 months since something major at homestead Bogie has died. Some may not call this major, but my printer died. The last printer died in early 2006. I believe the last printer before that died in 2003-2004. I don't even print that much, so don't understand the problem with keeping printers alive.

The printer was fine last week when I used it to copy a page. Then I tried to use it last night and it told me that the ink door is open. I haven't changed ink for 2 months or so. Not only that, but the ink door is actually the entire body of the printer. But, upon closer inspection, some part inside broke (all by itself no less) that holds the body in the correct position. The end result is that the body is cocked over on one side, and the printer knows when you are trying to hold it in place by hand (read that as "the printer still doesn't work"). Now, it even refuses to turn on.

Guess I'lll have to go out and stimulate the economy (hey, I thought I did that a couple of weeks ago).

Definition of Fall

Last weekend, Fall began to live up to its name. Not temperature-wise mind you (although it was characteristically cool), but in as much as all the leaves fell - almost at once. In about a 36 hour time-span, the trees became bare.

The whole yard pretty much looked like the picture above. So Sunday, WS started raking.

   

Although he got a good portion of it done, a lot is still left to do. It has been rainy all this weekend (why is it always warm when it rains and cold on the other days - the days that we could ride? [/end whining])