Couch 182: Spiced Gingerbread.

You have Black Friday sales in England? I assumed they were just a US thing, with the day after Thanksgiving.

We adopt their TV shows, they adopt our terrible shopping ideas.

I think we came out ahead on that one.

It's probably a bad sign if it's the morning of the first of 5 days of D and H off in a row and I'm already starting to lose it a bit. D seems to be in this "I can't be in a room by myself!" phase. My main issue this morning is that I have to finish up a tiny bit of work, ideally before I leave for my T session at noon (I got up early today to do most of it). They're supposed to be leaving to do stuff in a half hour (big indoor playground, lunch, etc.), but H is always running late with those things. D keeps being like "can we go yet?" And "I can't be by myself!" Even though she has like a million things to entertain herself with. Sorry, just a rant.

Also dreading tomorrow at H's sister and her H's house (I'll call him BIL), because BIL's relatives are there too, and, with the exception of his brother, it's like they literally do not acknowledge our presence. So it's just weird and awkward. Plus they don't allow alcohol because one of BIL's family members is a recovering alcoholic. I'm planning to spend maybe a max of 2 hours there (even though it's a 90-minute drive each way)--H and I go separately. He doesn't want to go either. If it was just with H's family, I'd be all good with that, but not so much this. At least it's only every other year (my family is the other year).

And Thanksgiving in general kinda sucks as a vegetarian (I mean, lots of veggie sides but everyone all excited and rejoicing over a giant cooked bird).

OK, gonna stop ranting now and save the rest for my T. H is about to head out with D, so I can manage to get this work done and shower and have some more coffee.

Yup it's become a thing here too I think mainly because of Amazon and other US stores .

A price i'm willing to pay. I saved £14 in total and got free delivery!

I have a Swatch watch, so got them the same brand. The Original price was £38. I got each for £30.60 I think.

So more money to spend on the important stuff = Chocolate.

In the words of a wise ogre. "better out than in". So rant away. "I'm listening."

It's easy to get out of sync on days off with no set schedule. That's why I always used to struggle on the weekends. Does D have something like a security blanket?

The idea of limiting time is a good idea, but given that it's a 3 hours driving +2 there= That's 5 hours wasted if you both don't really want to go you don't have to. Couldn't you make an excuse up like the car's not starting up but I get how family drama can be started over something like that so it might be a small price to pay.

Would you guys go to see a movie that started at 8.50pm and you had to use public transport back or would you say that was too late?

Of course, now it's not just Black Friday, but "Black Friday Deals Week" and "Cyber Monday Deals Week," etc. I only do online deals though--no way am I going to a store at like 6 a.m.

Thanks, I think the lack of routine is what really messes with D (it can particularly affect kids on the spectrum). She keeps asking what we're doing that day, then tomorrow, Saturday, Sunday.


I feel like we should try to go to Thanksgiving to avoid family drama. We tried to get H's mom to just have it at her place with just us, but she seemed like she wanted to go to her daughter's (H's sister's). The issue is that his sister/BIL live on land of BIL's parents, and other relatives live on that land, too (huge subdivided farm), so it's like they couldn't just have it at sister's without inviting them. And with the mother passing away earlier this year... So I figure I'll just suck it up. H was hoping the weather would be bad to give us an excuse, but it's just going to be really cold--no snow or anything.

For me, that would be too late, but here the buses finish at 7pm anyways so going anywhere after 6pm isn't a good idea unless we wanted to get stranded

Does anyone actually physically go to a store on Black Friday? It sounds awful and not worth it at all.

And re: the getting it out, part of why I wanted to still see T twice this week...to help me maintain some level of sanity. Though maybe I should have gone with Friday instead, I don't know...eh I'll manage.

Nope I avoid going to shops on Black Friday, I get way too anxious in crowds

I'm going to hide under here so the crowds stay away from me

Public transport is pretty safe here, but some people worry at night anyways. I'd personally not have a problem with it, when I'm scared at night walking by myself, I usually take my phone out and have it in my hand so that I could call the cops or a friend right away if something sketchy happened. Maybe something like that is a possibility?

I pretty much do all my shopping online anymore, except some groceries. Well, and beer. Even some grocery stuff I get on Amazon.

I'm certainly not going, too busy. I will probably order online.

Ya you will be ok. Start decorating this weekend or something fun to distract you. Monday isn't too far away

Lol sadly many people do. People have legit died from shopping black Friday.

I created a Meg Christian radio channel on pandora. I am listening to Ode to a Gym Teacher and remembering my first lover in between cleaning for thanksgiving.
Sentimentality and bad but earnest women's music - a heady mix.

She'll always be a player on the ballfields of my heart.

I used to love shopping on Black Friday years ago. I don’t go anymore.

Sorry, hon--the real Black Friday is getting down and dirty over doorbuster deals in stores over here.

Which I have never done, but I live near enough a major shopping center with a Walmart starting Black Friday sales late Thanksgiving evening that I hear the police sirens headed there or see the police cars parked outside in preparation.

You made an excellent choice with that one. I love my Dyson.

Lol! That's great!!

Oh I totally do, even though I am almost done with my shopping. I like being in the mix of it all. But I will only be out for maybe an hour or two. I gotta help Mom get some of her shopping done. And then of course, there are always toys to be bought for the toy drive at Church. Kit

I'm the not down and dirty type and for good reason. It might have calmed down but I'd rather stay in my bed Walmart owns a chain of UK stores called ASDA. The video footage is brutal and this is the insanity 3 years ago.

Is it too late to still ask?