3:30 A.M.
Yes, it is indeed 3:30 a.m. on Friday, November 23rd, 2006. The day after Thanksgiving. Retailers refer to today as Black Friday. Although no longer the busiest shopping day of the year, this Friday is definitely intense. This one day sets the tone for the Holiday shopping season. If it is a poor day, our moods will blacken for quite some time. Yet, if it is a day filled with registers clicking away, we will be optimistic for the days ahead.So here I type away at my keyboard in the wee hours of the day. Why don't I take this time to sleep? I am not one of those who can shower and go. Like a flywheel, I need time to gain momentum into the morning.
Thanksgiving is always a blur for me. While everyone is settling into our supper, I am pondering the number of hours before I needed to wake. It is a curse. While Todd is bristling about the general state of California, I am thinking about if I should set another alarm clock. While Lael is asking me if I would like pie or a brownie for dessert, I am dreading crawling out of bed before the roosters crow.
I am entering the dark days. I will be leaving for work when the sun is coming up and returning home after it sets. I will see less and less of our closest star...but I do love my job...really! Today needs to be great. I know it will be great. I can feel it.
Just one last ponder...why does it need to start so early?