Navigating the best path for day-after-Thanksgiving shopping has become an art form for the brave shopping veterans who battle sometimes cold temperatures and early-morning hours to find the perfect Christmas gifts at discounted prices.

This bargain-hunting trend is no stranger to me as my father, wife and mother-in-law will be all joining the rush again this year. In fact, I think neither of the three has missed the Black Friday rush this century.

However, my Black Friday routine takes place a day earlier and navigating it is tougher than walking through a minefield unscathed. My problem is one many people go through when they live away from the family.

Advertisement

Like a lot people in the workforce, the only day I have off this week is Thursday. Although that allows plenty of time to make it somewhere for Thanksgiving dinner, it leaves little free time for extra visiting.

The tricky part comes in the fact that my mom resides in Metairie, my dad in Covington and my in-laws in Abita Springs. Neither of the three cities is closer than two hours away from here, making it tough to leave Wednesday after work, visit everybody and still make it back Thursday evening in time to get adequate rest for Friday’s workday.

Normally just telling someone that we’ll have to miss them this holiday season would suffice, but the added bonus of Thanksgiving 2008 being a first for my 7-month-old son makes things a little stickier this year.

My wife and I realized almost instantly that the birth of our first child relegated us to second-team status. We know our son is now the star of the show. However, I think we miscalculated the power he would gain within the family.

Considering Dominick is the first grandbaby for all of these grandparents, neither my parents nor Candace’s can stand to miss a single occasion when it will be Dominick’s first.

They need photos and updates on his first scoot, first crawl, first Halloween costume, first roll, first sound and first everything. Needless to say, his first Thanksgiving is being treated by his grandparents as some sort of coming out party.

Granted, I understand they live two hours away and seeing their first grandbaby is not something that can happen as easily had we all lived in the same city, but come on now, this grandparent barrage can be a little jarring at times.

When we walk into their homes, it’s only seconds before Dominick is taken from our arms and permanently locked into an overanxious grandmother or grandfather. It sort of reminds me of the way my dog used to act when he knew I was about to give him a treat.

Just thinking about the impending stampede Thursday is enough for me to lose my breath. The whole thing has already got me looking forward to work on Friday. 

  

STEPHEN HEMELT is city editor of the The Daily Iberian. He can be contacted stephen.hemelt@daily-iberian.com.