I GOT A GOLDEN TICKET!!!
Yes, that was me, out of bed at 5:45 CST ... into the shower to wake up ... then on with umpteen layers of long-johns and four pairs of socks (not that they helped) and out into the 23F (12F wind-chill) morning to start Thumper, the trusty Expedition ... then after Thumper had time to warm up, off into the breach in hot pursuit. You see, I'd been out on 19 November at an ungodly hour (although not ungodly enough, as it turned out) to get a Nintendo Wii on the launch date at the urging of the spousal unit. ("For the children!" Uh-huh.) I'd first gone to Circuit City, where there was a thoughtful sign in the window saying ...WE HAVE 13 NINTENDO WII UNITS FOR SALE ON SUNDAY 11/19
... I was number 14 ... so I went to Toys R Us, where the line was far less long (and the wait was on the south side of the store, out of the chilly north wind). I seemed to be fairly well in the hunt, but as the opening hour approached, several individuals materialized out of the parking lot to join the line ahead of me (and just exactly how that works out, I couldn't say ... but somehow it didn't seem either nice or fair). At five minutes ahead of the magical moment, someone from the store came out to hand out tickets for the units they had available, starting at the front of the line and working back toward where I stood (and the 50 or so others after me). At three people ahead of me, the poor guy handed over one last ticket and said, "I'm sorry, everybody else, that's it, that's all we have for today, and we don't know when we'll get more." There was some massive grumbling and gnashing of teeth, but those of us who hadn't been there since midnight the night before (or fortunate enough to have jumped the line) eventually wandered off. As it turns out, the fellow who'd ventured out with the tickets was someone I've known since fifth grade (yes, that's a long time ago, but boys don't typically change much ... most of them don't wear makeup, although some do shave their heads or grow ZZ Top beards or whatever ... but this one hadn't). I said hello, and he offered condolences for my not having got a ticket. Being me (and not the shy retiring type), I asked when some more were coming. He looked around to be sure he wouldn't be overheard, and then told me that he'd know a shipment was coming the day before it got here. I gave him my business cards and asked if he might give me a ring when he knew some were arriving, and bless him, he said he couldn't hold one for me, but he would do his best to phone when notice came that arrival was imminent.
Yesterday morning I got the call, and today I was up before the sun in order to have a chance (better than that of a snowball that's crossed the Styx) at getting a Wii. Thumper got me to the store at about 7:00 ... I was number 16 in line ... and the wait began. By 7:30, my toes were a bit numb; by 8:15, I didn't seem to have any feet at all. At 8:55, someone came out and began handing out tickets (wow, have I been here before?), but we'd been far more alert to folks appearing in line that hadn't been there all this time (and in fairness, there wasn't any of that this go-round), and so one of the tickets found its way into my hand! WOOHOO!!! (I really did feel badly for the people behind me in line ... but not badly enough - or mercenary enough - to sell my ticket.)
We trooped into the store in an amazingly orderly fashion (to be honest, I was expecting a scene out of "Death Race 2000") and into the area of the store where the games and such live before they're off to good homes. I got an extra remote (but not an extra nunchuk -- those were gone in a blink) and sleeves for the controllers, then got in line to make my purchase. Soon, I was the proud owner of a Nintendo Wii, two remotes, one nunchuk, two sleeves, Ultimate Alliance, and Zelda. Did I already say WOOHOO!!! (Sorry ... couldn't help myself.)
Six hours after emerging from the shower, I'm off back to bed. I'm just about able to feel my feet again (and yes, I know that the awful prickly/tingly thing going on in my feet means I don't need to see about having them amputated due to frostbite, but that doesn't make it a NICE feeling) and the layers are making me a little snarly.
But hey, I got a Wii ... WOOHOO!!!
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