Inauguration prep

I was in Target this morning at about 9:00, thinking that I'd really be able to miss the crowds by being such an early bird. I was surprised to see people bustling around like they were preparing for Black Friday.

Wandering past the cash registers, I stumbled upon a morning meeting of all the employees and the store manager. Being in retail, and always curious to hear these things play out, I decided to linger a little bit near the laundry detergent to figure out what he had to say. Not surprisingly, the focus over the next few days was going to be Inauguration-related. The store manager told them to make sure all the necessities are stocked, which I suppose includes everything from batteries to cereal to warm clothes.

Just a few minutes before, he said, a woman who was staying at a hotel across the street came in to buy an air mattress (the store was almost sold-out). Perhaps all of those tourists who are cramming into hotel rooms are finding the floor a little uncomfortable. Here I was thinking that the only way retailers benefited from these things was from the Obama t-shirts I've seen all over the place.

As I was checking out, a man in the other aisle was buying a bunch of thick shirts and socks. He told the cashier he worked at CNN as a cameraman and had to spend all day Tuesday on the Mall.

Chad and I have different Inauguration Day plans. We're leaving town and heading to the cabin we visited in August. I was at Target this morning for charcoal, some starter logs and, of course, snacks. The car is packed and I'm just waiting for Chad to get off work. These people can have their crowds and their freezing temperatures and their traffic. We're outta here!