After Boxing Day

Boxing Day is a big holiday in Canada. People start to line up early in the morning, similar to Black Friday in the US to get “bargains” the day after Christmas. I seldom need bargains after Christmas, and try and get them for Christmas. As well, they are all appearing very as Christmas bargains, and great things also appear as Boxing Day specials on line, so why wait in the cold. I know there must be a romance to it; it’s just not my thing.

I didn’t wait in any lines, however, at 8:00 a.m. two days later, I found myself taking my daughters and two teen aged friends to the early opening of the Salvation Army 50% off sale! Why would anyone care, and why would anyone be dragging out to get old clothes for less. We rushed out to beat the crowd, and we did. We were the crowd!

It did start to get busier a few hours later, as I found out, because I waited for them!

I looked around, and unlike Value Village, the Sally Ann has a much smaller selection.
There was nothing for me, not that I really cared, but I needed something to do as I waited. I mean, how long could it take? Four teens bargain shopping for used clothes? Two hours was about it.

I decided to go to Tim Horton’s to get a hot chocolate, and drove down the road for about a mile, I found none. I drove back up the road and found a Tim’s, directly across the road from the Salvation Army! I guess I didn’t look.

I sat in the car and listened to a book and didn’t fall asleep. Finally, as I needed a bathroom, I went back inside to find the girls getting ready to check out and the bathroom out of order. While I waited, I went next door to Wendy’s to find it not yet open, and back I went to the Sally Ann.

My oldest daughter had the biggest bag and spent the most money. I looked through the bargains, and I will admit that a pair of used Doc Martins, in pretty good shape, was worth $4. The other bargains were questionable, but I didn’t have to wear them or pay for them. My other daughter spent less, and had some nice stuff, including a new ”Friends” t-shirt if you’re into that sort of TV trivia.

I guess that what ever day this was, it was not such a special event for me. They had a great time and I imagine lots of the clothing will be used before it gets back to Goodwill or the Salvation Army the next time.

Having my older daughter home for a few weeks creates a level of activity I had grown out of as she’s been gone. We have these mini-events and activity every day it seems, and it will grow quiet again after Saturday when she goes back to Montreal. I will look back on this time and miss it, in a few weeks!