Newly severed from Amazon.com, I actually left my apartment and went out to shop on Black Friday. It had been years since I’d done that. Physically, it was as vaguely uncomfortable as I remembered, but I am a woman in her 50’s and it felt right to join my peers. Downtown Chicago is where we middle-aged women belong on the day after Thanksgiving.

Here I am standing on the corner of State Street and Randolph Street, in front of Macy’s. There were many more crowds walking around than you can see here.

I’m in the thick of it now. As I shopped, I wondered why department stores are always so overheated in the winter. I also noticed how much louder the music was, at least in Macy’s. It was as loud as a bar in there!

I carefully didn’t get distracted by a KitchenAid in my favorite color (hot pink). I also don’t bake nearly enough to justify spending $370 on such a thing. But at least if I bought it, only my lower back would suffer for it, not an Amazon.com employee’s.

Mission accomplished. Of course I couldn’t pass up a deal on satin sheets for myself, but my overshopping was limited by how much I could carry (I don’t have a car). This feels like a much more reasonable way to shop. And I got a little exercise.

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