With just about a week left to go until my own personal holiday, Black Friday, I'm finally starting to get that nonfat peppermint white mocha, make it a double with no whip, feeling. You know, that one a year, Christmas type of cheer and holidazy attitude. I love Christmas and I'm getting excited. Very excited.

My seasonal boyfriends started arriving today in their handsome brown and blue crisp outfits, driving their tricked out delivery vans full of goodies for muah. It was so good to see my men again, after all, it's been a long year. They missed me bad but I assured them there'd be plenty of time for reminiscing as my credit card was still smokin' hot from the ordering I had already done. My house is sure to look like a brothel or crack shack by the time December is over; with the amount of traffic coming and goin', it will for sure make the neighbors gossip... or visit - I do have some interesting neighbors.

I'm sure I'll get a troll/grinch bitching that I didn't buy local. Well, Mr. Troll, bite me. I try to buy local when I can but I have three kids, two kittens, three dogs, ten chickens, a Hubby, and a trillion family members to buy for, plus Uncle R is a picky bastard, so I need good deals. Oh, did I mention that I'm a cheapskate? I never buy anything full price. I'll wait until it's expired and growing mold; but dangit, I'll get a good deal. If Humboldt would only give me back my Old Navy, JC Penney Outlet, Vitamin World, Suncoast Videos and Sweetriver Saloon, leave my Mervyn's alone, and give me a frickin' Walmart and Home Depot, I probably wouldn't even touch my computer.

It's a fact that there are just some things I can find so much cheaper on the 'net and I usually score free shipping. I was a personal shopper in another life and I thrive on bargain highs. I will buy stocking stuffers (only to help Santa out) locally, but most of my larger purchases will be online. There are some local stores that my girlfriends and I will make an annual trip to *cough* in Old Town, but other than that, things are just to pricey. The economy is in the toilet bowl this year and I need to pinch pennies wherever I can.

I am going to try and hit Old Town and Ferndale at least once before Christmas, in the hopes that I can find some goodies. For those of you who shop locally, what stores do you suggest? What sorta goodies are out there that I might be missing? Are you making preparations for Black Friday?