50% Off Hot Tubs

So I wondered today as I finished my Christmas shopping, which is an improvement to previous years when I start and finish on Christmas Eve, where all the shoppers were. Maybe they already bought 50% Off Hot Tubs for all their loved ones, because of the tremendous cardboard advertisements with authentic black Sharpie writing, on random corners throughout Kansas City. I am marveled and confused by the not so professional advertising scheme of the hot tub industry. I saw these signs stuck in the ground in three different parts of the city today (which let me conclude...did not encompass much outside of my bubble), and I still do not know which company or brand of Hot Tubs they are. Only a phone number printed too small to read was below the original slogan that this advertising wiz came up with. I have to admit, it did catch my attention, and possibly the other shoppers who did not want to come out to shop today. I mean who wouldn't want to sit in or think about a Hot Tub on this rainy, cold afternoon in Kansas City?

I also wonder if shoppers actually prepared this week ahead of time, because of the blizzard coming our way. I mean it has been fifty years since Kansas City has seen snowfall on Christmas. Because of Gary Lezak's 100% chance of a white Christmas forecast, the whole city is overly anxious (and shopped before today) in preparation for a Winter Wonderland tonight and tomorrow. I did, in fact, dread this day of shopping in such gloomy weather, and my lack of creativity for gifts this year put a damper to my usual gleeful mood.

This year it was so bad that this morning I went into my closet and found a sweater I had bought for myself in the men's section of a sale, and wondered if it would work for my father. I knew my brother would know if this could slide with some burned CDs that my dad always loves. My brother and his wife stared at me with frightening looks, as I held up the black and white v-neck striped sweater. My brother described the sweater as "cute" and assured me that was a bad sign.

Now don't get me wrong, I love my father dearly and my poor choice to even think this could pass resulted in me spending the most money on him this year, and carefully picking the music on his mixed CDs. I was feeling a little guilty as I parked, unusually close for Christmas Eve day, at the mall.

The mall was empty. Target was empty. Van Maur was empty. Town Center was empty...under the circumstances of the Holiday. I felt as if I needed to scope out all of the Kansas City shopping areas, just to confirm my skepticism of the citizens of Kansas City opting for 50 % off Hot Tubs this year. I did not, though, slump to this shopping level and only hit the places that were necessary for my shopping. I was slightly sad that I didn't have my adrenaline racing this year due to the clusters of shoppers, sales associates no where to be found, and long, tiring lines at registers. I do think I wait until this day every year for this high of shopping at the last minute. I just knew I was doomed when I stepped up and actually shopped yesterday, too.

Regardless of why my shopping experience was slightly defective, I am happy to be home with 4 hours to spare for wrapping before we open our gifts. Yes, we open all of our gifts on Christmas Eve. It has to do with my brother and my anxiety that exists about the gifts under the tree. We try to blame it on Grandma every year, and still to this day we discuss whether or not we are going to open gifts on Christmas Eve. The answer is the same every year. Why not open Christmas presents on Christmas Eve? It is somewhat of a tradition now, the questioning negligent, and has been since I can remember.

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and hope others had a more pleasant shopping experience, than my "actual" good one rather than my "typical" stressful one. Maybe someone I know will get a Hot Tub for Christmas.