We started our Friday at 3:15am. I got up and dressed and by 4am we were out the door.

The line for Wal*Mart was several blocks long, with what had to be over a thousand people in line.

There were no incidents that I was aware of. It was much more crowded than last year. I got most of the things that people asked me for, plus a couple of things for myself. More on that when I go home.

We left for Vegas after 10am and didn’t get here until past 5pm. It took FOREVER to get here.

The hotel is amazing! Well, at least so far.

Tonight we had dinner at The SteakHouse. The food was amazing as well!

(when I’m not leaning over a table to post instead of sitting in a chair, I’ll give details)

We finally made it to Vegas! It took a while, but we’re here.

The hotel is really nice! We’re staying at Treasure Island. We (and by “we” I mean my parents) paid an extra $20 a night to have a strip view.

Now, off to the casino, later updating!

The day is dwindling down and before I know it my alarm will go off and I’ll be awake to go shopping (it’s a tradition for me and my mom, I love it!).

I have already heard that Best Buy has had people in line since yesterday. Crazy. The Apple store might have had my computer for cheaper tomorrow, but I wasn’t willing to spend the night out for it. I like getting up early, but I’m not worried if I don’t get to buy something, if it had been a laptop I would’ve been sad. Wow. That sentence was horribly constructed!

The day went well. We had ham and some pretty icky sweet potato fries (nothing like Friday’s). I helped my dad figure out how to work the Mac and I watched TV. Now watching Miracle on 34th Street and hoping to go to sleep decently early.

The day is well. The festivities will soon begin. Tomorrow will include some eating of the ham (no Turkey for us!) and going over the many ads that will come in the newspaper.

In my mind’s eye I see spending the day in the kitchen cooking a turkey (even if I don’t like it), making stuffing, and a million other side dishes that will be delicious. I see people coming in and out of the house, kids running around, adults watching TV and enjoying each others company. I see the guys trying to sneak some food before it’s time. I see a table set up beautifully so that everyone can enjoy. Maybe a kids table nearby. Napkins that match the tablecloth.

You know what I’m talking about. The Thanksgiving that is advertised on TV shows and in movies. A “classic” Thanksgiving day.

But that has never happened and I doubt that it will in the near future. I have to make it for myself with my future husband, whomever that may be.

Tomorrow my mom and I will cook up the ham (already seasoned with honey and spiral cut). We’ll probably make it for lunch and then have the extra for dinner. My brother is going to be buying a Turkey and so my dad will probably be going to his place for the turkey. Mom and I might go out at some point. I’m not sure.

It will be an early night for us, though, because at 3am we shall be up to go out for Black Friday deals. It’s mostly for the adventure, but we have some items my sister and her husband would like from Wal*Mart.

After we get back, and rest for a while longer, we’ll be off to Las Vegas for the weekend. We are staying at Treasure Island and I’m looking forward to the slot machines and some drinks (free!).

Matt is going away to Chicago for a few days for Thanksgiving. His sisters and mom will be there and they will have a lot of fun. I’m sure there won’t be the incredible fighting that would exist if it were my family.

But that’s not what upsets me. I’m happy that he’s going to be with family and enjoying his nephews.

But I’m going to miss him.

It’s especially hard because I know that he probably won’t miss me much, if at all. I know he doesn’t feel the same way as I do. His feelings aren’t as strong.

I’ll be in Vegas on Friday, and I’ll play some in the casino, I’ll have some drinks. It won’t distract me from missing him. At points during the day I will think of him and want to be with him. I will want to send him text or give him a call. I’ll see something that reminds me of him and I’ll be itching to buy it for him. Call him and tell him what I just saw.

I know, though, that he won’t be thinking or feeling or seeing the same things. He’ll be with his family and having fun and I’ll be the furthest thing from his mind.

Which is completely understanding.

I need to get over it.

Nikki is sick again. She had a pretty bad cold a month ago and the hacking cough is back. The other day on our local news there was a story of a 7 year old who got sent home on a Monday because of a fever and on Thursday he died from the H1N1 virus.

I have to admit that I’m scared.

She’s getting medicine when the fever gets too high and before bed for her cough so that she doesn’t wake up.

No school for her tomorrow.

Luckily (*knock on wood*) I haven’t gotten sick this season. I’ve had some sniffles and I got some coughing episodes, but nothing that knocked me out.

Stomach issues? Oh yea, but no sickness for me.

My dad has been itching to get a laptop for a while now. I suggested he buy my MacBook for $400 (a good deal!) and then I’d buy myself the MacBook Pro that I’ve been wanting to get.

Today, after many mood swings and tantrums (from my dad), I got my new laptop.

I can already see the difference. The screen is brighter, the letters light up, the screen changes brightness when the light around me changes! It’s pretty neat. It also has an SD reader included! Awesome!

I got iWork with my purchase (at Best Buy) and am excited to start working with the Pages on my papers. Tomorrow!

I got lunch with Matt today and we then did some shopping at Kohls. I got a nice new jacket/sweater thing for the trip to Vegas.

After that we came to his work. He is at his old office (and current) and I’m at the new one. It’s past 7pm now and I’ve been here since 3pm working on HW. I finished one assignment (with minor editing to do) and I have two more. The other two are proving to be more difficult, unfortunately.

I need more articles and I need to have them printed. Tomorrow, at home, I’ll print them. Or I’ll take them to Kinko’s or another place like that and get them printed there. We shall see.

I need to finish them by Friday. I’ll have all of Monday and Tuesday to do it. I work on Wednesday, and I’ll have Thursday. Tomorrow I am taking Nikki to a B-Day party at Chuck E Cheese at noon, maybe I’ll have some time after that, but I doubt it.

Matt and I will go see a movie later tonight.

I didn’t get any homework done today. I took mom to get blood drawn, then to do a bit of shopping, then in the afternoon we took Nikki to the mall for a PJ part at the Disney Store.

Hopefully tomorrow will be more fruitful.