Sunday Musings

Hello Everyone,
Another week has come and gone but the Christmas celebrations have begun in the store. On Friday we had our Moonlight Madness sale. Most general merchandise in the store was 25% off regular and sale prices. We closed the store at 6:00 in order for staff to have dinner then reopened at 8:00 pm for the sale. Unlike southern stores where people shop consistantly for thier presents, here everyone saves thier money for thier events. We have events for everyone in the community, Teen night, childrens day, womens night, mens night and elders night are all still coming up. Each of these nights we try to align with a pay period for for the local economy. We then target what that group will be shopping for and apply discouts to our stock. We give away door prizes and play varuos games through the night, such as turkey bowling, lets make a deal, survivor etc. The people of town really expect the Northern to set the tone of the period as well as celebrate christmas for them. The enviroment inside the store on Friday night was not as populated as I expected however the enthusiam was more than I expected. By 20 minutes to 8 there where about a hundred people waiting in front of the store in -20 degrees The numbers must have increased to 200 by the time we opened the doors. They were chanting and counting down the time till we opened like it was New Years Eve. The store used to leave the shopping carts at the front of the store however after some injuries due to the mad rush we now scatter them around the store. They literally run into the store. Last year they broke the electronic security posts (like at Wal-Mart) beside the doors clean off. After getting a shopping cart they find out who has the raffle tickets and line up for those. The mad rush is to get a shopping cart once they get in they calm down a bit. They then locate the person who has the raffle tickets and line up for those. Then onto shopping. I'd say by 9:00 we had 500 people in the store (which in a population of 1500 isn't bad) and this was the first event, Womens night will be the biggest event. Elders night is more of a celebration that a sale.
Which leads me to a thought. Elders, whnen I came up here I didn't quite know what this term meant. Elders is a term of respect for their senior citizens. Between 55 and 65 you become a elder. There should be a photo here of a 97 year older elder who attended Midnight Madness.
Also all the events are formal for management(for when you see John the Quickstop manager). They baby he has is his new daughter Jasmine who was born 4 months early and is now 1 month old by her due date, five months by real time, When we arrived she was 5 lbs and the tiniest thing. Johns wife Karen is also pictured with a traditional baby carrier. The other baby carrier is the more common carrier for children outside. Children upto around three are carried around in the hoods of thier mothers Parka's (I can't remember the name of this piece of clothing). Most women wear this garmet all winter and summer, child care is such a community concern that almost all women wear them, aunts, grandmothers, mothers anyone above child bearing age (16) and below the point where they couldn't handle the weight.