Black Friday

Black Friday: the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.

Stefan being what/who he is, "misplaced" the phone he carries to/from school.  The misplacement was his pocket. 

"Stefan - Do. Not. Put. The. Phone. In. Your. Pocket.  It will fall out."

"It never falls out!" was the reasoning behind the (mis)placement.

It, of course, did not fall out before I nearly plopped it in the washing machine, still (mis)placed in the pocket of the almost-washed-pants.

"Stefan - Do. Not. Put. The. Phone. In. Your. Pocket.  It will fall out."

"But I always find it!" was the NEXT line of reasoning for the continued in-the-pocket (mis)placement.   

He, of course, did not notice it the day it went missing.

Thus my insistence that the pocket is not good placement for a phone.  You do always find it.  Until you don't.  And then it is lost...

And it belies the aforementioned reasoning...

So, on Black Friday, the first business-day after the USS George Washington and its city of sailors pulled into Yokosuka, Stefan and I waited in line at Softbank so he could report the phone missing, discontinue service on it and replace the phone.

We waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And were told we needed a Police Report for the lost phone.  Sigh.  And she gave us the number to call Softbank - just in case someone called it in missing.  I already had one of my English students call the bus station and train station - no phone.  No dice.

Sigh.........

So, I called Softbank - because "why not?"

Turns out, the phone was found, turned into the police station in Zushi AND they had called Softbank and reported it.  So thankful.  Stefan was so relieved!  He even offered to have me sew up his pockets!

This is one of the many reasons I love Japan.  Misplaced items are LOST.  Not found.  It is a paradigm shift that the United States should really consider.

We really did get a Black Friday deal.  And it did not cost us anything (beyond time).  I would say that was a bargain!

Whether or not you kicked off your Christmas Season with Black Friday waiting.  I mean, SHOPPING.  This will really get you into the Spirit of Christmas (ahem)...

I grew up listening to Tom Lehrer, an incredibly talented, witty and wildly entertaining mathematician cum pianist/entertainer.  He graduated in Mathematics when he was 19.  Magna Cum Laude.  From Harvard.  He taught at MIT, Harvard & Wellesley.  This video is a little peak at my upbringing.  It may shed a little light into my complex (read: whacky) personality...

I hope it gives you the infectious giggles, the way it does me.  And, I hope it starts your Christmas Season with a little more "perspective"...