Thursday, November 16th

6:00am
I wake up, peel myself off Jeralynn’s couch, and start the tedious drive 35 miles north to get home in time to change, grab my laptop, and get to work by 7:30am.

6:30am
B calls me from Bakersfield
“I’m not getting in line for a PS3 – the line is longer than the number of units they have….”
“Wow, that sucks…. I wonder what the Wal-Marts around here are like…”

7:15am
I leave my house and head to work.
On the way I remember there is a Wal-Mart and decide to cruise by and check out the chaos.
Just for the hell of it.

7:20am
There aren’t even 8 people in line!
I call in sick.

8:00am
I just bought a stadium chair inside the Wal-Mart and set up my base camp.
I’m in line at spot #9.
I immediately call a friend to bring me some blankets, pillows, and food.
Between my laptop with broadband, my cell phone, ipod, and book, I’m golden.

9:00am
The first passerby to ask a question since I’ve been here arrives:
“What is this line for?”
“We’re waiting in line for the release of the new Hanson CD.”

9:30am
Passerby #2:
“You guys in line for the PS3?”
“Maybe.”
“And you’re going to sleep here?”
“Right here.”
“And they’re going to allow you to do that?”
"Yep."

10:10am
An obviously disgruntled Wal-Mart employee walks up.
“You need to move away from the soda machines. [You all need to get lives or something]”
“Um, sir.. have you had your medication today?”

11:11am
Laptop has DVD player… I have “Cars”…
I go inside the store and pick up a $10 set of computer speakers and pop in the DVD.
We all sit in our stadium chars around the computer, turn up the speakers, and suddenly we realize… we’re camping outside of a Wal-Mart, watching Cars…
This is beyond ghetto.

11:45am:
A car pulls up in front of us and a lady leans out and asks us what we’re waiting in a line for…
“Beastie Boys Tickets”, says the guy next to me and I at the same time, in perfect unison, as everyone else in line stifles their snorts..
“Oh…” and she drives off.

12:15pm:
Passerby #3: “What are you guys camping out here for??”
“We’re protesting the Britney and Kfed separation.”
Passerby #3: …*silence*…

12:30pm:
A Wal-Mart employee comes out and announces that as of right now there are 4 60GB systems available and 2 20GB systems, with 4 rain checks available for 60GB systems… guaranteed shipment by December 18th.

1:00pm
Passerby #4 to PS3-Buyer #6: “Oh my gosh.. are you guys HOMELESS People???”
“No ma’am, not quite…”
She proceeds to pull a handful of dollar bills out of her purse and thrusts them at PS3-Buyer #4, who at this point is at a loss for words and trying to hold back his laughter…
“Here you go son, you need to eat.”

2:00pm
Passerby #5: What are you guys in line for?”
“We’re waiting for the tickets release for the Britney Spears comeback tour.”
“Yeah, we haven’t showered in three, four days now?”
Passerby #5: “Really?? When do they go on sale?”
“Saturday.”
Passerby: “Wow, the tour is that big??”
“Huge.”
Passerby: "And she's not even that great of a singer!"

2:15pm:
Passerby#6: “What’s going on?”
“Oh, Wal-Mart just lifted its pornography ban and we’re waiting for the Playboy issues.”
(Thank you, Buck, for the great wisecrack idea).
*blank stare from Passerby*

3:00pm:
There is still exactly 10 of us. We’ll see what happens
Best Buy has a line outside over 80 people long, even AFTER they announce with all sincerity that there are no more than 30 units available.
Fry’s line of 175 hasn’t gotten much better. Impressive.

3:10pm:
PS3-Buyer#4 goes inside Wal-Mart and borrows himself one of the shopper wheelchairs and starts popping wheelies all over the parking lot and scaring the living daylights out of shoppers. Oh yes, we are ghetto-super for sure!

4:45pm:
The sun is down and I’m starting to get cold. Did I mention that I was still in my work clothes?? (Since, at 7:00am, I thought I was going to work. HAH!)
I decided to make a run for it. Everyone in line seems ok with I, so I let them know that I didn’t want to turn into a human Popsicle and had to run home (10 minute drive).

4:50pm:
I leap in my car and drive like a bat out of hell. I technically only have 30 minutes before the “rules” no longer apply, according to local Wal-Mart store management.

5:00pm:
I rummage through my room, change into comfy clothes, grab the first pile of pillows and blankets I see, and jump back in my car.

5:10pm:
I am 2 miles away. STUPID RED LIGHTS!!!

5:15pm:
I’m stuck at the red light before the turn into the Wal Mart parking lot! GGAAAAHHHH!!!

5:18pm:
Thank god, my spot is still there.

6:00pm:
Elsewhere in Oceanside, a guy told a friend who was switched out to run some errands, “Yeah, those guys at Wal-Mart are selling Britney Spears tickets!!” “Uhh… you know they were joking, right?”

6:20pm:
B decides to post a loving message on MySpace for me:
“So today I woke up at 6am and headed over to Target and Walmart to wait in line for the new playstation 3. No! I am not a dork, geek, etc. I don't even play the damn things. I was planning on getting two for $599 each. They are going on sale right now on ebay for $2,500+ dollars. I was hoping to make 300% on my money back selling them on e-bay but when I got to the line I was #14 in line. :( the manager came out and said they had only 10 coming in so I was "Assed Out" in my words. I then called E and she was passing by a Walmart at the time on her way to work where she said there were only a few people in line.

E called in sick for work and went to wait in line. She is #9 and I have to give props to her for stealing my idea. She has been there since 7am this morning waiting. I am soo not a happy camper.

The cool thing is the P lives in Walnut Creek where it is so ritsy that they don't allow people to wait in lines outside stores.:)
She is going to try and pick one up for me early in the morning but even then I don't think she will have any luck. She is sweet for trying though.

Oh E? You suck meanie. Peace out.”
Sucker. I am so going to hell.


6:30pm:
PS3-Buyer #6 and #7 are starting to get really drunk….
PS3-Buyer #8 comments, “Ooh look he’s back and he’s got a tall one! Sweet, this is good news for us…”

Us folks at the back of the line are joking about buying them more booze so that they pass out and don’t wake up in time to get their system.
Again, I am so going to hell.

6:40pm:
We’re hungry. Time to order pizza!
“Hi, thank you for calling Pizza Hut. Can I have your address”
“Um, yeah.. the Wal-Mart at 750 College Boulevard.”
“How are we going to find you??”
“Oh it’s easy, we’re sittin’ right out front.”
“Oh, are you protesting something?”
“You could say that….”

6:50pm:
Passerby #7: "What is this for?"
"Britney Spears and K-Fed Tour."
Passerby #7: "Oh HELL no.. she married that douchebag!"

7:00pm:
A police officer strolls up looking for a missing juvenile, and assures us that he isn’t there against us. However, he warns us that we are considered an illegal encampment and that IF the store manager complains that we have to leave.

7:10pm:
A group of young boys with long blonde hair and skateboards walk by.
Skater Boy #1: “What is this for?”
Me: “Hanson!”
Skater Boy: “What’s a ‘Hanson’?”
PS3-Buyer #8: “uhm… nevermind….”

7:30pm:
A guy walks up and asks us if we’d hook him up.
Me: “What? We’re just homeless people.”
“No you motherf*ckers ain’t! I’m the store manager here!”
Me: “…would you like a piece of pizza, sir?”

7:35pm:
Passerby #11, “Is this for the PS3?”
Me: “Britney Spears!”
PS3-Buyer #10: “Hanson!”
Me: “Crap! I’m in the wrong line!!”
Passerby #11: “You’d stand in line for EITHER??”

We need to come up with a new band.....

8:00pm:
Passerby #12: “PS3?”
“PS3? What’s that? GO BARNEY ON ICE!!!”

9:30pm:
First hot chocolate and coffee run to the Chevron across the parking lot. Ahh… it feels good to stretch the legs!!!

10:00pm:
Holy hell I've been here for 14 hours......

11:00pm:
The first of many last-minute PS3 Hunters cruise by. You can always tell who they are because they drive by the lineup (mini tent city) reaaaaalllyyyy slow.

11:30pm:
I pass out in my chair.
There are 13 of us.


Friday, November 17th

12:30am:
I wake up in my chair.
Even more cars are cruising by. Some of them even walk up to the line and stand at the end, pretending like they’re pretty sure that the line is for the PS3, but don’t want to admit that they waited until the last minute to get in a line somewhere.
Do they seriously think they can get a PS3 now??

1:30am:
Another one bites the dust…. PS3-Buyers #12 and #13 pack up and leave. Love it.
A car cruises by and the driver asks, “Did you buy yours yet?”
Are you f*cken kidding me?? If I had bought one I sure as hell wouldn’t be freezing my ass off outside a Wal-Mart in the middle of the night acting as if camping out front is normal!

A coyote cruises by….?

2:00am:
The dad of Buyer #4 (or is it #3? Too little sleep to think…) buys us all hot chocolate. For 20 minutes, I can feel my fingers. Yet, I still cannot feel my nose.

4:00am:
I doze off.

5:20am:
I wake up and start packing up just in time for the Wal-Mart employees to come outside and pass out numbered slips of paper. I am #8 for a 60GB. Since only 4 units are available, #5, 6, 7, & 8 get rain checks for a unit within the next 2-3 weeks or so. Poor #11 didn't get a rain-check, even though he was the super-nice guy who handed out hot chocolate!

5:45am:
About 5 or 6 random people pull up and line up behind us and don't say a thing. They're really confused that they aren't getting a piece of paper for a rain-check. Question: If you drive by a lineup at the wee hours of the morning and see a line of people that obviously aren't going anywhere, what makes you think that enough would leave right before store opening to allow you to get a unit??
Apparently they need to hear the same story from the store when they let us in.

6:05am:
The doors open and we line up inside. They’re 5 minutes late but we’re now getting warm and toasty, so hell yeah.

6:45am:
I officially am signed up for a rain-check unit. Since 4 people got their units, that means I am #4 in line for the very next PS3 shipment to Wal-Mart, which they claim will come in soon. They promise to call next week with an update on when they’ll be in.
Cool, I just thugged it outside a Wal-Mart for 23 hours for a SLIP OF PAPER.... thank god it becomes a system by Thanksgiving (so they say... I'm holding them to it.

7:00am:
I eat breakfast

7:30am:
I’m at work.

Eff…. this is going to be a LONG DAY.