YES!! Behold the crappy camera-phone imagery showing my Wii ticket this morning! I was number 17, and Fred Meyer had 29 to sell. This was my first time ever buying a console at launch, and it was FUN!!
After going back and forth on wether we'd actually get a Wii at launch, or wait until later, it really felt like it was going to be later. Certainly, that was the fully responsible way to go... But then last Monday or Tuesday, Cindy and I were in Target, and watched the demo video at the Wii kiosk, and when they showed "WarioWare: Smooth Moves," even she got excited, and it became clear that it was ON! (note: I resisted the temptation to say "shii" in that last sentence, but it was hard)
So anyway, after church on Saturday night, we heard an ad that Fred Meyer was doing a midnight release... Stopped at our normal FM, and they weren't... they only had 19 systems, and were opening at 7am, their regular time. Hmmmm.... A Line wasn't allowed to form until 11pm when they closed Saturday. I thought about coming back and camping for it, but just wasn't sure... Target already had 30+ people camped out, and they were rumoured to have 51 systems. Iffy. Real iffy. Then an amazing thing happened - while I was talking to the electronics department, Cindy was across the way in the shoe department. (Everyone: "No, Really?") She'd found a pair of boots she really liked, but they didn't have them in her size. So the brainstorm hit, let's go check with the FM in University Place! It's only a little farther from our house (in the other direction) so we were off. While she found her boots - which they had! - I went over to the electronics department and roughed 'em up a bit. Or actually, humbly asked how many consoles they were getting. Unlike our regular store, which had an exact number and all the details, this store was really wishy-washy. They said they had "around 40", but that the number was only a rumour. WHAT?? It's way too close to release time to play these stupid games!! HOW MANY??? Well, they weren't spilling that info. But when I asked if they expected many campers, the answer was like angels singing... "nobody's allowed to camp out here, and if they try, they won't get a system."
CHA-CHING! I'ma Get Me A Wii On Launch Day!! I did some speculation and decided that getting to the store at 5 would be a safe time. It's the same time I get up for my weekday workout, so no real shock to my system. When I got there, I was 17th in line, and naturally, most people ahead of me had been there since approximately 11pm the night before. Oh well, nothing that guy told me Saturday night was accurate. Whatever, I'm 17, so even at the other store it would have worked.
At about 6:20 or so, the manager came out, announced that they had 29 systems, and handed out the highly covetable Wii pink slips. (again, I resisted the temptation to call them Wii Piink Sliips. You should be proud of me) Me, and the three people in line near me that had been getting to know each other all gleefully tucked them away safely in pockets, wallets, purses... and the checked on them about every 3 minutes to make sure they hadn't evaporated!
A few minutes after that, an amazing thing happened: Cindy drove up, with hot chocolate!! This was huge, because she made it clear that I was on my own doing the crazy 5am Wii thing... But she couldn't resist - or wanted to make sure I didn't go buy-crazy - and came to join us.. She got right into the community of the moment, laughing and joking with the group in line.
The last 15 minutes seemed to take FOREVER, so when the manager came back and opened the door at 6:57 ONT (official Nextel time) a cheer came up from the whole line! Interestingly, many people were shouting "Woo!", but I didn't hear anyone shouting "Wii!" or even "Wheee!" I thought about it, but wasn't about to win the prize for biggest dork at the launch...
So, minutes later, we left the store with our Wii, an extra controller, Excite Truck, and a 2000 point Wii card. Setup was a breeze - I really like the feel of the Wiimote! I got it on my network, downloaded the updates, and then used my points to buy Mario Brothers. Not Super MB, but the original "flip the turtles over and knock them off the screen" Mario Brothers. Then I popped in Wii Sports and Pwned the opposing team at a game of baseball.
I LOVE THIS SYSTEM!!! Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!
I love the Holiday Season! From Halloween to New Years, it's just nonstop fun and festivity. My family - like most - has traditions that go back several years, and in many ways, those consistant activities help define what "The Holiday Season" feels like. I'll be highlighting some of my favorite December traditions over the coming weeks, but first.... 
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