So this is how it all went down...

First things first: I am now the proud owner of a Nintendo Wii. Proud and happy, actually. And pleased. And relieved. And other things, too. Suffice it to say, I'm glad to finally have Nintendo's new system, as I have been eagerly awaiting its arrival in my living room for a few years now.

But anyway, here's the scoop: I set my alarm for 4:45 this morning and got to Best Buy right about 5am. By the time I got there, a line of about 20 people had already formed and I was told by the last guy in line that there were only 17 Wiis available. Major bummer, if I do say so myself. There was a sign on the door stating as much, so I cut my losses and hightailed it over to Target where the same thing was happening. The sign on the door said they had 14, and there were 16 people in line. Actually, it looked more like a mass of blankets than a line, as I'm guessing several people had arrived late last night and slept on the pavement. More power to 'em, I say, since this morning was probably the last chance most people will get to snag a Wii.

So off to Circuit City I went, where I found three guys waiting by the front door. Score! I thought to myself, as I started chatting with them. The guy in front had the Sunday circular and in it was advertised the Wii, so we all figured they had to have 'em in stock. Right?

Wrong. The manager came out about 6:15 and told us that they had none, even though it was in their ad. Thrice denied was I! But no matter, I pressed onward and zipped off to Toys R Us near my cousin's house. I had no idea if they were getting any, but as I mentioned, this was probably going to be my last shot for quite some time. I was about the 14th person in line, and decided to bit the just-below-freezing bullet and simply wait it out. Soon the line grew to 15, then 20, and finally about 40 people, when about 7:45 the manager came out and began giving away the video game equivalent of Charlie Button's golden ticket: little white slips guaranteeing the bearer one (1) Nintendo Wii. She passed from person to person, carefully handing each one a four-by-five-inch sheet of bliss, and I held my breath as she neared my position in line. "Eight, nine, ten..." she counted as the small stack grew ever more anemic in her chilly little hands. "Eleven, twelve, thirteen..." I don't even remember what number I was (I'm *guessing* it was around 14) but when my hands gripped that tiny white piece of gaming joy, all else just sort of faded away into digital nirvana.

Ok, so that's a bit melodramatic, and in the time of year when we focus on the birth of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made so that we might have eternal life, it's silly to put so much emphasis on a game system. But the point is, I had finally secured my Nintendo Wii. And having spent some time playing it this afternoon, I can confidently say that it's a really cool system, and all of you should check it out. :) Merry Christmas, everyone!