This is part of a series of things previously written, this one being a university assignment that I enjoyed so much at the time (and still do!). Plus, it has nerdy goodness. For the series’ preface, read this.

The morning was frigid, even by Canadian standards. Huddled along the sidewalk in front of Toys R Us shivering in cold, stiff lawn chairs were my Dad, my brother and I. In the glow of street lights and the few open establishments nearby we prepared ourselves for the long night ahead. The midnight air was so stinging that our faces were soon crying out for a reprieve, and our lungs felt as if they were choking on the penetrating cold. We sat there shaking with the intensity of the sub-zero temperatures and our excitement, the latter being the only thought that gave us any warmth.

The cause for us reasonably sane people to camp overnight amidst the icy December air was the glorious new Nintendo Wii. It was the start of December, a week or so after the highly anticipated, newest Nintendo console had been released. My little brother and I had grown up playing the NES among other classic Nintendo systems. It had a box-like shape and matching rectangular controllers with a grey, black and red colour scheme that had you hearing the Mario theme song in your head as soon as it was within view. Along with its classic 8-bit sounds it is one of the most common examples of video games and nerdiness. This was our motivation to turn ourselves into human popsicles, and motivation it was.

When we first arrived at 11 P.M. we rushed to join the throng of fellow fanatics, as the line was quickly surrounding the storefront like an attacking army. We set up our favourite lawn chairs and before all our heat ran away from us screaming, brought out our blankets as they were the only barrier to keep out the biting cold. We soon discovered the temperature at which electronics freeze as our portable DVD player refused to cooperate amidst such terrible working conditions. We proceeded to put on all our winter wear that served as our last defence against the arctic air. Unfortunately, there were no nearby open establishments to offer sanctuary from the wintery winds as we learned that a greater source of heat was desperately needed. We resorted to taking turns thawing out in our Jetta with the engine running and the heat on full blast, absorbing every last bit of warmth.

5 A.M. was met with rejoicing as McDonald’s opened and we saw the doors below those illustrious golden arches open. Light spilled across the parking lot, inviting us in and promising sustenance, washrooms and another vital source of warmth. When 6 A.M. finally came shuffling along after an eternal night of bitter cold, lack of sleep and intense excitement we were finally able to proceed through the long awaited open doors of Toys R Us. They ushered us inside so we could finally relive our childhood and create a new one. Buying our precious Wii that may well have been made of gold, taking turns with my brother clutching it tightly in our arms and heading home are the last memories I have before finally succumbing to a blissful sleep, with visions of Zelda dancing in my head.

September 22, 2011