T-Day debriefing

[Origisaurus]

How was it?

For me, Food, Family and Football.  Not a moment's thought about shopping.

First, Football.  A family tradition, Manhattans (4 before dinner).  I think it was a game worth seeing.

For several years, ex-wife has hosted.  Knocks herself out cooking the dinner.  Mostly from scratch, turkey breast (ridiculous to cook a whole bird for 3 people), cranberry sauce, acorn squash baked with butter and brown sugar (I'll count the calories tomorrow), crisp green beans (nothing fancy this year), pumpkin pie with whipped cream.  Started with a truly outstanding Chardonnay, and then a decent California Cabernet.

Slept well, even with the fearsome pit bull on the lower quadrant of the bed.

Hope it was good for you.   

[unix]

I hit a major chain for some BF shopping and spent 100 tokens, mostly on gifts.

It's a strange season, between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Nobody does any real work.

[TRexx]

I spent the day with my mother, sister and nephew.  Since my sister hosted, I brought the turkey. (I don't know why people are so afraid of cooking a turkey. Assuming you are physically able to lift the bird and the pan into and out of the oven it's pretty simple.)  Mom made her usual assortment of pies. Lots of leftovers to take home. (I am just finishing the last turkey sandwich).     

[Slinky]

We had my wife's family over at our place. It went without a hitch. I think that having done this before has helped immensely. Neither my wife or I felt stressed about it. It was a nice feeling. After stuffing ourselves with turkey, we sat down and watched Brian Reagan on Netflix. Then we scarfed down the pies. I even baked an apple pie this time.

All in all, it was quite enjoyable. 

[Carrie Cobol]

Took me a while to get to this, sorry.

We just had a quiet dinner for the five of us.  (Me, DH, two dogs and the cat.)  It was lovely.  We got a turkey breast instead of the whole bird, and hubby brined and grilled that sucker.  It was soooo good, smoky and tender and moist.  And then sweet potato pie for dessert.  Cat got cat food, but the dogs got sweet potato and turkey added to their dinners.   

[HiredGunn]

I sent my daughter up north to grandma and grandpa's the day before.  I was still working and then switched to working back outside in the cold wind stripping the siding off so the discount crew could put stone/mortar all over the front. Looks great, place just feels more cozy pulling up to it.

I shot north right after the Pack beat the Lions and made it in time for dinner.  My hair was whacky so I made the Christopher Walkin reference which led to the 'fishy' story about Natalie Wood.

We ate and bantered with sisters College aged daughter and her boyfriend who took last year off to live in vermont on a farm or something.  It was good times but I had to get back to everything so my daughter and I saddled up and left without overnighting.

Folks are getting up in their years....dont know how many more times we can do this.  They had just driven in form Oregon and mom ended up in the hospital but was doing better and back on her feet for T-Day.

[DarkHumour]

I wasn't invited to my friend's Thanksgiving* and I didn't call (family is 2100 miles away).  I was in a 'world-can-go-to-hell' mood. Again.  Around 3PM I went for fast food - White Castle cheesburgers and awful cheese sticks.  I worked on Friday. 

*Food and a different kind of stress.

Made it through this week with sixteen cents in my bank accounts.  So no 'bargain' shopping.

Payday tomorrow.  One more part for my mom's computer to order.  Car exhaust pipe project to finish (and another one begins - leaky power steering).

DarkHumour

[The Gorn]

That's a friend? (I know, it's complicated and it has to be this way.)

[DarkHumour]

That's a friend? (I know, it's complicated and it has to be this way.)

If you're responding to me

I've attended my friends' Thanksgiving, Xmas, and sometimes NYE parties off and on for nine (?) years because I couldn't afford airfare to go where my parents lived.  My friends  just had another child so they have other obvious priorities.  I could have called a bunch of times before hand but... I'm outside their extended family's political dynamic and it can be stressful answering 20 questions 20 times and judged for not being 'appropriately thankful'.

I get into moods when I just don't want to be around people.  Especially when I doubt they would understand how I feel or what I feel is "unacceptable" to them.  I do not have a list of what I'm 'thankful for' to rattle off.

Sometimes it seems like I am the only one without Stockholm Syndrome.  Like I'm the bank hostage who only got punched in the face repeatedly.  "Wow. That's great! They really appreciate you being here."

DarkHumour

[The Gorn]

If you're responding to me

Yes, I was.

The rest is retracted by the Gorn in recognition of the fact that this lizard doesn't know the entire picture.

[DarkHumour]

I actually lived in their home twice for several months at a time.  The last was during the '08 crash and I was on the verge of eviction.  Only caveat was that I had to work somewhere so I did day labor crap while continuing to send out resumes for a couple of months before moving back into the ho$tel for three years. Time flies eh?

I actually moved back to the ho$tel about a month before I even interviewed at my current job since I had a few bucks to pay down the outstanding debt.

I have a few single friends in Chicago but I don't make as much of an effort to do stuff since I'm so freakin' far away.  I  don't have a black book for 'dates' either.  Hmm. There needs to be an updated version of "What to do on a date" for depressed mild aged...  

I'm kind of out of town out of mind. 

Tonight is a kick-a$$ night at a nightclub down in Chicago but I'm content shoving pizza in my face and watching TV.  Payday temporarily improves my mood.

Also planning to finish up some certifications this year maybe so I meet the DOD 'continuing education' edict about 300 days in advance and / or for the Q1 hiring season.

Edit: I have so many first and second draft messages that I dump and take in a different direction and reduce in length that I wonder if they still make any sense.



DarkHumour

[The Gorn]

Ok, you guys have a history. That clouds things to the point where I should not have said anything. Sorry for inflicting my "analysis."

[DarkHumour]

Ok, you guys have a history. That clouds things to the point where I should not have said anything. Sorry for inflicting my "analysis."

Hey no problem.  I couldn't help but remember Thanksgiving was the anniversary of my acerbic "Ayn Rand / Unicorn crapping rainbows" comments I unleashed on here after I received a heavily sarcastic critique of my vending machine Thanksgiving back in 2007 so I was actually initially reluctant to share another 'bummer' T-day experience.

DarkHumour

[The Gorn]

Well, it sucks that you didn't have a welcoming, comfortable place to go and crash for the one day. I feel for you.

[The Gorn]

I couldn't help but remember Thanksgiving was the anniversary of my acerbic "Ayn Rand / Unicorn crapping rainbows" comments I unleashed on here after I received a heavily sarcastic critique of my vending machine Thanksgiving back in 2007...

I remember it well... you had words like "dessicated" in that post.  Quite entertaining, albeit stressful for you. Well, I was entertained, that's all that matters... 

I had to put now-vanished JTGalt (who was a moderator at the time) in the penalty box over the episode.