thanks day

This Thanksgiving was a funny one for me. For one thing I was sick with a cold, which meant my eyes were burn-y and my nose was runny and my brain was very foggy. I was not particularly good at “conversation” or “thinking.” Also, this was the first year in many that I was not the host of Thanksgiving. Even when I was working at Baker Street in NYC, and was scheduled for a double on my favorite holiday, even then I bossed the Egyptian chef around- instructing him in the ways of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner- and I forced all of my Irish, Scottish, Moroccan, and Bangladeshi coworkers to come into the restaurant and eat with me. I gave a toast and made all of the un-Americans tear up.
This year I was exhausted from my first three months of teaching and (as previously mentioned) sick. I was looking forward to being a guest instead of a host. I’d met Mike’s folks the day before and liked them a lot, and his brothers and sister-in-law are great. I thought, “ah, a family Thanksgiving .” I decided to bring one dish (my simple yam, sweet potato, & apple bake) and leave it at that. But then on the morning of I woke up feeling sad. I needed to pick up the ingredients because I classically procrastinated the shopping, but when I pulled into New Season’s parking lot I was slapped in the face by the closed sign. I had to go to Fred Meyer’s instead, which was an absolute zoo. When I got home I was running late, and I couldn’t stop fussing over the dish. Luckily Curt helped me wash and chop:

But then the darn thing wouldn’t bake fast enough and we were running late anyway, so I had to take it out of the oven at my house and carry it on my lap to Gene’s where I promptly jammed it in the oven over there, fretting all the while. It turned out fine, if a little “al dente” and the rest of the meal (prepared by the Merrill’s) was wonderful. After we ate we watched a few competitive eating competitions on TV- everyone was full and cozy. I was still feeling a little melancholy though. Being with someone else’s (very nice) family made me miss my own family. And not hosting made me miss hosting after all.
After we ate Mike and I headed back to my neighborhood to say hi to Steve and take a little nap. Then we headed to the bowling alley for the annual Thanksgiving tournament. I bowled my best game ever (103) but Curt won the fabulous prize:

One year I won the trophy. And by won I mean stole. But it was an accident.
When we got home I was lamenting the fact that I squandered a perfectly good Thanksgiving by being sad when I checked my voicemail and Lo! There was a message from my uncle saying that he, my aunt, and my two cousins were in Hood River and headed to Portland the next day! Family! My family! I hadn’t seen them in years and was absolutely delighted to hear from them. They arrived in the next evening and I went with them to the lighting of the Christmas tree in Pioneer Square (very festive and also very crowded and also very cold) and to dinner and Powell’s. Today Mike and met them at the Saturday Market (ugh) and we watched a marimba band together. None of these were things I had planned to do with my weekend, but I ended up having a great time. They’re gone now- headed back to East Glacier, Montana- but I feel like my holiday season is off to a pretty good start. I’m r-e-a-l-l-y excited to go home for Christmas this year- I can’t wait to see Liz and J’s new place. And I’ve been missing my folks and my tight tight lady-homies and awful lot lately. Wow- I just realized I fly out in like, 3 weeks!
I am thankful for my friends.
I am thankful for my family.
I am thankful for the family of my friends.
I am thankful for the transportation that allows these people to come together.