w00t w00t booyah

Oh heck, check the old entries for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, traditionally around here has been the blow-out of the blow-out affairs. The best china, the equipment rentals, the once-a-year deep cleaning of the house, including the carpets - you name it. I did it before we sat down and made little piggies of ourselves, not choking on our food while we tried to hold conversations with people I got to see inside my house once a year.

This year?

We bailed.

While we were on vacation in Hawaii - Mom had spent all of it in the hospital. Discharged on a Friday, she was re-admitted the following Monday with a blood clot in the arm (pretty scary), and she stayed in that facility for 48 hours (we're home at this point, but I'm sick and can't visit), then she's moved to the hospital near her home...but I'm still sick, and now she's two hours drive away on top of that...and when she is discharged, it is home with an aide because she's now developed gout in both her hands and feet and really won't be walking anywhere until that passes.

So. It's a given Mom isn't going anywhere for Thanksgiving. And if we did go out there? Nobody is eating anything.

Sis? Has a wedding to attend out of town the Sunday following, so is already travelling and being so far behind on work because of the Mom stuff she's been handling? She is *also* not going anywhere for Thanksgiving.

I swear, the moment I heard nobody was coming to my house I could have cheered. Four whole days that I don't really have to be anywhere, get dressed up or perform to a schedule...and I can go out to see Mom on Saturday when the traffic isn't nuts, have a nice time and leave before lunch so we won't wear her out.

They say variety is the spice of life - man, they ain't kidding.

Then on Wednesday, I find out there's a launch party for the biggest Mars Space Laboratory rover, Curiosity, that we got to see being built last JPL Open House at the Columbia Memorial Space Museum in Downey, at 6:30 AM. Like, right on our way out.

SWEET.

Thursday, I got up when I damn well felt like it, put a 10 lb. bird in the oven, made three pies and piddled around doing who knows what until surprised by a visit by n6vfp. Ate food later, took naps and literally slacked our way through the day.

Friday, not much different.

Saturday, got the troops up and there to the museum, tweeted happily along with launch...and kid got to play play play with everything in the place while his parents got to be huge space geeks.

Then we drove out to see Mom, had a GOOD visit - she's better, she's definitely getting better at this point, maybe Christmas will be a go outside the house - and we came back, fell down...and Jim went back to work, and kid and I went to church.

And that was the holiday. Ta da.

My car has gotten love, my Sims 2 game got played to a fare-thee-well and there you go.

Thanksgiving, 2011. I am so grateful nothing worse went on. Seriously!

Oh heck, check the old entries for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, traditionally around here has been the blow-out of the blow-out affairs. The best china, the equipment rentals, the once-a-year deep cleaning of the house, including the carpets - you name it. I did it before we sat down and made little piggies of ourselves, not choking on our food while we tried to hold conversations with people I got to see inside my house once a year.

This year?

We bailed.

While we were on vacation in Hawaii - Mom had spent all of it in the hospital. Discharged on a Friday, she was re-admitted the following Monday with a blood clot in the arm (pretty scary), and she stayed in that facility for 48 hours (we're home at this point, but I'm sick and can't visit), then she's moved to the hospital near her home...but I'm still sick, and now she's two hours drive away on top of that...and when she is discharged, it is home with an aide because she's now developed gout in both her hands and feet and really won't be walking anywhere until that passes.

So. It's a given Mom isn't going anywhere for Thanksgiving. And if we did go out there? Nobody is eating anything.

Sis? Has a wedding to attend out of town the Sunday following, so is already travelling and being so far behind on work because of the Mom stuff she's been handling? She is *also* not going anywhere for Thanksgiving.

I swear, the moment I heard nobody was coming to my house I could have cheered. Four whole days that I don't really have to be anywhere, get dressed up or perform to a schedule...and I can go out to see Mom on Saturday when the traffic isn't nuts, have a nice time and leave before lunch so we won't wear her out.

They say variety is the spice of life - man, they ain't kidding.

Then on Wednesday, I find out there's a launch party for the biggest Mars Space Laboratory rover, Curiosity, that we got to see being built last JPL Open House at the Columbia Memorial Space Museum in Downey, at 6:30 AM. Like, right on our way out.

SWEET.

Thursday, I got up when I damn well felt like it, put a 10 lb. bird in the oven, made three pies and piddled around doing who knows what until surprised by a visit by n6vfp. Ate food later, took naps and literally slacked our way through the day.

Friday, not much different.

Saturday, got the troops up and there to the museum, tweeted happily along with launch...and kid got to play play play with everything in the place while his parents got to be huge space geeks.

Then we drove out to see Mom, had a GOOD visit - she's better, she's definitely getting better at this point, maybe Christmas will be a go outside the house - and we came back, fell down...and Jim went back to work, and kid and I went to church.

And that was the holiday. Ta da.

My car has gotten love, my Sims 2 game got played to a fare-thee-well and there you go.

Thanksgiving, 2011. I am so grateful nothing worse went on. Seriously!

Jim and Alex are on their way over to Sis' to get David - then they come back, I feed them lunch and we go to Knott's Berry Farm. THEN - come back for dinner, Jim takes David home and Alex gets to sleep all night long again....

I have a couple of hours wiggle while they're gone. Soon, I hope to hear from the guy helping me move tables and chairs back to the rental place this morning - that's what I get to do while the guys are off guying.

Thanksgiving. Let's start with Wednesday night when I didn't get a break from getting off work, getting tables and chairs, picking up the CSA box, getting dinner - and coming home to find Jim playing video games, with not even the laundry in the wash yet.

I got to bed after 2:00 AM Thursday morning. Got up again at 6:30 to put the turkey in the oven. Back to bed until 9:30. Up again to get dressed and finish setting the table - and got done just in time for the first folks to arrive.

Mom looks MUCH better than when I saw her last, but she was very cautious about moving around. No worries. She ate everything people gave her and that made everyone happy.

Alex, the 11 year old? Whoever showed him Nightmare on Elm Street last week? Die. NOW. No love.

Because he ended up in our bed, after kicking us both out of it, one by one Thanksgiving night. Jim was first, he got the couch -

Me? Got the floor. Yeah. Feeling the love alllll over the place.

Last night, he went to bed first - and was sleeping SOUNDLY before we went to ours. This morning, we all woke up in much better condition.

Did not take any pictures this year - too tired. Did get the places set with the English crackers that worked so well last year - and they were a hit again this year (though the prizes were sadly less attractive with this set) - snobahr and family came over, and much fun was had by all. I think they were surprised at how well a housefull of people can react to a typical 2 year old - we do well with kids. Sis even took a turn with the boyzilla all by herself - and sounded like she was having a marvelous time. I'll have to remember this. Get Sis a 2 year old for Christmas. She'll love me for it.

I think we have our Christmas shopping firmly nailed down - and will be getting some of the gifts mostly at the last minute - and mailing gift cards? Sounds like a plan for everyone east of San Bernardino.

Simming while I'm waiting for the phone to ring. Sounds like a plan to me.

I have a big, mutant, frozen bird in my kitchen sink.

I have a big, mutant, frozen bird in my kitchen sink.

Yes, you too can bake your holiday breads before heading out to work. The beauty of being just that little bit jet-lagged. Get up at 6:00 AM and have two loaves of pumpkin bread done and cooling before heading out the door at 8:30.

Oh, and shopping for place favors and a centerpiece for Thursday at lunch. Nah, I have lots of spare time. *rolls eyes*

I have a new video card for the computer and I need to transfer pictures. That done yet? Nah.

Tonight, I prep the sweet potato dish - and tomorrow, I hope I get out of work early. OH. Have to find out if I can return the table and chairs Friday. Right.

Knew I'd be busy. No surprise here.