Well we don't even have Thanksgiving.

But then, it would be odd if we did.

We're doing Thanksgiving on the Saturday this year, because neither of us has enough holidays left to cover a day off (which I usually take because there's a lot of cooking) and G is working and staying in Kent weekdays at the minute, so he'd have to drive up and straight back the next morning, which would suck. This way will be better, if untraditional, I think. But then, it's Thanksgiving in England, not much tradion there anyway.

My Thanksgiving is definitely going to be odd. We have some major family drama and then everyone else decided to lose their minds with regards to said drama. This is the first time in four years I have been home for Thanksgiving and I'm sort of wishing I were out of the country again now!

I do quite like the holiday in principle though.

I did Thanksgiving when I was in New York (actually, we went to join people in New Jersey for it). All that food. Fantastic holiday.

I am not really a fan of any holiday that is based on family togetherness. You may have already guessed that. The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday. The food is easy, there are fireworks, and no one expects you to drive hours to be with your family.

Maggianos (Italian restaurant... I think it's a small chain out here in CA)

There's Maggianos in the midwest too (Chicago metro area), but I'm not sure how far their reach is.

Who was it who said that Thanksgiving is just the excuse Americans give for having Christmas dinner a month early?

And I did manage to forget someone, in the end: Hil, the story with your student does suck. I'm sorry.

Which then spurred a whole "too much taxes is killing the jobs" rant.

I like how taxes are lower than they were under Saint Regan, but they're still "too much taxes."

There's Maggianos in the midwest too (Chicago metro area), but I'm not sure how far their reach is.

We have them here. They do a great gluten-free pasta. (Says the woman who should avoid gluten and just ate a donut and a half. What? A co-worker brought them in, and I cannot resist a cruller dusted with sugar [not powdered sugar; granulated sugar].)

t Homer Simpson drooling noise

Side was roasted rosemary & curried sweet potatoes

Dear me. Barb, can I have that recipe??

I don't speak of politics with my family. Or religion. While it is possible for us to be farther apart than we are in our views, it is not possible to be much farther apart. I think it best just to not engage.

I am proud about something. And a little sad. I have managed to disengage from my extended family enough that I don't want to "work on our relationship" anymore. I don't care what they do when I'm not around and I'm not pissed. I mean, ideally, I'd feel something more than nothing about all of them, but what does "ideally" have to do with any of those people? We never have a good time together anyway. But, still, the drama kind of gave me hope that something could change...that maybe if I angsted and suffered enough, they would feel bad and take it back. Or something.