Another cool and rainy day here as we're catching the end of an Alberta Clipper. Ted left really early again as a big crunch at work is coming to a head. It ought to be over by the end of tomorrow, thank goodness. It's always something, non?
What's up today, guys? I have a quiet one planned, tea with Christine later this morning, otherwise just a bit of maintenance around the house and ordering in some dinner for my Thursday night off.
What are the plans for Thanksgiving? Shelly, I know your tribe is driving up to Michigan before heading to your new home in Virginia. How's the packing coming along? Moore, do you know who is heading home to join you yet? Bran, any plans? Jojo, are you and Jack joining your brother and his clan for dinner that day?
Working from home today. Pretty boring around here otherwise. Standard stuff. Thanksgiving hasn't really been decided on yet either. Probably next couple of weeks.
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"If you were looking for something clever or witty or funny here, you've come to the wrong place."
It's a gorgeous day here! Cool, but the sun's out...
Jim is preparing for a trip to Arizona, and I'm planning for a couple of lunches next week with a childhood friend (on Monday), and a doll club friend, on a day yet to be determined! LOL...
Our Thanksgiving plans continue to morph, but it looks as though AZ-D won't be coming home after all. She tried every which way to find an affordable flight, and it all became so ridiculous that she threw her hands up, and said "forget it!" She was going to have to leave on Tuesday, but fly first to LOS ANGELES, and then to Baltimore. Her flight choices would put her in Baltimore either during rush hour or at 11:00 pm. Not convenient, especially given the fact that Baltimore is a good hour from here, if not longer. So, after spending all of Tuesday travelling, she'd probably sleep for most of Wednesday. Then her return flight was for 6:00 a.m. on Friday, so she barely would've digested her turkey dinner, before having to fly back to Phoenix.
Ridiculous. So, she said she'd see us at Christmas.
Then, NC-D expressed her desire to have AZ-D fly to Raleigh instead, so I told her that she might be luckier in finding a flight there. I also told her that it was fine with us if she wanted to go to Raleigh, and have a little quality sibling time. I wondered if our son would decide to head south if both sisters were having Thanksgiving together, so I told Jim it might be just the two of us for the first time in a gazillion years! Or, it might've been the three of us, if our son decided to forego the drive to Raleigh. OR, we could always see what my nephew and his extended in-law family might be doing. I asked him... It turns out that THIS is the year that they're going down to Charlotte, NC, to be with an aunt-in-law (they alternate years), so that bumped things back to a small Thanksgiving here at home.
THEN, once NC-D realized that neither mom nor baby sister (who cooks) would be on hand to help her prepare the food, and given the fact that her friends are vegetarian, and given the fact that she's a traditionalist when it comes to the Thanksgiving holiday (wanting family around her), making the annual trek up here to Virginia began to look more attractive to her! LOL...
So, the bottom line is that I don't know what's happening quite yet, except that Jim and our son will be here watching football, while I play in the kitchen. If NC-D and Loren decide to join us, that'll be nice too. NC-D made noises about "wanting to help" me, and I told her that it would be very nice, but if she really wants to help, then she'll need to show up a day or two in advance, rather than three hours before the meal, because it's all done by then!
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"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"
(Dumbledore to Harry Potter)
I seem to have caught the nasty bug that is floating around. I haven't thrown up so I don't know if it is the flu or not. But I woke up this morning to a throat that feels like someone took a fork to. Blech.
Vinnie has been in VA the last couple of days and gets back today. The girls have, get this, their 6 month check up tomorrow. Hard to believe its been 6 months already.
I am happy to be heading home to Michigan for turkey day. Haven't been up there in almost 2 years. And Vinnie will get to see siblings we haven't see since our wedding. Which means they haven't met any of the kids. And we all have plans to go to shopping the day after turkey day, which is always sort of fun.
What about you Kae. Will you have a full house? Moore I hope that as much of your group as possible can make it. Shame AZ-D can't just fly into NC and drive up with her sister.
Oh Shelly -- I'm so sorry to hear that you're sick! Geez... It's exhausting enough to deal with young children when you're feeling well, but it's a real killer when you're sick too, and just want to sleep. I'm sure you'll be very glad to see Vinnie!!
And I can't believe that the little ones are six months old already. That's just crazy...
I wish that AZ-D could fly to Raleigh, and drive up with her sister and Loren, but apparently it turned out to be just about as complicated to get there, as it was to get here, so she decided to forget it. Depending on who's in Arizona, she may host her own Thanksgiving feast with friends. She's giving a baby shower this weekend, for the sister of a friend; she loves to cook, to feed people, and to entertain.
Shelly, I think your plans for Thanksgiving sound WONDERFUL. It'll be so great to see everyone, and all the newest little faces you haven't had a chance to see before. Michigan will have great November atmosphere for the holiday too!
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"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"
(Dumbledore to Harry Potter)
Moore, I know how weird it feels to even think about having a small Thanksgiving group. It might be the year to make reservations at a restaurant just to ensure that most of the family ends up at home. I know that has worked for us, LOL.
Shelly, it will be wonderful to see everybody up there! The girls will be the new faces of joy for the whole family.
We're not going to celebrate American Thanksgiving this year. Ted and I were married on that weekend a million years ago and we thought we'd celebrate THAT instead this year. If the weather is good and nobody catches a bug, Tony might drive his brood down to Boston, but they don't stay at the family's homestead, so it can be a bit expensive putting up the five of them at a nice hotel for 4 days. We'll see.
Shelly, gargle with warm water and salt! Gargle, gargle, gargle. Take some honey and lemon in hot water too. Get as much sleep as you can and use a liquid pump soap with plenty of hot water as often as you can to keep your hands germ-free. Bar soap is no good for that, btw. The little kids at school are a breeding ground for all sorts of things, so as soon as Jolene gets home, wash, wash, wash, and wipe all surfaces in contact with you, the kids and food. I'm sure you do that anyway, but try to be more diligent with this bloody flu thing threatening us all. "Tis the season.
