We Gather Together

Happy Thanksgiving to all Americans! I opened my Thanksgiving with Garfield's Thanksgiving, a 1991 tale of everyone's favorite fat cat going on a diet the day before the holiday, even as his owner invites the vet who made the diet decree over for the Thanksgiving feast. Other than featuring a rare appearance by Grandma (of the Christmas special), the third Garfield holiday special isn't nearly as memorable as the first two but is recommended as one of the only Thanksgiving specials on DVD.

After Garfield, I did something I haven't done in about four years. I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in it's entirety. I don't have cable, but I can get CBS on my TV on a good day, and this morning was a good day. It was windy here but apparently far less so in New York, lower-mid 60s and just gorgeous. There were absolutely no problems with CBS' telecast this morning, other than if they showed another stupid soap opera star, I was going to scream. I HATE soap operas. Couldn't they have shown another Broadway production number in addition to the "Spamalot" number (which was hilarious)? Other than that complaint, I loved the parade. Coolest balloon by far was Hello Kitty in her awesome little superheroine outfit.

After reading Matt's annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade review at X-Entertainment (he always reviews a parade from the 80s or early 90s on Thanksgiving eve), I went over to Bruce and Ken's house for dinner around 1PM...only to find dinner wasn't until 5. I ended up spending most of the afternoon playing Mario Party 2, a board game-style video game for the Nintendo 64, with my adopted stepsister Jessa, and later our cousin Taylor.

I came down first so Jessa could get dressed (she was still in her pajamas when we played games). I watched the very end of the Packers/Lions game with Bruce, Jodie, Taylor's dad Jim, stepmom Karen, Karen's 1 and 1/2-year-old son C.J, and a couple of Jodie's teenage sons. We ate shortly after the girls, including a dressed Jessa, joined us. Dinner was wonderful. We had turkey, stuffing, creamed pearl onions, broccoli, corn, cole slaw, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rolls, butter, Uncle Ken's apple pie, and my cranberry bread and the gingerbread cookies I made this morning, and everything was wonderful. I even took a big platter of food home for the weekend (I'll probably make most of it into turkey chili).

I watched my new A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving DVD when I got home. Tomboyish Peppermint Patty, her shy best pal Marcie, their mutual black guy friend Franklin, and "Little Birdie" Woodstock make their debuts in this special. Peppermint Patty talks her, Marcie, and Franklin's way into dinner at Charlie Brown's house. Trouble is, Chuck is about 10 years old and is eating at his grandmother's this year. He, Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock make a small "dinner" of popcorn, toast, pretzels, and candy, but Peppermint Patty is offended. Where's the real dinner? It's Marcie and Linus who remind their best friends of why we REALLY celebrate this holiday.

The second special also dealt with the true meaning of the holiday. The Mayflower Voyagers came from the 1989 series of Peanuts US history specials This Is America, Charlie Brown. It covered the real (more-or-less) history of the Pilgrims, from leaving London to the first Thanksgiving. While drier than Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, there's also more action, and it's nice to hear about a part of American history that doesn't often get covered outside of New England.

I'm thankful I opted to stay here this year. I have to work early tomorrow (8:30AM), and as much as I love the other side of the family, that move really has them frazzled. I called Mom this morning. She was cleaning the house while my stepdad and brother were the annual high school football game. Apparently, they've had some trouble lately; two nights ago, one of the kids in their neighborhood accidentally ran into Mom's parked car. Not only does she love her car and it's no longer being made, but the front of the car was totaled and the kid and his single mother have no money. Yes, the kid will have to pay some damages (and lose a license he'd just gotten), but it sounds like they'll have to pay, too.

Plus, they're supposed to move to a fairly remote area of Lower Township in about three weeks to a month. Mom says it's because Dad doesn't want to wait, but as with when we moved around Christmas when I was 11, it's just poor timing on both their parts and a lack of communication. Dad's impatient and Mom's bossy, and they both assume that one will want what the other wants...without talking it over.

I guess I'm just feeling a bit confused lately. I love both sides of the family, but I feel left out on one side and I don't know the other well. None of my close friends live around here, though I am thankful for all of them. I'm thankful for them, and for everyone who reads this blog, and for being able to lose 40 pounds (as of Monday, anyway), and that I'm healthy and living in a nice apartment with a nice landlady on a nice street. I just wish I could do more.