Over the river and through the woods… or not.
Halloween was just a few days ago, wasn’t it? I think I mentioned that the other day. Oh well. Today? Another rainy day. A beautiful one. A little chilly but not worthy of my ripped up old ski jacket. Why didn’t I buy two or three of those things? I don’t know. I guess I am getting to be a bit like Grandroobly (my dad), who insisted on wearing 25-year-old jackets and things in the last few years of his life. This was *not* to the liking of the Commander but what the heck. If it’s comfortable, who the heck cares what you look like. It’s okay kids, I am re-learning how to shop for biz-caz et al and I’m actually doing okay. I can go almost a whole week without wearing the same outfit. Maybe there’s something of the Commander (and a bit of whatever DNA fueled the always elegant Radical Betty) in me after all. If I had a crystal ball, I would take it with me when I buy clothing and I would ask it something like, “Am I going to like it well enough to buy two or three or more?” Alas. I bought that blasted ski jacket about a bazillion years ago and nowadays I can’t find anything like it that I also LIKE. Sigh. And then there’s my favo-rite black polar tech REI zip-up hoodie that I bought last year. Do they have one this year? Nada. That I can find, anyway.
It is Thanksgiving Eve. I met Mouse for lunch at Panera and it was nice (and drizzly) outside, so I waited outside for her. A cute little Mini Cooper pulled in and I thought, “my neighbors have one of those. Or two.” But I didn’t figure it was my neighbors because there are other Mini Coopers around. But it *was* my neighbors and so Mouse and I and Shuggie’s parents had lunch together. And then I took the last hour or so off work. I was done. It’s not like I am on the front-lines for the on-line banking industry anyway. I sit waaaaayyy back in the early part of the process. If something goes wrong today, I am usually very far down on the list of people to call. My work has been sliced and diced every which-way by all kinds of folks before any customers have to use it.
We are staying home for Thanksgiving this year. We don’t have a cut and dried tradition for this holiday. We’ve done different things over the years. I will NEVER try to guilt my children into coming home for Thanksgiving or any other holiday. My parents didn’t do that to me. Thanksgiving in particular always seems like just about the worst time to fly. The skies are ultra-crowded, the weather can be awful, and it is only a 4-day weekend and that’s only for folks that actually get days off for the weekend. I also think that our kids need to establish their own traditions. It was hard for me to absorb that idea when I was a young mother but ultimately it was the best for me and my family to learn to celebrate the holidays on our own.
November 25th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
I’ve been fortunate to have both girls close for the holiday–but that will change when Ashley goes to grad school! I love Panera!!