It was yesterday. Approximately noon. November 23 2005. We were invited to mom's for dinner. We showed up and boy did the house smell wonderful. I hadn't eaten a thing since early in the evening the night before so I was good and damn hungry.

Here was the table set before dinner. We don't do the whole good china/linen tablecloth/dress up/fancy wine kinda thing. We are common folk. Give me some corelleware and a turkey leg and I'm good. Was I wearing a dress or a fancy outfit to dinner? Hell no I was wearing an Old Navy shirt and stretch jeans. Why the stretch jeans? Because I need to have some give after I eat Thanksgiving dinner people. It's all about the mashed potatoes and gravy and turkey.

Here's the bird. We don't do the whole bring the whole bird to the table on a fine china platter thing and make a big show out of carving it in front of everybody. Please. Mom cuts it right up in the roaster and puts it on a plate. Saves time and dishes.

We do the whole buffet type of style because we don't have a large enough table to set everything out. Plus the food stays warm this way. So here's just some of the food. This was only about half of the food. For my mom "cutting back" this year you sure would have NEVER known it.

And here is the gang of us sitting down eating. It wasn't a huge group but that just means more for us ha ha ha.

And the meal was wonderful. I of course ate until I couldn't eat anymore. But there's plenty more to do here! After Cass and I chased my mom out of the kitchen and did all of the dishes (most of the big ones by hand) and wiped down everything we sat down with the flyers for black friday. We had to see what all the bargains were for today.

So off we went to KMart because my aunt had $5 that was burning a hole in her pocket and because we wanted to see what was on sale. We were standing in the toy aisle because we were checking out the bargains and my aunt just lets a few LOOSE in that aisle. Now she is mentally challenged so it's not a huge deal but my mom and I looked at each other and tried all we could do not to completely crack up. We're in KMart with a bajillion other people and there is my aunt pushin em out like a 25 year old beer belly watching football. (Oh speaking of which, I'd better turn the channel so I can watch the Huskers get stomped by Colorado! Oh its tied 3-3? That won't last long!)

Cass and I came home and chilled out for a few hours before we went and saw "Rent". See my previous entry about that, it was fabulous.

So yesterday morning there was SO MUCH noise going on upstairs. And outside down the stairs. I looked outside and saw a U-Haul hooked up to the back of a pick-up. Looked like Big Wood was moving out. What a shame!!! He's like the eye candy for this apartment building (well besides Shane and his friend Paul). After coming home from mom's yesterday Pat (the neighbor upstairs who lives next door to Big Wood) was outside and I asked him if Big Wood had moved out. He said he thinks his fiance moved in instead. Awww Big Wood is engaged! I wonder if it was his hometown girlfriend or his girlfriend here. Yes, that dog had 2 girlfriends! Anyway there's LOTS of noise up there again today so I know he didn't move out but damn I hope they settle in already pretty soon.

So all in all it was a good day. I learned to be thankful for what I do have and not for what I don't have. You know, it's so easy to get caught up in it all and take for granted you have a wonderful daughter, a nice apartment, a car that's paid off and runs and heat. The rest I won't worry about today. My life could be so much worse.

And thus ends my Thanksgiving day tale. Now I shall go crack a book and start cramming for my tests on Monday. I'm not as hopeful about these but it's all good. Cass is gone and that gives me all weekend to chill out and cram some knowledge into my brain. And hope it sticks until about 1:00 on Monday.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a wonderful weekend to come. I know I will!!!