Cocaine Princess here.
Monday we celebrated Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving is not as exhilarating as our neighbors down south. There are no major televised department store parades (which I love watching) and no big football games, (well there is but attendance is very low) and no next day early morning shopping to start off the Christmas season. (One year mom and I participated in Black Friday. Practically everyone was dressed in sweats and running shoes making us wonder if the shoppers were getting ready for a marathon. It was quite a sight. They were pushing, shoving and clearing the shelves and grabbing what ever they could as if the world was coming to an end within days) Our Thanksgiving signifies the end of harvest season. To give thanks to the farmers for all their hard work.
I have never been one nor am I big on following traditions especially when it comes to holidays. I love celebrating the holidays, I just have my own way of celebrating. There are a few things from my childhood I like to incorporate in the present, such as watching two animated Thanksgiving T.V. specials:
A GARFIELD THANKSGIVING:
Poor Garfield is taken to the vet and put on a diet the day before Thanksgiving, while Jon tries putting the moves on the vet.
A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING: Snoopy prepares Thanksgiving dinner for the Peanuts gang; popcorn and buttered toast.
And two Thanksgiving themed movies my sister recommended I watch:
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (Holly Hunter and Robert Downey, Jr)
PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES (John Candy and Steve Martin)
If you haven't seen these two films I suggest you do. They are comical!
For dinner I chose the restaurant and by some wonder 'A' didn't have a problem with it. We headed down to Lakeshore and dined at a place near the harbor. We were able to get a table on the pier. Normally we would have chosen to stay inside but the weather was fantastic so we decided to take advantage of it. (Remember last week when I wrote the temperature plummeted to +5C? Monday it rose to +25C, what a drastic change! God knows we won't have weather like this again until July 2009. As I blog this entry the weather sits at a chilly+8C. Mother Nature's cruel sense of humor has begun)
The restaurant was full to capacity. One table had a family of 30. I suppose it's easier to go out for Thanksgiving dinner than cook and slave over a hot stove for 30 people. I myself enjoyed a bountiful meal and I even ordered dessert! A slice of chocolate ganache cake drizzled with raspberry sauce. Sinful and delicious I know.
After a lip smacking dinner 'A' and I decided to take a leisurely stroll along the boardwalk. I was kind of glad we did, I needed to walk off dinner. Everyone had the same thought because a lot of the patrons from the restaurant passed us including the table of 30. We didn't go very far. The boardwalk was a little irregular making it tricky for 'A' to walk on crutches. I wish we hadn't gone, I started feeling hungry. Have you ever had that moment where the aroma of a BBQ knocks your socks off (or in my case, stilettos) and even though you know if you eat another bite you'll burst? You just can't deny that smell. (It's very similar to when you walk by Cinnabon)
The entire boardwalk was filled with the smell of hot dogs. There were a handful of vendors with their carts. I inhaled deeply a couple of times and after the fourth one my sister said, 'why do you do this to yourself? If you want one, go ahead.' 'No. I already ate too much,' I answered. To this she replied and I quote, 'for the love of God, eat child eat! And bring me one too. I'll join you.'
And so I did. I had mine covered with cheese and hot pepper rings.
There we were my sister and I enjoying a little something after dinner while watching the sailboats glide smoothly around the lake. Rather than a hot dog I'm guessing most people would take pleasure in having a cigar with a Scotch on the rocks.
Aside from Horrible Thing #3 and #4 which I will be posting about soon, the cosmos have been definitely kind to my sister and me in many ways. We are so blessed, (knock wood) grateful and appreciative for all that has been given to us.
When I was a little girl, every night after my mom would tuck me in bed she would say, 'close your eyes and quietly tell the universe 5 things you are grateful for.'
To this day it is something I still do.
XOXOXOXO,
Cocaine Princess
