Holiday Weekend

What I did on my Thanksgiving Holiday...(since I doubtless feel I'll have to give a report somewhere, I might as well jot down a few thoughts.)

Wednesday evening:
Saw Harry Potter with Izzy & Friends. Loved Ron Weasley as the anguished teen. Marveled at camera phone technology afterwards, plus the great digital gulf between us & folks who could be our kids.

Thursday:
Slept in, then assembled casseroles. Picked up Mom for the trip to the Upstate for dinner at Brother B2's home. Had been concerned due to hx with B2, but couldn't be more surprised at how nice the day was. His wife, B2W2, has made gift baskets for family, cooked more food than anyone could possibly eat (stuffing measured by the gallon--both kinds), cranberry sauce by the quart, a massive crock pot with green bean casserole, etc. Everyone had a good time.

There were about 20 folks there; in our family you can never get all the schedules aligned. New this year was one of our cousins, that B2's family has taken in. Her mom is in assisted living, and 'cuz seems to be adjusting well to B2's household.

There was a time of guitar & banjo playing (B2 plays both well), singing, etc., after lots of folks had watched Napoleon Dynamite. Another instance of the generational gulf--Izzy and I saw the movie and wanted our 90 minutes back; the kids in three families knew most of the scenes and loved it. Izzy was able to sleep on the way up & back, so Mom & I had a nice visit.

Not to forget: We celebrated B3D1's 9th bday--I got her Easy Bake Oven mixes plus Easy Bake from scratch recipes and she and I will be getting together to cook in two weeks. I also dropped off a gift for B2S3, whose 12th bday I had missed the previous week.

Friday:
Quiet day. Saw the sweetest film: "Millions." It's a British piece about a boy who finds a sack of money that he assumes came from God, and he sets out to do good with it, guided by the saints who regularly appear to him. Practiced for Sunday with Doc. Izzy went out and got a toaster oven during the Black Friday sales. Brave man!

Saturday:
Lots of travel: from Cayce to the Walmart near Ft. Jackson (the ONLY thing Izzy gets at Wallyworld is a specific motor oil that no one else around here carries--At least he didn't have to go there on Black Friday!), to the motorcycle shop off of Fairfield & I-20, to the Skating Rink near the airport for (you guessed it!) a birthday party for S2's D2sS1 (being the step-son of the 2nd eldest daughter (who had been the oldest until S2's family was blended with her husband's)) of the sister next to me. We got this 6-year-old boy a Spiderman chair, that he seemed happy with. We also delivered a gift for S3S3 (sister3, son3), whose 4th bday party I had missed due to a Parish Council meeting.

After the party, which involved watching kids skate, eat ice cream and play indoor miniature golf, and hearing the cousins tell Izzy how weird he is--they're crazy about him, actually--we headed back to the bike show so Izzy could PICK UP THE LEANABAGO! It's been nearly a month, and I'm so glad he's back to riding his bike. Thanks so much to folks who loaned us a car, gave rides, and even loaned Izzy a bike (his comment: "Most guys would rather loan you their wife than their bike.")

After we drove the bike home, again going around I-77, we drove back to a theater close to the Wallyworld where we'd started the day and saw "Good Night and Good Luck", the film about Edward R. Morrow and his confrontation with Senator McCarthy. Oscar written all over it.

Sunday (today):
Up early for Mass then lunch with Doc & Fam @ Fire Mountain. Nap, then a brief ride on the "Yamahog" before we take it back tomorrow. Izzy rented a painfully true-to-life French film about a family that gets together once a week for dinner--I think I'm ready for some escapism. So, despite what the clocks at Blogger may say about posting times, I'm off to go see the Simpsons now.

Late comment: No Simpsons tonight--just football overtime....

Also: None of the work I brought home to do got done. It'll be busy next week...