Happy Thanksgiving

I know. Thanksgiving's gone. Nobody's doing that anymore. We gave thanks, and we're not about to do it again for another year. That's okay.
My Thanksgiving was really good. The drive down to LA was blissfully uneventful. We only forgot one thing (albeit one important thing) which meant that I had to mail something when I got back. No big deal. Thanksgiving dinner with my family and my in-laws was wonderful. Our families get along great, and the Pirate's mother had to work anyway, so Dad wasn't about to cook for himself.

The only small downside was that my sister's dog wasn't looking good. I decided to jog to my sister's house from my in-laws' house, and when I got to my sister's house, I was greeted by an almost visible wall of dog funk. It was RANK. So, I extended my jog just far enough to hit up the grocery store for some Febreze and rug deodorizer. Then I helped my sister hoist the ancient, giant, cancer-riddled dog into the tub for a wash. That did the trick, and the house smelled fine. The dog was outside for Thanksgiving evening, and the only worry was the occasional noise from outside. We had to help her up and down the three porch steps. After dinner, the dog came back into the house and was treated to turkey skin, turkey heart and cream cheese.

The next morning, my sister went out to run some errands. As she walked out the door, the dog was on the couch, snoring loudly. She had forgotten her purse and when she went back into the house, the dog had fallen off the couch and died.

Before you offer consolation, I must tell you that the feeling was mostly relief. My poor sister just didn't have the heart to put the poor dog to sleep, even though at the end, she was so obviously suffering. The dog died peacefully, in her sleep, after a night of yummy treats and a warm bed. She had a good run. One friend put forward the thought that the dog died because after the delicious food and the warm bed, she just figured it wasn't going to get any better for her.

What's even more amusing is that on the same day, a friend of mine in Oklahoma got a new dog and without hearing anything from me, gave it the old dog's name - Sassy. Life goes on. And it's mostly good.

While we were in LA, we got so much done. Many wedding details were sorted, decided, fixed. Invitations were finally sent, many Xmas prezzies were bought, friends and relatives seen. When we got home, we came with a sense of purpose and clarity. We made lists, we sent emails, we gathered information and then took action. I feel that I've more than made up for November's unavailability.

I've decided that for the month of December, my goal is to take very good care of myself and my family. Making sure that we get enough sleep, that things are kept clean and tidy, that we eat well and correctly this month. We'll feel better come January for it, I hope.