For us Americans, this Thursday is Thanksgiving. For all the rest of you, it’s just Thursday. Or, maybe it’s not “just” Thursday. Maybe it’s your birthday. Or your anniversary. Or free bagel day at work. Either way, you’re going to be doing something. And since most of us for whom this is a holiday week are already winding down before our time off, I thought I’d post a little poll so we could share and discuss how we plan to spend the day.
[polldaddy poll=”8474145″]
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doctorelliot November 25, 2014, 12:11 pm
Allllll by myyyyyself,.
I’m thinking of taking on a volunteer shift at my local humane society, though (I’ve been volunteering there for a little over a month now, and while they’re closed, they do need people to snuggle the cats.)
Jane63 November 25, 2014, 12:33 pm
I am, too! And I am not letting it get me down. I bought a small turkey breast, potatoes & gravy, and pumpkin ice cream. I am ready! I’m going to take out my china and set a place for one at my dining room table. Life is good!
muchachaenlaventana November 25, 2014, 1:29 pm
oh yum pumpkin ice cream!! that sounds so awesome.
Red_Lady November 25, 2014, 7:53 pm
Trader Joe’s has really good pecan pie ice cream
barleystonks November 25, 2014, 12:12 pm
Working because I love working for my dad, and he’s in a FML situation because he accepted too many last minute jobs. But hey, I get to play with ladders and pliers and climb on roofs and get dirty and wet and tired, and do it all with my dad and husband, so I can’t think of a better way to spend the first half of Thanksgiving. Then I get to eat too much with wonderful people 🙂
Lyra November 25, 2014, 12:49 pm
Navy Guy is meeting my mom’s side of the family for the first time. My dad’s side is the more overwhelming of the two and he’s met them, but still. Talk about overwhelming. Both sides of my family are overwhelming… He’ll need whiskey and lots of it! I’m meeting his grandma for the first time which is a bit overwhelming but apparently she likes what she’s heard about me so that’s good.
SpaceySteph November 25, 2014, 2:10 pm
Husband and I are staying home this year, rather than fly 1000 miles to visit either of our families. We’re hosting some local friends, smoking our own big fat turkey, and enjoying not having to deal with TSA, delays, bad weather, or crazy relatives.
I’m so excited.
…Although I’m technically “on call” if the space station decides to break. So fingers crossed it behaves itself.
Moneypenny November 25, 2014, 3:02 pm
I’m hanging out with my mom and dad, which is basically what I’ve been doing for years now. My sister and her husband and kiddo always go to the in-laws for Thanksgiving.
However, I’ve decided that I’m going to spend a good chunk of time this weekend watching season 5 of Downton Abbey. My coworker downloaded the UK version as each episode aired, so I’ve been waiting til they’ve all aired to watch them all at once.
Dear Wendy November 25, 2014, 3:31 pm
We’re going to my FILs on Thanksgiving Day (he’s 94 and pretty housebound, so we — including drew’s brother and his family — come to him; he lives on the UWS). Since he has a small kitchen and none of us wants to spend all day in it, we just get a catered meal from Fairway (a local grocery chain). Friday, we’re having our Friendsgiving at out place, which we were supposed to have sunday but re-scheduled on account of jackson being sick. Since we re-scheduled, my friend matt, who is performing off-broadway, can make it, which I’m excited about. Drew and I will cook a turkey, some brussels sprouts, and pumpkin pie (though, truthfully, I might get pumpkin ice cream instead bc that sounds good), and our friends are filling the rest of the meal with their delicious concoctions. I’m looking forward to all of it!
Mr. Cellophane November 25, 2014, 7:35 pm
Idea for you.
Graham Cracker crust. Softened pumpkin ice cream. Fill crust with ice cream. Re-freeze. Whipped cream.
Bam.
Jane63 November 25, 2014, 7:47 pm
Pumpkin ice cream is the best! Pie is ok. But the airly lightness of Edy’s ice cream? yum Graham cracker crust with it? We may have a new tradition.
honeybeenicki November 25, 2014, 3:47 pm
On Thursday we’re going to see my family about 2 1/2 hours away. They’re not terribly far away, but I don’t get to see them as much as I’d like to and almost never get to see them for holidays (have I mentioned how excited I am that my MIL isn’t currently speaking to me?) so I’m going to go and try to keep my mouth shut about our big news. Friday we always do a post-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving with my sister. Because both families are always so busy on Thanksgiving, we want to make sure we have dinner with her and the kids, so we started a new tradition of doing in Friday instead. And for the weekend… I’ll either do nothing or I’ll drive to see my dad.
mrmidtwenties November 25, 2014, 3:54 pm
Well it’s not Thanksgiving here in Canada, but I have Friday booked off, and my old university roommates are coming to town, and we’re all going to our favourite country bar in town, where we haven’t been together in 3 years. So we’re gonna get a little rowdy. Other than that, I’ll be working on the cutting boards I’m making for christmas presents all weekend, and probably see the lady I’ve been seeing.
TaraMonster November 25, 2014, 4:46 pm
My aunt and uncle are hosting so I’m going out to Long Island where all our New York accents will combine to create something that sounds like it was born in the middle of the Verrazano Bridge. In my normal day-to-day I think I have a mild NY accent. But around the fam? Fuggetaboutit. Does that happen to anyone else? Your accent just thickens around your family through some sort of weird accent osmosis?
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One weird thing, though is that I kind of want to stay home for no particular reason. I love Thanksgiving, and I love my family, but I’m just TIRED this year and don’t feel like doing anything. Yesterday I actually had some blood work done because I think I have Hashimoto’s. It runs in my family. I don’t want it, but I’ve got all the symptoms and my doctor thinks it’s highly likely. 🙁
Portia November 25, 2014, 5:37 pm
Well, I’m not sure if there’s a linguistic term for it, but on How I Met Your Mother they call it “revertigo” when Lilly starts talking like she did in high school around an old friend. In general, we tend to accommodate to other people linguistically, plus when talking with certain people or on certain subjects, our real dialect features come out. It’s mostly because you’re just less self-conscious of how you talk then, which is probably why it happens with family members. Mine comes out around my mom, but not really around any other family members individually.
Red_Lady November 25, 2014, 4:49 pm
My mom is hosting Thanksgiving this year. It’ll be a different one though, because I have an almost two month old son. I’m excited to have so much family to hold/entertain him, so I might even be able to eat a full meal! We’re also spending the night at my parents, which will be a first for the kiddo. He’s been sleeping really well in his crib lately, I hope he’s able to still sleep well in a new place, in a different bed.
Red_Lady November 25, 2014, 4:51 pm
Oh, and watching the Hawks decimate the Niners. That’ll be awesome!
snoopy128 November 26, 2014, 3:44 am
I’ve always wondered, do people with babies really appreciate when friends/family hold their children during meals?
I always offer, especially with family, but have a hard time deciphering whether the initial decline is just a politeness thing or a real ‘no’. It doesn’t help I have a control freak cousin who doesn’t like letting her babies out of her sight.
FireStar November 26, 2014, 9:36 am
I appreciate it. I think most mothers like to keep at eye on a little one who can get into mischief. Our daughter can sense the weakest link and she will head right there to see what she can get away with. But someone else entertaining her so we can grab a bite – true love.
FireStar November 25, 2014, 5:05 pm
No thanksgiving up here but Friday I’m off to Jamaica for a week for my friend’s destination wedding! Yay! Though first time travelling on a plane with a 16 month old who thinks running is the best thing ever and who does not sit still. So we will see how that goes. I’m not anticipating fond looks rom other travellers. At least the resort has endless liquor for when we get there.
ktfran November 25, 2014, 5:33 pm
I LOVE thanksgiving and I love that since I’ve moved back to the Midwest, I can enjoy it with my immediate family again. My mom’s meal is top notch, to me anyway. I also quite enjoy the tradition my mom, sisters and I started since I’ve moved back. Instead of shopping on Friday, we see a movie, one of the first one’s showing for the day. Hello $5 movie and popcorn for lunch! This will be our 5th year, I think. Maybe 6th. Anyway, I love everything about being around family. That’s all.
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For the past two weeks, my yoga teacher has read us a quote about being grateful she found, it’s basically “be thankful for what you have because your life, no matter how bad you think it is, is someone else’s fairy tale.” It’s a sobering thought and one that will stick with me forever.
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Happy Thanksgiving you all!
LadyinPurpleNotRed November 25, 2014, 5:42 pm
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Tons of awesome people, delicious food=happy Ladyinpurplenotred! The only slight snafu is I’m definitely going to have delays of some sort since I’m flying from FL to MA tomorrow night… as long as I’m home by mealtime on Thanksgiving, I can handle it.
Liquid Luck November 25, 2014, 6:36 pm
This is the first Thanksgiving I’m not spending with family (either mine or my husband’s), and it’s kind of bumming me out. But we just moved to the other side of the world at the beginning of October, and with all the other exciting reasons to go back in the upcoming year, it just didn’t make sense time- or money-wise to try to go back for the holidays. Plus since we live in a country that doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, my husband has to work. It’s also super weird to not be somewhere cold (we’re both from PA, and if we go to his mom’s house we usually get snow).
But I’m going to go all out and make a big dinner for us anyway! We’re still going to have turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and caramel apple cheesecake. It will be way too much food for two people, but leftovers are the second best part of the holiday anyway, so that’s hardly a complaint. I I might even make some special treats for the dogs just to really go all out.
Mr. Cellophane November 25, 2014, 7:43 pm
We are going to have Thanksgiving with my in laws at “The Home”. Both of them are recovering from surgery and are in no shape to travel. We will eat in the dining room there.
My teenaged son is not happy because: 1. He will have to “dress up”.The dining room has a dress code (jacket and tie). 2. The old people will only let him have one piece of pie. 3.There will be no leftovers.
I am tending to agree with him on all these points.
snoopy128 November 26, 2014, 3:40 am
Dressing nice also means no stretchy waistband to accommodate the gluttonous amount of food.
rocketgirl November 25, 2014, 9:54 pm
I am working so that our staff has clinical support for the day. Then over to one of my best friend’s houses for food, wine and games! And working T-day means I get to take Friday off for a 3 day weekend.
d2 November 26, 2014, 12:09 am
I am another one who will be by myself. I will be roasting a small turkey, making mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, etc. (yay leftovers). It will be cold and there will be snow (perfect holiday weather). I will be playing Thanksgiving and Christmas music, and getting out the Christmas decorations. There will also be egg nog and champagne. It will be a nice quiet day.
snoopy128 November 26, 2014, 3:37 am
In grumpy-land over here. It’s end of term and I have over 100 pages of literature reviews and essays due in individual and group format due this week. And classes, where I mostly watch other classmates present on their papers and stress over the amount of work I could be doing.
However, this weekend, the bf and like 8 university friends are in town for a sporting event. Even though I have a big exam next week and no time to study until the weekend, I think more drinking than studying will happen. YOLO?
So, please post all your drama and greatness on here so I can further distract myself from writing and editing.
snoopy128 November 26, 2014, 3:39 am
Note: YOLO was used sarcastically.