Yes, I would like to taste what the Derek is cooking

Thanksgiving has come and gone and despite the bad news I got in the morning that the flight my mom was supposed to work to SD (so she could come out for Thanksgiving dinner) was changed to a flight she had to work to SF (so she didn’t make it), it turned out to be an awesome Thanksgiving.

We had two birds, one roasted, one fried. Everything else was as equally homemade and ridiculously delicious (including the non-vegetarian stuffing I accidentally ate). My friends love a cooking challenge, and since each one of them has a deep love of cooking and/or baking, the A-game was very much brought in both the main dishes and desserts. We gorged, then laid around drinking, then gorged more to the point of pain, then drank to forget the pain.

Good booze abounded, including a sweet ambrosia of a punch made with Hawaiian Punch, ginger ale, vodka (or later rum) and orange sherbet. There was good bourbon, good beer, Irish coffee, and a promise of margaritas that never materialized.

We watched the original Star Wars trilogy, played a quick game of Star Wars Trivial Pursuit, then regular Trivial Pursuit using the Star Wars edition figures. We watched Chicken Run. We watched The Thing.

A group of scruffy-looking nerf-herders

I love my friends, and I’m glad we all got to spend yesterday together since it’ll be the last time all six of us will be in the same place for Thanksgiving for a very long while.

Change happens, and while it usually winds up being a good thing, sometimes it can go fuck itself.

This is probably the sort of thing I should have done yesterday, listing the things I’m thankful for, but on the morning after a nearly perfect day (still pissed I bought the wrong potatoes for mashing – WTF me?) they’re brought into more of a natural light.

I’m thankful for my friends and their sarcasm, understanding and support. I’m thankful for my family, who while they may not be present, they’re there in every holiday tradition I emulate.

I’m thankful I was given the opportunity to go to VP. I’m thankful for all of the friends I made there, and all the friends I made later because of the friends I made there. I’m thankful that on a daily basis, largely because of ripple-effects from VP, the good is outweighing the bad.

(I'm thankful for ABC fire extinguishers... just in case)

I’m thankful for quiet, peaceful mornings drinking good coffee because of all of the pain and terror of change and uncertainty I had to work hard to get past over the years so I could be sitting on my couch on this quiet peaceful morning to drink good coffee.

I’m thankful I have people in my life that inspire me.

I’m thankful I have people in my life that call me on my bullshit because they want me to be happy.

I’m thankful I have people in my life that believe in me.

And now, I’m thankful for Kleenex.

I hope your holidays are what you need them to be.