November 29th, 2002 - 11.36 pm
I had a GREAT Thanksgiving. It started on Tuesday, when MB and her friend, Alan came up and we got our hair cut at a fancy schmancy hair salon here in Boulder, and then they came back to my place and we cooked dinner for us, and Laine, Kim, Helen and Ella. Thanks to some covert dealings with Blockbuster employees, we were granted an early copy of Lilo and Stitch, and so we watched that. I LOVE that movie. I must have it. But it'll have to wait until after the holidays, because, well, all potential monies are going to PRESENTS! I was on call on Tuesday, and so it was a little weird to get a call when I'm sitting in my living room, with a fire crackling in our wood burning stove, surrounded by people I love and feel safe with, and then to be thrust into this other world, where people are afraid, and alone and cold. It just makes me so sad, you know? Gah. I try to tell myself that I am helping to end that, that scariness where people are scared and alone, and I know that I am, but still . . .
On Wednesday I headed back to the homestead for Thanksgiving. I went with my family to the mall, a nice dinner and the new Harry Potter movie. For the most part, it was awesome. MB is seventeen and therefore not really into the whole family time thing and managed to pick a big ole fight which I mediated. See, these hotline skills are useful in every day life! And I don't know why I've read so many negative things about the new Harry Potter movie! I thought it was way better than the first one. Anyway, it was a fun outing.
Then, on actual Thanksgiving, we got up and went to Church, and it just makes my mom so happy. It's such a little thing and it makes her so so sublimely, purely happy. And I like being able to give her such uncomplicated joy. So, I go. And after that, we visited my Shore grandparents, and that was fun, and then, in the afternoon, we went over to my Mills grandparents and that was even nicer. My dad, my sisters and I sat on the back porch and played cards for two hours while my mother and my grandmother wandered in and out, fixing dinner, slapping our hands away from picking at the makings, playing the occasional hand. We got phone calls from both of my Dad's siblings and their families, and from my Grandma's sister and my Grandpa's brothers and our cousins and it was just . . .really great. I miss having my dad's siblings and their families around for holidays and I know my grandparents do too so it was nice to at least hear their voices.
Friday was the CU/Nebraska game. 28-13 CU wins it!! Two years in row! Without Chris Brown OR Bobby Purify! In Lincoln! I love Brian Callhoon. GO BUFFS!
This morning, we went up to the mountains to cut down a Christmas tree and that was sort of sad, because we passed by the place where we burried Sandy and she used to LOVE to cut Christmas trees with us. She'd huff the snow with her nose and roll in it, and run waaaay in front of us and circle back, her tounge lolling out of her mouth. Our little pug Baxter would try to keep up, but his legs are much shorter than hers were and his wimpy pug feet got cold. We all missed her a lot today. Then, at home, we watched some of the Oklahoma/Oklahoma State game, and wonder of wonders, Oklahoma got BEAT! CU now has the best record in the Big 12. We got some decorations up and then we went to paint a pottery nativity scene with my Mom's middle sister and her family and my mom's youngest sister. It was fun, noisy down-homey kind of fun.
I had a really hard time leaving home tonight. It's HARD to be a grownup. And while I was home, people were cooking for me and tucking me in, and I love my parents and my sisters and it was HARD to leave. But I am glad to be back, except for my roommate totally trashed the house and I'm going to have to clean it tomorrow while I'm on call. Rawr.
This turned out so so long! Bye!
