Giving Thanks and Thanksgiving.

The week has been a blur. At times I felt like Ray Milland in Lost Weekend - without the booze. Though I didn't leave the apartment for two days, I worked my widdow fingas to da bone.

Beaucoup loads of laundry, kitchen floor mopped, bathroom cleaned and floor mopped, prepped and ironed shirts & trousers for the work week, listened to music, and cooked up a storm. (I paid dearly for all the exertion.  My back and hands were in spasms for 2 days.) Never mind that.  Marinated pork loin was followed by a new recipe for beef pot roast I found for the crock pot.  Both were delicious.

The landlord sent over a workman on Wednesday to re-seal the inner wall of the bath enclosure and replace the old, broken toilet seat with one that I purchased earlier this month.  I felt guilty for not going out and about, but looking around the place - and all that was accomplished - it was a good investment of my time.  I sort of made up for that by taking a walk on the boardwalk this morning before work. Sort of, but not quite. Guilt dies hard.

Today (Thanksgiving day here in the US) was a busy, delightful, day at the restaurant. There was a special Thanksgiving Menu (turkey, stuffing, many vegetables, and a variety of desserts) for $14.00, plus the regular full menu was available for those not interested in turkey with all the trimmings.

This has been going on for 5 years now and it just seems to grow year after year.  Everyone chills out and relaxes while enjoying the company of their own group and those around them. After so many years, most already know one another, so it's almost like family - without the dysfunctionality.  By 4 pm today we had served over 200 diners and there were reservations for the rest of the evening, too.

I enjoyed a Grande (26 oz.) Margarita after my shift, then the boss sent me packing laden down with a huge package of food for my supper. Turkey, red-skin garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus, stuffing, a baked sweet potato, corn, brussel sprouts, and a huge chunk of apple pie. The package weighed at least 5 pounds! I couldn't eat even a tenth of that.

I had my fill and packaged the rest for later use. I counted my blessings and while there are fewer than last year, I chose to focus on those that I have, anyway.

Tomorrow is "Black Friday" (dun-tu-du-dun!) and previous years tell us that we'll be up to our eyeballs in  shopping bags, frustrated shoppers unsuccessful in their attempts to snag the door-buster deals they wanted.  The margaritas will flow, they'll tell their tales of woe, and laugh at the whole stupid experience.  They will also vow NOT to do it next year...but they will.

And the Sun will rise and the Moon will set, and you learn how to settle for what you get.  It'll all go on if we're here or not.  So who cares, so what? So, who cares, so what?

And so it goes.
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