The Morning After...

Thanksgiving Day was nice. Different, but nice. Just the two of us.

Tom's parents opted to stay home and partake in the Thanksgiving buffet at the retirement center where they live, which probably consisted of something along the lines of pressed and formed sliced turkey floating in some sort of brownish liquid that passes for gravy, instant mashed potatoes and the compulsory fried-till-it's-dried chicken.

We roasted a small turkey with stuffing, real mashed potatoes, the best gravy in the world made by 'mwah' and fresh green beans, for dessert an apple crisp with no-sugar-low-fat (I know, what's the point) ice cream.

So far today I have not started my usual holiday funk, which routinely begins on Thanksgiving Day and exits my consciousness the day after Christmas. Or maybe I just can't tell because I've been so depressed lately that my mood just hasn't changed. Either way, I am grateful for not taking the emotional dive.

Today is Black Friday, when people act like insatiable animals devouring an animal carcass too small to feed everyone, only it's stuff they devour. I went shopping once on Black Friday...just once. I thought it would put me in the spirit. Within an hour I was so sick of the greedy people pushing and shoving I wanted to slap someone. I've stayed home on Black Friday ever since.

Tom went to the shop to finish up an Advent candle holder he made for our church, but he had to go to Hancock Fabrics first to get some nice cording to wrap around the bottom of each of the candle holders. I guess I should have reminded him that it was Black Friday because he wasn't prepared to stand with a mere 2-yards of decorative cording in a single checkout line with about 100 women with baskets over-flowing with bolts of fabric and other notions.

His rant went something like this: If you ever let me do this again!!....Jesus, at least a hundred women....Should have known when I saw the sign outside that said, "Everything 75% Off"....Women had baskets full of stuff....Two lines, one for cutting, one for checking out....They don't even know what they want...."How much is this? $2.99 a yard? No, I don't want that. How much is this? $.99 a yard? I want ONE yard of this....Isn't there anyone else checking out???

But, it's over now and the Advent candle holder is done...

So now he's relaxing, watching a movie. A few minutes ago, he came into the office where I am writing and asked me if I wanted him to close the door because he is going to watch the movie he rented, The Expendables.

ME: Why? Is it a loud movie?
TOM: Well...it's an explosion movie.
ME: Yes, please.

I guess there's nothing better to soothe frazzled nerves than watching Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren blow shit up.