It was a nice Thanksgiving...and an uneventful 4 1/2 days off. Caught up on sleep, cleared a nice chunk off my DVR, did some reading, thought a lot about writing, (and wrote about 1/4 as much as I thought about it).
The most notable time was spent with one of the gang members, with whom I joined for actual Thanksgiving dinner...along with her boyfriend, mother, college friend and her ( the college friend's) boyfriend. It was a nice intimate group...and a perfect size for not being with my family.
(The other two Thanksgiving festivities I joined prior to Thursday had LOTS of people, few of which I knew. At both parties, I spent a great deal of time either 'ON' (where I pretty much ACTED like the coolest kid in the room) or observing, which is what I do most of the time...and where I tend to be most comfortable...well with new people.)
Being 'On' or being the Observer -- neither were the case at this Thanksgiving, as the crowd was small and the new people were few. I knew the two hosts and only had to get to know three new people (one of which was my friend's mom, which is usually easier). The other two were a little nerdy like me, so it was a seamless night of 'getting to know you.' Plus I was also splitting up my pre-dinner time helping in the kitchen and cooking my tasty fried mac-n-cheese to partner with my famous 'crack-bread' (both of which were a hit).
The meal itself was filled with great conversation and lots of laughter...a good mix for yummy goods...and reminded me of being at home (minus about 15 people). There was only one time where I intentionally changed the subject matter...
...The college friend asked "How did you get those wicked scars on your arm?"
This is how the rest of the conversation played out...
Host's Mom: (quietly whispered from across the table,) "Was that from a horse riding accident?"
Me: "No, but I did crack my sternum after a fall once, and didn't tell my parents about it until about two years later....blah, blah, blah" (True story)
Her Mom: "What???...blah, blah, blah..."
Host: "You hurt your arm by fighting ninjas right?"
Me: "Yes, and samurai...they put aside their differences and ganged up over a common foe (me)...(continue crazy, ridiculous, ad-libbed story).
My gang member (not surprisingly) also had my back, and I avoided answering the question all together. I don't mind talking about it...but during Thanksgiving dinner it can be quite the bummer. I would not be held responsible for killing the mood nor was I in any mood to endure the looks of 'pity' that inevitably come when ever I tell the story. I further insured the question would not come up again by distracting everyone and getting them totally immersed in my new favorite party game, Heads Up/Charades as played with my phone app.
All in all, it was a nice Thanksgiving...even if my family was 3,000 miles away.
