Thanksgiving & Black Friday

[ashenflowers 5]

Happy Thanksgiving, at the weirdest time of the year, to all of you on the south side of the border!! I still prefer Thanksgiving as a harvest/fall intro near the start of October, but maybe that's just me.

I've returned to college since moving to the U.S. and many of my classmates are returning 'home' to visit their families over the holiday. I of course can not, so it's really bumming me out. I haven't been there since last Christmas, and I won't be able to go again until next summer, and even that is doubtful. So, I'm trying to fight off the loneliness and homesickness this week/weekend.

I had wanted to go Black Friday shopping, but unfortunately had to unexpectedly dump several hundred dollars into my car this morning, so that took out any shopping budget... so I'm a bit bummed about that as well.

So, in short, since my weekend is shaping up to be shitacular, I wanted to hear everyone else's plans and live vicariously through all of you!! Discuss.

[raymaga 25]

My husband and I will be spending Thanksgiving with my husband's daughter (who lives near us), my daughter (who is here from college) and my son from Canada. We are having beef tenderloin and lobster for dinner. It's is my daughter's 24th birthday on Thanksgiving, so it will be a dual celebration.

Sorry to hear that you can't go "home" until next summer. I only live 3 1/2 hours from my family and friends in Canada, so we can travel back and forth to Canada on weekends if we want.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!!!!

[Sam and Ben 2]

I'm sorry to hear about the money on the vehicle. Like you, I haven't been home since just after Christmas, and it's hard to say when I'll get a chance to head back, due to blackout dates on vacations at work and tight budgets while buying a home.

I'm happy to have the day today to spend with my in-laws and hubby, but honestly, all of this Black Friday craziness overshadows a lot. Been working twelve hour days at work just to prep for it, and couldn't help but shake my head at all of the people already lining up outside when I left work on Tuesday, let alone how many people were waiting when I left last night.

So today will be my turkey and try-catch0-my-breath day before the gloom.

I hope you at least get to enjoy your time off.

And Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Not going to be a great Thanksgiving for us, sadly. My wife just had oral surgery yesterday, which required three tooth extractions, a root canal and periodontal scaling. She was at the dentist for five hours. Needless to say, she can barely open her mouth, let alone chew solid food.

PLUS, she has to work tomorrow and Sunday...up in Richmond, which is about an hour and a half from here. One of the downsides to working in the performing arts (sorta like retail) is that holidays are always a busy time for work.

We're new to the area, so don't have any friends to hang out with. Her family lives in Buffalo, so that was never a possibility. So it's just the two of us this year!

[frankielove 5]

Since we just got married in August and are still waiting for his work visa, we're also laying low this year and not traveling. We'll be dining with friends. I have an early flight Sunday to go to a job interview out of state. It's both good and bad timing- he's not fully settled here and we may be moving across country. On the positive side it's a great opportunity and he would be much closer to Canada and the climate he is used to...even though it is the opposite side of the country.

They are always looking for people to volunteer to serve the Thanksgiving meal at shelters, plus there may be parades and inexpensive activities around town. Maybe one of those would help lift your spirits in your new location? Might also help you make some friends.

[SapphireDreams 71]

We've started the tradition of cooking thanksgiving at our apartment for our inlaws and my SIL who is back from college. It's a nice low key day and we love to cook.

Tomorrow I actually have a couple of friends in NYC for a shopping weekend, so I'm going to go see them for breakfast and some shopping. Looking forward to that. It's nice that being in NYC, I get a lot of random visitors here for a visit (but not staying with me!).

Then in Fridays we have a tradition that we do a leftovers dinner with our friends.

Saturday we're leaving on a cruise for a week. We love to cruise and have been planning this since the summer so I'm very excited!!!

I had a really crappy last few weeks of work - SO BUSY - and I'm working on a really challenging campaign and my clients are just really difficult so I'm looking forward to the week off!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

We're doing a low-key Thanksgiving as well. Instead of cooking this year we are just going to go out to a restaurant for a Thanksgiving dinner. Life has been very hectic for both of us lately - Joe with work, and me with the death of my father a few weeks ago and dealing with all of the stuff for the estate and for probate so it will be nice just to let someone else do the cooking and cleaning.

We've looked at some ads for Black Friday - we normally avoid it like the plague - but there are two things Joe wants to check out at Costco and Barnes & Noble so I guess we will brave the crowds a little bit later on in the day. Joe is off on holidays next week (he seldom gets a chance to take any of his holidays because work is so busy) so we're going to take a few days to go off and enjoy ourselves in North Carolina. The cats are going to start to think that the cat sitter is part of the family .

Ashen, I'm sorry to hear about the car. That sucks. I hope you are able to enjoy Thanksgiving all the same. What are you studying?

(Oh, and I agree that Thanksgiving is a harvest feast - but harvest time is somewhat later here in the south than in the north, so it 'almost' fits. Two weeks ago would have been more 'harvesty' here.)

Edited November 24, 2011 by Kathryn41

[ashenflowers 5]

Sam,

I hope you're able to get back up home sooner rather than later Sam. The Black Friday business is RIDICULOUS! I saw ads for Macy's being open at midnight, and Sears at 4am!? That's just silly. I feel for the retail folks. I hope it goes smoothly!

Wyatt,

Wow, back to work so quickly after all of that!? That's crazy! I hope it all goes well for her too!! You'll have to make the Christmas meal extra special!

frankie, that's a good idea about check in the activities around town. I have a work meeting Sunday morning, and an essay to write this weekend though, so I'm not sure I'll be getting much fun time. I am going to try to see if one of my local good acquaintances/friends wants to go out for a bit on Saturday though. That will help.

Sapphire, those are great traditions! I think you should make the cruise a tradition too... haha Have fun!!

Kathryn,

Good luck with your BF shopping! I'm glad you have some holiday time to spend together. You deserve that!

I'm studying Film Production. It's a lot of work, but the fun kind. I'm hoping it leads to something long term, and I've made some good connections already and found a project to work on outside of school, which has been creatively very exciting... but honestly I'm just pretty pumped that I'm doing this at all. I've wanted to go back to school for about 4 years, and working in film is something that I've always wanted to pursue for as long as I can remember, but never had the opportunity to do so in Southwestern Ontario of course. California is another story. Once I got here, and started looking around and realizing it was possible, I went for it. I even qualified for some very helpful financial aid since our situation last year was so crappy... haha! Go figure.

If I could put in a shameless plug here ( lol, hope that's ok ), this is the teaser to the film I've been working on for school. I'm one of the producers. http://vimeo.com/32158238

My apartment was turned into a fake meth lab for a night as part of this, and my car became an undercover cop car... hahaha

Edited November 24, 2011 by ashenflowers

[SapphireDreams 71]

^^ Ashen that is soo awesome!! film production sounds really cool and I'm glad you're going after it! It's crazy how the opportunities in this country are a lot different than back in Canada. Don't get me wrong, I love Canada, but there are a lot of really cool advantages to living here to. Esp. in Cali! So glad you are enjoying it.

[CDAgirlMI 51]

We had my in-laws & husband's cousin/wife over for Thanksgiving dinner tonight.

Sooooo much preparation that started yesterday, but now that its over & done with, I can relax

But I do have to let out one of my major pet peeves....I can't stand people who walk around our house with their facking shoes on!!! WE DON'T...WHY DO YOU?!?!?! Part of the preparation was cleaning this house spotless, only to have shoes walk all over the place(some of it's carpet too).

Anyways, hope everyone else had a nice day

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Ok, - I have to share this . As I mentioned above we planned to go out for Thanksgiving dinner which we did (and it was very nice - we overate!). On the way back home we passed a shopping mall. It was about 3:30 in the afternoon. Ok, I can see people wanting to line up at Best Buy in order to get the first places in line for their Black Friday specials - and there were people. The line stretched about half a block with tents and chairs and people playing guitars and listening to music and reading and things like that. But at the other end of the mall there was another line up - shorter - only about 12 people - but Geeze Louise - they were lined up in front of Target!!! Come on, people, Target? It's going down into the 30s here tonight as well so its not going to be a pleasant wait.

[lgg 2]

Ashen!

Hey there! I agree -- I prefer our version of Thanksgiving but, I do have to admit, I do love hanging out with the hugeness that is my husband's family -- we had a blast yesterday. I am so warming up the US way of doing thanksgiving. Laughs, Games. Football and an great meal.

Im not a huge fan of the shopping, Black Friday thing. I mean, it all seems kind of gimmicky to me and I am NOT getting up early to drag my butt to Khol's you know? Or Macy's or wherever. I'm not. I do all my shopping on line and that's it, that's all! I'm sorry though that your car impeded your BF shopping, that SUCKS !

Wyatt... I'm SO sorry to hear about your wife -- that sounds absolutely brutal -- and to have to go back to work so soon -- she's a real trooper, I'd be beside myself with belligerence.

Hope you all had a great day. Nice to see so many of us back on the boards.

[lgg 2]

I totally agree with this 100%! BUT, I am living in fear of the American economy collapsing. I can't tell if it's really that bad OR if I'm just an ignorant foreigner.

Also? If it makes anyone feel any better? I am at work today -- Black Friday. And yes... it' is 7:30am.

^^ Ashen that is soo awesome!! film production sounds really cool and I'm glad you're going after it! It's crazy how the opportunities in this country are a lot different than back in Canada. Don't get me wrong, I love Canada, but there are a lot of really cool advantages to living here to. Esp. in Cali! So glad you are enjoying it.

[cdneh 3,112]

I don't understand why people would get into a physical fight over a $@ waffle maker.

[Ban Hammer 13,110]

i shop online to avoid crowds.