Thanksgiving 2008

11/27/2008

I'm back...2 days later, but I'm still back. It is about 11:45pm and I just woke up for the night. You try to tell me that I can sleep at night. I cried/depressed myself to sleep earlier but am awake a few hours later. I should be asleep still, darn it! Haha. I am snacking on post-thanksgiving food...turkey, cranberry sauce, rolls, and pie. I'm hungry, okay? Leave me alone! Haha. (By the way, I do feel better now.)

I'm burning off cd's for my cousin Shilo (Katie Melua and Diana Krall). She likes that jazz/blues sound like I do. I'm doing that from my laptop as I'm typing this on my grandparents' computer. And yes, they are more "modern" than most grandparents are, but not by much. Haha. My grandma doesn't even know how to turn the machine on. If I ever get an email from Grandma, I know that my Grandpa sent it. I helped set up both of their email accounts, by the way. I am not, in any form, a computer genius but I know enough to get by. The rest I try to figure out with common sense clues. The only reason they have a computer is because Grandpa's cousin, Dewey, had one and Grandpa didn't want to be left behind his cousin. Male pride and competition at its best. He'd deny it if you said anything though. He got it "for his business" at the time. Haha.

Sidenote: Who the heck names their kid, Dewey? Aren't they just inviting the chance for other kids to tease him due to his name? Just wondering...

So, how was all of you good people's Thanksgiving? I'm not talking to my comrades in Canada, by the way. I know your Thanksgiving was awhile back. I'm more learned than I look or act at times. Hehe.
I have had a good Thanksgiving. There was a bleak spot at the end of the day but I got over it. I am not going to talk about that. The way I see it, the day could have been more depressing. I could have been stuck in Joplin rather than being able to go home. I love my family. I confronted my cousin Josh. Let's just say he has turned into an alcoholic...even if he isn't addicted to the hooch, he sure gets drunk nearly every night. He was hung over at dinner tonight. I had no sympathy for him. He brought it upon himself. I waited until we were alone and I asked him if there was a reason he drank so much...point blank. He denied it but I have a sneaking suspicion that I know the source. He does not seem to be truly happy and looked uncomfortable being around my family today. That is not normal. He has always had a low self-esteem but hid it behind a gruff exterior. He has a very soft and easily bruised heart though. To put the situation out there quickly, there is a girl he has been in love with for years that merely plays with his head and heart...and has for years. He seems more unhappy than he has ever been (at least in my humble opinion). This is one of my closest cousins, in case you were all wanting to know. I did tell him that he could call me anytime if he ever needed to talk (no matter how much the situation creeps me out...long story that I don't want to think about, much less type). Even though I did not sympathize with his actions, I don't want him to feel alone in all of it. I worry about him a lot. I guess that shows I love him.

Enough about that. We had 18 people crammed into my grandparents' apartment. That was fun. Here is a list of people who were at the meal:
**Uncle George, Aunt Bertha, Emma and Thomas [It's amazing, Aunt Bertha actually showed up for a family gathering! Long story...]
**Monica and "Dot" (Alicia-pronounced AH-LEE-SEE-AH) [Layton was working...he's the dad]
**Aunt Kathy, Ted, Josh
**Shilo, Stan, Malachi, and Julia
**Grandma, Grandpa, myself
**Justin and his girlfriend, Summer

Shilo is still recovering from having 2 teeth surgically cut out. She is a wuss though so I'm sure it isn't as bad as she let on. She was pouting and looking for sympathy from my grandma and her mom. She got some...for a few minutes...then was told that even though they EMPATHIZE with her pain, they won't coddle her. Haha, that is my family for you. I inherited that attitude to a certain degree also. That is why, when I started feeling depression come over me, I retreated back into the guest room/sewing room (where I have been sleeping). I don't like subjecting others to my mood when I'm upset in any way. And no, I don't sleep on "pins and needles" just because it is partly a sewing room. Haha. I know, I'm smart-aleck.

I had great fun hanging out with my family. I didn't get to see my friends while in town. I didn't even try to see Courtney because she stays too busy to see me usually. Craig wasn't seen from neither hide or hair. That is normal because he is a social bee. Lela wasn't even in town. She had to work on Thanksgiving (up in the St. Louis, MO area). Finally, there was no way I could've gotten to where Kristina lives. She had a little girl on the 17th and then had her tubes tied. Thus, she is still recovering from surgery and labor...but mainly the surgery. She can't drive and can barely sit in a moving car due to where the seatbelt strap goes across her abdomen (her stitches are still in place). I was wanting to see her and her baby this trip but I understood and got over it. I did call her and talk to her though. I tried to go visit a former classmate of mine while in town. Jim (part of Kristina's ex-family via marriage, coincidentally) wasn't in the restaurant he now owns BOTH times I stopped by though. He has my number. It's all good. Haha. He married one of my good friends. She is a great girl and he is a good guy so it all works out.

I never did get up at the butt crack of dawn to go walking with my Grandpa the other morning. I'm not good with mornings, hehe. I will be leaving at that time though in the morning to head back to Joplin. I have to back be at work (during Black Friday) at 10am in the morning. They asked me what shift I wanted to work and I requested the night shift, but Noooo..., they totally ignore me and put me on day shift. I didn't want to have to rush back OR deal with most of the fall-out from Black Friday. They shouldn't have asked me if they weren't going to listen to me in the first place. I'm not saying that I logically know there is probably a reason they didn't heed what I said. I'm not their boss and I can't make my own hours...much to my chagrin at times, haha. That doesn't mean I have to like the fact that they asked me then ignored me. I hate it when people do that!

Well, I am going to get off of here and polish off the remaining cherry pie. I need to finish burning the last cd anyway. I was mulit-tasking by typing on here, burning the cd's, and eating. At least you know I have the venerable talent of multi-tasking. It might be the only talent I have too.

"And that is all she wrote"--Robyn