The Day After Thanksgiving

What a crazy day. Up at 4am to join the throng of ravenous shoppers packed like salty, sweaty sardines at the local mall? I don't think so. I have a will to live; a will to live sanely...and lazily. Because that's what Thanksgiving is all about: eating a lot of food and then doing nothing for the rest of the long weekend.

Okay, so I'm doing SOMETHING by cleaning up and organizing the apartment. But have I set one foot out of here since last night? Nope, and it's lovely. The snow has been lightly falling since way before we woke up at the crack of noon, which means plenty of shoveling tonight. Maybe we'll think of leaving to bring the mail to the box a couple blocks away sometime before 4pm. I'm SO not sorry I didn't go to GB this weekend. I'd have been driving in snow and arriving there just to leave two days later, probably to have missed all Thanksgiving except the leftovers.

Besides, I just saw my parents a couple weekends ago when they carpooled with Tricia's parents to visit us. That was pretty sweet. I'm getting downright spoiled. My parents have visited twice in the last six months--that's unprecidented since I moved west (even to college in EC). Highlights from the visit?

*Fresh deli sandwiches from the best deli in town: Neson's Cheese Factory and Deli.

*Walking to the Como Park Conservatory and Zoo to see myriad flora and fauna. Various flora and fauna shown below:

*Cooking up a storm with Tricia to create a meal made in heaven for our parents. First course: summer sausage, cheddar cheese, various crackers, and plenty of beverages. Second course: tortellini soup with saltine crackers. Third course: homemade chicken pot pie with hot rolls on the side. Final course: "tunnel of fudge" bunt cake (more like pure fudge brownie that only looks like a cake) topped with real whipped cream.

*Playing my newest favorite card game called "I Goofed" with the whole gang.

*Swimming and relaxing at the Holiday Inn...the hot tub was soooo nice and hot.

*Shopping at the gigantic and over-zealously modernized and decorated Menards.

*Double-deckeroni pizza at Old Chicago. Who would have thought hot sauce was the ultimate pizza topping?

And now, two weeks later, Chris and I are contemplating our next household enterprise. Put up the plastic window coverings or clean so we can put up the Christmas tree? Or just futz around like we've been doing the last couple hours? Hm...tough choice.