Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thanksgiving Traditions

I've been thinking lately about what my Thanksgiving traditions are, in addition to the traditional traditions like turkey, pumpkin pie, and football. There are a few things that I tend to do, not necessarily every year, but are nice ways to enjoy the holiday.

1. Go to a Movie or Concert on "Thanksgiving Eve"

I like taking advantage of not having work or school the next day by going out somewhere I don't normally on a Wednesday. I remember seeing the Comedian at the Parkway in Oakland one year and a couple years ago I saw a show at the 930 club in DC. This year I tried to reinstate it by rallying friends to join me for a Prince vs. Michael Jackson DJ Dance Party. I called the place and everything to find out all the details, but when we showed up, it turned out to be teen night! I guess they either neglected to tell me it was a dance party for high schoolers or they assumed I was one. We ended up going out elsewhere and had a great time, but the whole teen night thing gave me a good chuckle.

2. Big Turkey Day Work-out Thursday Morning

It's always fun to go out and do something active before sitting down to eat, eat, and eat some more. I did the Turkey Trot in DC once and did a big 3 hour cardio-sculpt class in Berkeley a few times. This morning I did the "Turkey Burn" at the YMCA - 30 minutes of step, 30 minutes of step-n-sculpt, 30 minutes of Zumba, and 30 minutes of yoga. I'm glad Zumba was part of it - it's a work-out based on Latin dance moves and is my latest fitness obsession (that and hula-hooping). The yoga was nice at the end too... I may or may not need a nap before heading out for my Thanksgiving plans.

3. Get Obsessed with a New TV Show

Having time off work when it's cold outside is such a good time to cuddle up with some DVDs. It was two years ago Thanksgiving weekend that I curled up and watched seasons 1 and 2 of The Office - best Thanksgiving ever!!! This year I have the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It has a major cult following and 7 seasons. Hopefully I won't get so hooked that I'll be chained to the couch until Christmas.

4. Be Thankful

Ok, this is obviously a traditional one, but a good one. This time last year I was thankful because I was finally offered a job after a long search. This year I'm thankful that I took the leap and moved to Denver to take the job because I have truly had a wonderful year here. I'm really thankful to have a job period, not to mention one that I really like. While it may not last, I have it now, and I'm thankful for it now. When I was waiting for the bus yesterday, a woman came up to me and commented on the bag I was carrying, which has lots of inspirational quotes. I said that my favorite was, "Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks." She mentioned that both Donald Trump and Walt Disney both declared bankruptcy multiple times, which I had never heard. Then she said that this time last year she was homeless and talked about how grateful she was that she had managed to get back on her feet. Aww.


I'm spending Thanksgiving dinner with some relatives in the area that have a ranch with donkeys and llamas. I'll report back on whether the llamas spit. When I offered to bring something, I assumed I would get the young single girl exemption--"Oh, no don't worry, there will be too much anyway"--so I could just show up with a bottle of wine. But, I found out last minute that they wanted me to bring a side dish. I braved the Wednesday crowds at Whole Food, which actually weren't that bad. The employees kept making weird jokes about what they like to eat for Thanksgiving dinner in an attempt to keep up shopper morale. I really wanted to make something in my new Crock Pot. So, I looked at the holiday section of the Year of CrockPotting Blog and found this recipe for sweet potatoes. It's crocking away as we speak.

Happy Thanksgiving!