Life On The Other Side

Yesterday was quite lovely here in North Carolina and just right for having an early afternoon Thanksgiving meal. We ate our fill around 2 p.m. after a morning of watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and a couple of football games. Since I had spent most of the morning on my feet, I took a leisure two hour nap no doubt with the help of that tasty turkey. In fact, everyone fell victim to the turkey coma and we all got up in the early evening rested. That was followed by a second round of turkey but with a lot less of everything else since we made some sandwiches instead. A wonderful and relaxing first Thanksgiving with my new husband and in-laws. Today was followed with a little more turkey and a lot to drama due to a little accident my father-in-law experienced this morning. But he is doing well and patched up rather neatly.

I can’t believe we are now on the way to Christmas. We haven’t done much shopping yet though I did get a few gifts out of the way already. But the list is still long and we will need to plan our strategy in the coming weeks. I tend not to spend too much time in the malls or out shopping if I can help it. Sometimes it’s more convenient to shop via the Internet and there have been years that I’ve done that. I guess I better get my list together and figure out who’s been naughty (the hubs) and who’s been nice…

I was feeling a bit blue at the beginning of this week knowing that my family is where they always are this time of the year and I am not there. In addition to missing my family, I miss my friends too. They were all wondering if I would be coming out and unfortunately I wasn’t able to make it. I know they understand and I know my family understands but sometimes my own emotional self doesn’t understand. Despite my slight case of the blues, I am thankful for so many things… my wonderful hubby who continues to be the most patient and understanding man in the world (I am truly a lucky woman); my mom for being my mom and my friend; my brother for being there when I need him the most but for not being a “big brother” in my new life as a married woman; my new family (the in-laws) for being just as wonderful as my own family; my aunt and uncle for being like a second set of parents to me; my close close friends (B&W, R&R, J) who are more like family than just friends; and my other close friends (too many to note) who continue to be around even when too much time passes by between calls, letters, or visits. Oh and I can’t forget the one person who has seen in all in the last 10 years or so, yeah, the cat. She’s been my constant companion through the good times and the bad times. She may be a bit grouchy at times but she’s really very sweet. There are a couple of other things I am thankful for that I will soon reveal in the coming weeks. Life is pretty good around here. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving readers!

The hubby knows he cannot come home with a ribbon-tied box and expect me to look at it the next month without intense curiosity. Ever since we’ve known each other, he knows how much I cannot stand surprises especially being “teased” about them. Last night during his dinner break from work, he brings home a red box with a white ribbon and tells me it’s a Christmas present. Of course I am so curious that I practically “beg” him to tell me what this present is. It doesn’t take long for him to breakdown and let me open the present. Inside the box I find two charms for a tag bracelet that he gave me as a birthday gift. The charms are a sterling silver Buddha and a pair of, well I can’t really say at this moment but soon. It was a delightful gift and a charming addition to my bracelet. Personally I think he was just as excited to see me open the gift even though he wanted to torture me with it.

When I was living in Las Vegas, my family (my mom, aunt & uncle, and a couple of other relatives) would all roll into town during Thanksgiving week. Of course, sometimes I thought they came to visit the slot machines more than they visited me but it wasn’t really true. They knew I was working a lot and this was their way of spending time with me. While some people might find it tiring to spend time with these seniors, I always enjoyed my time with them. My mom is 40 years older than I am and the youngest of the group so you can guess that the others range from a couple years or more older than her. I enjoyed my time being around them and essentially being their “guide” or “chauffer.” I also knew that someday we wouldn’t have times like these because of their advancing ages. After the last five or so years of spending Thanksgiving with them in Vegas, I won’t be doing that this year. Yes, they will all be there but I will remain in my new home in North Carolina and spending the time with my new husband and in-laws. I don’t mind the changes but I do miss my family. Certain circumstances prevented me from making plans ahead of time to meet them there. But marriage brings about new changes and new routines. It’ll be nice to have the in-laws visiting and I always have a wonderful time with them. I’m sure the hubby is happy that I’ll be around too. He’s been working a lot and the mad rush of the season hasn’t even started. Perhaps we will think about getting away after the new year when things calm down a bit.

Unlike last weekend, the hubby and I stayed close to home this weekend. Yes, we did do a few things like go and see the movie “Serenity,” pick up a baby gift for his friends who are having a baby in December, attended an after Halloween “Halloween Party,” and eat out a few times including at the Waa-Hoo. If you’re not from the South or have visited this part of the U.S., then you probably aren’t familiar with Waffle House. There are tons of Waffle Houses in each city, town and the such up and down the interstate in the South (though in looking at the Waffle House website, there are some in other parts of the U.S.).

I was introduced to the Waffle House during my first visit to the South last year. It’s a small diner (and I do mean small) that specializes in breakfast though you can get other sandwiches and the such. Don’t expect a large menu or one with a lot of choices. But the service is fast (and generally good) and the food is good (and cheap). They cook right out in the open and it isn’t typical where the waitress will hang up the order on a rack. Nope, they read it off to the cook(s) who can remember exactly what to make. It is rather rare that they will bring you an order that is wrong. What’s also fun is listening to them call off the orders because they use their own special language that I can’t even explain. There’s also fun in ordering if you get the lingo down right and mostly when orderng hashbrown. My hashbrown order is usually “scattered, covered and capped.” Which means I want a loose hashbrown (not a patty) with cheese and mushrooms. You can also get them other ways for which I can’t remember how to say it. And they do serve waffles if you’re wondering. If you’re wondering more about the Waa-Hoo as most locals here call them, you can check out their website at www.wafflehouse.com.

Seems like the entries here are far and few in between. I am sorry for that and will try to be a little better this month. Well Halloween came and went without much whoop-de-do for us. We got a pumpkin to carve that has yet to see the glint of a knife and a bowl of candy that remains full sans a few pieces given out to some older trick-or-treaters. It’s difficult when you live in an apartment complex because of the turnover in residents. There is no established neighborhood to speak of and people don’t know one another. I have only met one of my neighbors who is an older woman that has been consistently gone over the last couple of months. Everyone else keeps to their own business like we do.

I have noticed that some of the trees are aflame with color now. We don’t get it as much here as you would in the mountains but we do get our share of the autumn colors. What a truly beautiful sight to see the reds and oranges of the leaves. I must remember to take a walk and pick some up to keep as well as take some pictures.

Today the hubby is 38 years old. I think he had a great birthday this year. We visited with his parents and his brother and sis-in-law over the weekend down in Georgia where all of us went out to dinner. Got got some gifts and even one from our cat (grin). Last night he and I went out to dinner since tonight he is at work and also had cake when we came home. He certainly doesn’t look a day over 30 and I suspect it will be many years before his looks ever catch up to his age. This morning he was reminiscing about his birthdays over the last couple of years and the wonderful things it has brought. Two years ago we “met” for the first time and who would have thought that one year ago we would be engaged at this time. This year, well, that particular wonderful thing cannot be talked about. I know the hubs feels like he is a lucky man.