thanksgiving is over and i have officially gained 15 lbs - ok, 20lbs but no more than that. it was great having thanksgiving with friends (i conseider my wife and child friends) - and the best part, no drama this year - that's right, no drama - no kid brother standing in the middle of the livingroom in "booty-shorts" proclaiming he is gay and freaking out my grandfather, no neices hiding in the bathroom crying because they just found out their "boy friend" of three days is "cheating," no sisters pulling out her soap box and proclaiming we are all going to fry in hell because we don't belong to her church, no mother complaining about everything under the sun and then complaining about her health - and blaming it all on her kids, no grandmother wanting to show her latest operation scars to the kid my neice brought over (he's 11), no brothers fighting over who gets the drum stick (five brothers, 2 drumsticks - you do the math), no aunt telling us how all this food will clog out viens and cause us to all have triple-by-pass "just like uncle carl," no uncle carl (the by-pass did not take).

it was great - friends, good food, good wine (lots of good wine). now on to christmas - my sister invited us over, what i need now is a good excuse not to go - i was thinking "rapture" - but her church believes they will be the only ones going - wait....how can i make a church of 50 dissapear in three weeks? hummmmmmm.