Thanksgiving 2022

For Thanksgiving this year we dined at Coach's Pub and Grill. The verdict? The restaurant was way too loud to have a conversation, and the service (even given it was a crowded holiday) was below expectations. The food was good, but not spectacular.

 I don't regret going there, but I doubt we'll go back, at least for a holiday. 

You tell 'em Jeff!

You tell 'em Jeff!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Never Forget

40 years ago this very day  #NeverForget #OhTheHumanity

That's Sweet

Thanksgiving 2017

Thanksgiving brunch at Old Country Buffet went well - the food was unusually good, the place clean, the staff courteous. Alas, on the way in Lisa bumped someone and, not seeing her with her man, he started mouthing off. So I got in his face and twas a bit awkward. Equally awkward: when the kids bickered at the table I lost my cool and said I was abandoning the family and moving up north. That venting did not sit well with the mother-in-law. But percentage wise, both scenes were 06% of the meal, and overall it was a hit.

Thanksgiving dinner was at my parent's place.  They said to be there by 3 with mashed potatoes and deviled eggs (Lauren peeled 10lb of potatoes. LuLu mashed them and boiled the eggs). But I knew they run late,  so we arrived at four. Even so it was an additional two hour wait for the dinner (!) but to my surprise the kids largely got along and the wait passed peacefully and, in fact,  was rather relaxing and enjoyable.  Good vittles in the end too!

Two Toms!

 Aargh! We found another inflatable turkey in our basement, so we switched it out with the new one I foolishly bought last night.

Thanksgiving Tom!

We took Halloween Tigger down and put up a brand new Thanksgiving turkey!

Thanksgiving 2016

Thanksgiving 2016. All the fixings courtesy of JJ! (Lauren is playing a grumpy elf)

A noon dinner, the Macy's parade (recorded), the last quarter of the Minnesota-Detroit game, a long nap, then putting up the tree with Indy-Pittsburgh on the TV. We didn't get to visit family, given the nap, but otherwise a great Thanksgiving.

A Full Day

Yesterday Lisa and I went with Lu to visit my Mom in the hospital, only to find the rumor of her admittance was just that - a false rumor. So we went to visit Lisa's step-mom Louise in the care facility where she is recovering from a stroke. Lisa had arranged for a friend to come and professionally do Louise's nails. While that was going on I took Lu to visit at my Mom's to find out what was going on (good luck raising them on the phone). It was a nice, relaxing visit. Then, back to visit Louise. Then we stopped and visited my Great Aunt Mabel, who at 93 sometimes finds herself stuck in a happy scene from years past, but despite the lateness of the hour she was sharp as a tack and as always an impressive figure. A nice humble way to start the Thanksgiving holiday.

Thanksgiving 2014

Happy Thanksgiving guys, you rock c:  -Yaya

I went shopping this morning, largely to thumb my nose at all those "don't shop on Thanksgiving" memes. Dirty commies. ;) Happy Thanksgiving folks!

Be here no earlier than one, no later than two, we said. We eat promptly at two, we said. Now we're considering opening as a soup kitchen, since we have a ton of food and NO ONE has showed. #courtesy

Otherwise our meal was great (tho we could have cut our grocery list in half and been fine), the kids were oddly well behaved by #teamslap standards, and conversation was ample and friendly. #sucess #TurkeyDay

Happy Thanksgiving 2013

Went out to dinner with the in-laws, Lisa, and the two youngest - Lu was invited to a friend's celebration and YaYa was babysitting. Good food, good time and good company. Then it was home for a nap before hitting the stores for some early Black Friday deals. You don't like shopping on Thanksgiving? Move to Russia you commie scum. :)

Wal-Mart was busy but calm, but almost every advertised item was sold out by the time I entered the store. Unexpected deals on smaller items however, so it might be worth your time tonight. Walgreens slower than usual. K-Mart seemed busy but I didn't stop in. I have two people hitting Menards on my behalf at 6am. I'd ask for people here on FB to keep an eye out for deals on item X for Christmas, but since YaYa  is on FB now that avenue is closed lol

Thanksgiving Day 2012

Thanksgiving 2012 began with a quintessential cultural event: Lisa and the kids sat down to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on TV. 

[Ginger] excited to finally see Santa as we watch the Macy's parade on TV! - Facebook post

             On his own accord  [Smiley] came down for Thanksgiving lunch in clean jeans and a crisp white button down shirt, cuff-links and all. Looking sharp my man!  - Facebook Post

Last year we spent Thanksgiving at a buffet, and chronicled it here; it was a success, but there was enough of a downside (crowds, lack of ‘family time’ at the table, etc) that we didn't want to repeat that particular experiment. We still wanted to go out, but this time chose a laid back, lunch hour meal at a local Denny’s.

It went surprisingly well. While only I had turkey, the kids abided by my mandate that they avoid pizza and chose decent meals. The conversation was spirited and friendly, and it was generally just a feel good/warm and fuzzy day.  The weather co-operated too, and I think it was warmer on Thanksgiving than it had been on Easter!

Later, Lisa went off to work and I took the kids over to my parent’s place for dinner, where we enjoyed all the standard fixings. (Smiley, in an honest but overly blunt assessment, loudly declared the turkey “too dry” and refused to eat more than a bite).  I tried a first there that day: sweet potato pie. The verdict? Yum.

Afterwards, the kids were divvied up between the grandparent’s and I (gasp!) went shopping. 

Against my better judgement I went to Kmart for their pre-Black Friday deals. Got a couple nice things for the kids, but waited in line for well over an hour at the register.  - Facebook post

Before I  went to the store though I delivered some leftovers to my 91 year old Aunt Mabel, who I was pleased to see was in great health and spirits, but I screwed up; my Mom had given me two boxes, one with massive amounts of food for my family, and one with a dainty plate for Aunt Mabel. Guess which one I mistakenly left with her? :)

Once Lisa came home we had the night to ourselves. I don’t recall us doing anything special that evening (I think we simply began watching Season 1 of American Horror Story on Netflix)  but it was great to alone, just the two of us.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving tool!

Thanksgiving at Denny's

On his own accord Smiley came down for Thanksgiving lunch in clean jeans and a crisp white button down shirt, cuff-links and all. Looking sharp my man!

Junie excited to finally see Santa as we watch the Macy's parade on TV!

Against my better judgement I went to Kmart for their pre-Black Friday deals. Got a couple nice things for the kids, but waited in line for well over an hour at the register.

Thanksgiving 2011

This year work and whatnot ('whatnot' including family that didn't return our calls re: dinner plans) conspired against a traditional sit down dinner. So instead, after work, we hightailed it down to Kenosha, about a 40 minute ride, to dine at Golden Corral, an all you can eat buffet we'd noticed on a prior road trip.

The price, even while inflated for the holiday, was reasonable. For six people it was $54, far less than I would have paid for all the fixin's at home.

The place was packed, and we g0t there only an hour before it closed, but we were seated quickly and as a buffet the food was immediate. I stuck exclusively to dinner fare - meatloaf, potato, broccoli, roll, etc - while Lisa had a salad before hitting the dinner section.

The kids on the other hand . . . well, they ate some protein and some veggies at our insistence,

but mainly they just raided the dessert table. They were ecstatic over the sight of a chocolate fountain

Oh, and cotton candy. Did I mention they liked that?

We had a blast. Hey, I even impressed Lisa, stepping in and saying something to a couple who bullied their way into the restaurant as it closed. How rude - what, the staff doesn't deserve to go home and spend time with their own families?

I think we'll dine out again for the holiday, and maybe even at the Golden Corral!

The tail end of November 2010

Nov 24th

"Put a fish head up your butt" a chant the kids started while marching around the house this morning, after I told Smiley to "get your head outta your butt" and find his shoes.


My column will appear in the Thanksgiving edition of the Journal-Sentinel. Please buy a copy or read it online.My column will appear in the Thanksgiving edition of the Journal-Sentinel. Please buy a copy or read it online.

Nov 25th

If you want to shine, ya gotta polish

I just stayed up way too late to finish "Predators". I'll pay for it in the morning, but the film was a pleasant suprise. Very entertaining for an action sequel, esp one in a franchise I thought had been bled dry. Well worth a rental.

Went out to Thanksgiving lunch, returned to watch NO-DAL, now watching Taylor Swift on NBC. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving too.





Nov 26th

Saw an old Genesis concert video on 4.3. Without ? Phil Collins is the dorkiest, least sexy frontman in history.

Allow a man to keep his pride and you can be less worried about keeping your scalp when he's back on his feet

‎36.5 WMVT aka MPTV Jazz = one of the few reedeming graces of being limited to broadcast TV.

Gadzooks I'm tired, and I haven't even goneto work yet.

Nov 27th

I expected the worst from 'Robin Hood' but all in all it was impressive. Very little to do w/ the legend at all, tho they try to correct w/ a lame postscript. The streak holds; I've yet to see a bad Russell Crowe movie.

We're watching "Eat, Pray, Love" and it is torture. How can someone make a movie this rambling and dull and not hang their head in shame?

From one extreme to another: The Expendables was fun from start to finish. Ah, maybe w/ another cast it would have been a B movie, but w/ the Justice League of freakin' action heroes involved it was a hoot.

Nov 29th
"From Paris With Love" is a fun but mindless action romp, & John Travolta's character single handedly steals the show. At least he did until the 3rd act, when he stopped being a delightful maniac and got all serious. Boo to that :) Travolta alone was worth the rental fee.

Here's Smiley with many of the Home Depot project badges he's earned.



RIP Leslie Nielsen, age 84.

RIP Irvin Kershner (sp?), director of "Empire Strikes Back"

While I would normally relish this Administration looking the fool, I would never want it @ the expense of our nation. Those connected to the Wikleaks fiasco are willingly putting our standing & safety at risk. The source - Pfc Manning, IIRC - is a treasonous jacka** who deserves whatever we throw @ him.
Here's Lu over the summer at my friend Erv's house in IL

Some pics of YaYa at a bakery we visit while waiting for her dance class to begin


A grumpy Ginger:

YaYa is all pissy because I got angry when she took my phone & made a pic of the kids my wallpaper. Whatever. My kids are important to me, but they aren't my complete universe. I'm allowed to have snippets of a life unrelated to being a parent.
Nov 30th
I'vebeen up since 5:30 running errands. Time to sit down and enjoy Season 4 of Hell's Kitchen. Now F* off you donkeys!
After ~ 2 wks w/out the net, we're back online as of 6:47. I still say AT&T was doing what AT&T does best during the delay - give you half-ass service due to a near monopoly - but they have gone ahead and credited our account w/ 2 free months of service. It doesn't make up for the damage to my farm (crops withered, co-ops lost *sob*) but it's a start.
Today's Family Night: homemade fajitas we shared w/ friends, then Olivia off to skating w/ a buddy while the others watched 'The Sorceror's Apprentice' and I dealt w/ AT&T.