Black Friday at Home (Away From Home)
Nov. 30th, 2024 09:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerThanksgiving '24 Travelog #12
Outside Harrisburg, PA - Fri, 29 Nov 2024, 11pm
Today is Black Friday and I've stayed home. I haven't gone shopping— either in brick-and-mortar stores or online from home. Though technically I'm not home. I'm 2,400 miles away at my inlaws'. But Hawk and I are here for 4 night, as we often do around Thanksgiving nowadays. Let's call it our home away from home.
I got up at a leisurely hour of 8 or 8:30 this morning, went downstairs for some breakfast, and chatted with MIL a bit as she was the only one up and about. She was busy in the kitchen, as usual. We keep offering to do things for her so she can take a break from doing all the food-related work, but she's happiest doing it herself. The kitchen is her happy place.
The plan had been for my sister and her family to come over from their hotel nearby to say goodbye— and have a rich, freshly cooked brunch— before starting their drive home to Savannah, Georgia. My sister was feeling ill, though, and didn't want a big meal or the pressures of long family goodbyes before hitting the road. Instead I drove over to their hotel and chatted with them in the lobby after they'd loaded their bags in the car.
After seeing them off I returned to the house and socialized with my inlaws, who were now all up. After a bit I went back up to my room to hibernate and do not-job work on my computer. Family is relaxing but also frustrating because it's the same three conversations over and over.
By midafternoon I felt tired from even hiding in our room so I took a nap. Hawk woke me in time for dinner. It was... kind of leftovers from the 60th anniversary dinner when we visited here three weeks ago! "Kind of" meaning it was chili made from the short ribs we ate back then. I understand there are even more short ribs awaiting Second Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night. 😟 Two things about my MIL are: 1) she cooks for no fewer than 40 so there are always lots of leftovers, and 2) leftovers are never thrown out; you will eat them until they're gone.
After dinner was more conversation with my inlaws, but again, the same three topics. There's definitely more we could talk about, things I know are pertinent to everyone present and not at all landmines like trying to talk politics with a MAGA person in the room, but no matter how many times I try to change the subject to one of these it gets changed back within 2 minutes.
Outside Harrisburg, PA - Fri, 29 Nov 2024, 11pm
Today is Black Friday and I've stayed home. I haven't gone shopping— either in brick-and-mortar stores or online from home. Though technically I'm not home. I'm 2,400 miles away at my inlaws'. But Hawk and I are here for 4 night, as we often do around Thanksgiving nowadays. Let's call it our home away from home.
I got up at a leisurely hour of 8 or 8:30 this morning, went downstairs for some breakfast, and chatted with MIL a bit as she was the only one up and about. She was busy in the kitchen, as usual. We keep offering to do things for her so she can take a break from doing all the food-related work, but she's happiest doing it herself. The kitchen is her happy place.
The plan had been for my sister and her family to come over from their hotel nearby to say goodbye— and have a rich, freshly cooked brunch— before starting their drive home to Savannah, Georgia. My sister was feeling ill, though, and didn't want a big meal or the pressures of long family goodbyes before hitting the road. Instead I drove over to their hotel and chatted with them in the lobby after they'd loaded their bags in the car.
After seeing them off I returned to the house and socialized with my inlaws, who were now all up. After a bit I went back up to my room to hibernate and do not-job work on my computer. Family is relaxing but also frustrating because it's the same three conversations over and over.
By midafternoon I felt tired from even hiding in our room so I took a nap. Hawk woke me in time for dinner. It was... kind of leftovers from the 60th anniversary dinner when we visited here three weeks ago! "Kind of" meaning it was chili made from the short ribs we ate back then. I understand there are even more short ribs awaiting Second Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night. 😟 Two things about my MIL are: 1) she cooks for no fewer than 40 so there are always lots of leftovers, and 2) leftovers are never thrown out; you will eat them until they're gone.
After dinner was more conversation with my inlaws, but again, the same three topics. There's definitely more we could talk about, things I know are pertinent to everyone present and not at all landmines like trying to talk politics with a MAGA person in the room, but no matter how many times I try to change the subject to one of these it gets changed back within 2 minutes.
