Thanksgiving No. 1

Last year I flew home to see my family the weekend before Thanksgiving, and we ended up celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday a bit early since I was home. That early celebration worked so well last year (I loved avoiding the holiday travel!) that I decided to do it again this year. (It also coincides nicely with my father's birthday.)

Time with the family is wonderful on so many levels -- being able to catch up in person, my mother's home cooking, visiting my childhood haunts and favorite locales, running on one of my all time favorite routes, etc.

I also get to hibernate in "the dungeon."

My parents moved from the home in which they raised their children a few years ago into a home with a basement. (We didn't have a basement growing up.) The guest rooms in this house are located in the basement.

Every time I sleep in "my" guest room I awake having NO IDEA what time it is. It's literally like time stops when I am sleeping in that room, because it is so quiet and there is one teeny tiny little window which lets in no light -- hence, "the dungeon." I love it. I will never forget the time I had the luxury of not having to wake up for anything the following day and was horrified to discover I had slept for 15 hours.

This trip home proved to be no exception.

The day before I flew to Seattle I had been down in San Diego for work and was able to sneak in a quick visit with my sister and her family. I hadn't seen my niece in almost a year, so it was so much fun to see how much she has grown. That child is going to win a Nobel Prize someday, as she is smart as a whip. I can't wait to meet my nephew who is due to join the world in a few months.

It was fun to arrive in Seattle having just seen my sister and her family, as my camera was full of photos I could share with the rest of the family.

Friday I visited my brother at work and was able to say hello to many, many people I had not seen in years and years. I almost died when I walked into the office looking for my brother and all of a sudden this man with a gray afro popped up from behind a wall... my brother. Me: "What is up with your hair?!?!" Everyone laughed.

Saturday I had a two hour run, which was cut a bit short due to some serious rain. I love running in the rain and enjoyed the first hour of the relatively light rain, but about 1:30 into the run it started to downpour. I decided to abort my planned route and headed back towards the house, as my hands were frozen solid. It was so much fun, however, even in the rain, to run my 'usual' course and to realize that what used to be a really long run for me was now too short!

The weekend was fun, as was the first of my Thanksgiving celebrations. (I get to celebrate again on the actual holiday with friends at an "Orphan Thanksgiving." Can't wait!)

Last year at Thanksgiving dinner my niece discovered chocolate turkeys. There is a priceless photo from that dinner of my niece covered in chocolate after having consumed a chocolate turkey. This year she was onto the fact that as soon as everyone had finished their meal that she could have a chocolate turkey. I have never seen a child watch people eat so attentively, waiting for everyone to finish. She managed to not get quite as much chocolate on her face this year.

I am always sad when it is time to head home, but this year the sadness is mitigated by the fact that I will see most of my family for the Christmas holiday down in San Diego in just over a month. That fact made heading home a little bit easier.