It's here - Thanksgiving week. Imagine me taking a deep breath, sitting up straight. Oh yeah, time to get ready for the holidaze. Oh yeah.
Navigating my way through Thanksgiving Day is always tricky. It's a day you're "supposed" to spend with family, children, partners, and parents, and because I have none of that (well I do have family, though they are all far-flung) the feng shui of the holiday points out to me, in no uncertain terms, what a freak I am. I'm single, have no kids. My parents are dead. Where does that leave me? Usually, in a Very Bad Mood. To make matters even more complicated, every part of the traditional Thanksgiving feast gives me a stomach ache. Even a saucerful of that food makes me stupid and as heavy as if I'd swallowed a block of sandstone. I'm physically miserable for hours afterwards. So you see, partaking of a regular Thanksgiving dinner is a completely unpleasant experience.
Getting through Thanksgiving day with my self-esteem intact is always a monumental challenge. Thanksgiving and me? We just don't get along.
But maybe this year will be different than usual. Believe it or not, I'm gearing up to enjoy not only the day itself but the entire four day weekend. I have a master plan that might actually work.
I'm taking all four days off from work, something I haven't done in many years. That in itself should help boost my mood. Usually I'm working like a dog while everyone else is relaxing. And I wonder that I tend to develop quite the attitude by the end of the weekend. Sheesh.
Also, I believe I have planned for just enough down time, just enough social obligation time, to make the weekend harmonious. Too much alone time (though I love being a hermit) does nothing except make me weird(er), but too much socializing is exhausting. I'm such an introvert. My plan is to balance one against the other.
Hugh Grant will be my patron saint of the weekend. I've ordered four of his films to have on hand Thanksgiving Day. I'm going to cook a nice piece of fish, make a salad and some rice, and watch heart-warming movies all day. That sounds just right.
Between now and then I will be working hard, something that should help keep me from worrying about money, another of my favorite holiday season preoccupations.
Enjoy Thanksgiving? It's such a novel idea. Will it work? We shall see!
24 comments:
which four grant films???? there is one about a theatre group with Alan Rickman in it that I liked...
let me guess
Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral,
The Englishman who went up a Hill, and
that one with Julianne Moore and Tom Arnold.
or it could be four other films--hmmm...he has done a lot.
"about a boy" was great.... and that big film with all the little stories...Liam Neeson and Keira Knightly are in it...it is Christmassy...
I like him.
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Love, Actually
About a Boy
Notting Hill
Love Actually is the only film I've seen all the way through. So ... should be fun. And Alan Rickman is in Love Actually - an extra bonus. I love Alan Rickman! That's Kiera Knightly? The vampy employee of Alan Rickman? Wow.
Or you could hop on a train and spend the day with me in Trenton.
What a grand plan -- I'd like to do that one day. For now, though, I'll try to hibernate on Sunday, after spending Friday and Saturday working. I've got my armor all prepared, and that lovely power glove, too!
Hey Reya! You can always join me (single, childless) and my four single, childless friends for dinner on Thursday! (Warning, though - we do partake of the traditional menu.) And of course you and I have our lunch on Saturday. We can wander and take some photos! Woo hoo!
I love Thanksgiving, so maybe I'll balance you out. :)
Ever seen "Maurice"? That's a little-known Hugh Grant movie that I loved when it came out years ago...
I fully understand the dilemma. Being a long-time contrarian with foolish sense of humor, I've got a tradition of going to Denny's for Thanksgiving dinner. It seems that most customers come in AFTER eating dinner at home: for coffee, desert, etc.
But walk in and ask for their (usually shortened) dinner menu and you can hear brains frying, minds shattering. Yes, dammit, yes. Gimme a menu. And order something mundane; a grilled cheese sandwich or something.
It usually infuses such a humor in the evening, it ends up being a fabulous time. Joyful, even.
As for the movies? Intangible House is a bit more on the drippy psychedelic escapism. The early 1970s animated feature Fantastic Planet just came out (again) on DVD. That's the ticket, after Denny's...... an idea...
Excellent plan, honey!
Rhys sends his love, and barks to the Golden Puppy.
I send love to you.
Stunning photos, and look—you still have lots of leafy color! We had snow this morning, so I think what is left of our color will be over.
How about adding in both Bridget Jone's Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason to your bevy of Hugh Grant films? He plays the bad boy part ... just caught it yesterday on TV.
I loved "About a Boy," great movie. Notting Hill would have been better without Julia Roberts. :)
I also have to admit to loving Thanksgiving. Tradition calls for watching "A Miracle on 34th Street" (the original with Natalie Wood) to get me in the mood for the upcoming season.
Fantastic Planet is out on DVD? Wow! I LOVED that movie, saw it several times. Wow.
Lynne, I'm wanting only feel-good Hugh Grant movies, and since he's a schmuck in the Bridget Jones movies, I decided against them.
Thanks for the invitation, Steve. So looking forward to seeing you Saturday!
Love to you, Pandora, Gary, and Jane!! Much love.
See? This holiday season is already so much better than last year. Yes!
p.s. Lynne! I want some snow! That would be great!!
How about yoga on Thanksgiving Day? There's a free class in your neighborhood that will put you in a fine mood to eat your fish and watch the marathon of Hugh Grant.
No yoga for me on Thanksgiving. But have fun!
I love Hugh even if he plays a schmuck or not. He has one of those puppy-adorable-I-can-forgive-you anything faces!
Colin FIrth on the other hand (and is there a correlation between his "mr. darcy" roles in both the Bridget movies and P&P?) He is always the "good guy," whereas Hugh seems to swing both ways: bad boy vs. good boy.
Enjoy your marathon!
Our snow is gone! It only exists in pics now ...
four days off & good movies... sounds like a plan for an enjoyable day. thanksgiving is just another day! ;)
hugh grant?
oh reya
ask king of reypod, i have banned even mention of his name, let alone a showing of any of his movies.....
happy thanksgiving though!
I've never really been a fan of Mr. Grant, but his movies are exactly what I need to get me through the day. Please forgive me?
oh....ok then
;0p
Does it help to know that I'm also very interested in watching Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman, who are in one or two of the films?
I love Alan Rickman, hope he isn't forbidden to visit Reypod!
Sounds like a fine weekend, but I'm with Pod on Hugh. I don't despise him but besides Maurice can't think of any of his movies I'd intentionally watch again. None of them are horrible, but none of them speak to me on any deep level.
Criterion dork that I am, I plan to watch much of Berlin Alexanderplatz and Under the Volcano. Two gorgeously dark films that lift my spirits.
alan is fine
emma can visit once, for a quick look around, as long as she doesn't speak
(have you seen 'stranger than fiction'?)
Stranger than Fiction? No I haven't seen it but I'll look into it.
Mr. Junk Thief, I am looking for some entertainment that will NOT speak to me on a deep level, hence the Hugh Grant film fest.
Watching Berlin Alexanderplatz again would make me want to plunge a dagger into my heart. What a sad, sad story. Yikes! I've seen all 10 hours of it, twice I believe. OMG, that's enough of that!
it's great. don't be put off by will ferrell or farell or whatever. it's really good. report back
x
Pod you're right about Hugh Grant! He's unctuous and sleazy, not charming at all.
For heaven's sake! I should always listen to you.
by all means go get a copy of 'stranger than fiction' - loved it - a bit of magic. until this movie, I'd say I wasn't really appreciative of will ferrell - j'adore emma thompson and will see anything and everything she's in and that's what led me to the flick.
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