Thanksgiving 2012

Me (with the hoagie), my Mom and my brother Isaac - 1954

This Thanksgiving is almost over but for the shopping.  Looking out from the back of my house I can see the stream of headlights of shoppers headed down Route 1 to the Rehoboth Outlet Malls and WalMart, which are open tonight.  Are you kidding?  I wish I was but I'm not.  You won't see me there.

Bill and I spent a quiet Thanksgiving here at home.  That's the way we usually pass the holiday.  A long time ago I used to get caught up in the tradition of making a big Thanksgiving dinner but since Bill and I don't eat that much, most of the food goes to waste.  It's not that I don't enjoy Thanksgiving, I do.  But I just can't get up the enthusiasm and energy to go through all of THAT for Thanksgiving.

Places set  for Thanksgiving Guests - 2006

For many years my longtime friend Bob had all us single (and married) gay men over to his house for a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner.  That was very nice of him and his partner Jim.  Very popular too.  Usually there were at least a couple dozen attendees at the Gay Single Man's Annual Thanksgiving Dinner.

Two-turkey Thanksgiving Dinner - 2006

The last time I went was 2006 when these pictures were taken.  Since then I've either had to work at the hotel (I didn't this year) or was a guest at my friend Bill B's house in Pennsylvania.  

That's me on the bottom with the baboon expression on my face (what was I thinking?)

I don't remember the last time I cooked a Thanksgiving meal just for me and Bill at home.  probably back when we lived in Pennsauken, New Jersey and that was in the early Sixties. For many years we ate at my Mother's.

Ham and conversation among old friends was also served at the Children's Table

And I think that is the answer why I really don't "do" Thanksgiving anymore, reminds me too much of my Mother. Mom died in 2010.  She had stopped making Thanksgiving dinners about four years before she died, when her mental capacities declined.  My friends Jim and Bob no longer do Thanksgiving dinners.  Without going into a lot of detail and protecting their privacy, they also have mental issues.  They can't handle it.  They can hardly handle their own lives which is a drama I am dealing with now.  

Hang on the good times guys, never know when it's going away - 2006

So folks, feeling just a little melancholy today. Not too bad but just a tinge of sadness.  

Not to veer too far off the subject.  Remember my "leg issue" of yesterday?  I hardly got any sleep last night, the pain was that excruciating.  Not as bad as passing a kidney stone but still the kind of pain that just wouldn't go away.  There was no position I could get in to alleviate the pain.  God, it was awful.  I finally fell asleep a few time but woke up early twisted and bent in pain.

I hobbled out to Bill (who always gets up at 4 am) with my cane.  He urged me to take a stronger pain killer.  Reluctantly I took one of his Excedrin Migrane pills, the ones they had off the market for a while because they wreck havoc with your stomach and invalidate your liver if you get hooked on them.  Well guess what folks?  It worked.  I've been pain free all day.  Stiff but pain-free.  Sort of like a Mitt Romney.  

Those pain pills only last twelve hours so I'll take one before I drift off to dreamland tonight.  I'm not going into work tomorrow or Saturday night, I have to take it easy on my leg, give it time to heal.  I think I'll be able to go into work on Sunday night though, albeit with my new "buddy", The Cane.  HERE COMES THE OLD MAN. 

I'm starting to ramble here folks so bear with me. As I said before, today was a beautiful, fall, crisp day here in southern Delaware.  A perfect day to get a head start on those Christmas decorations.  I didn't feel that either today folks.  I doubt if I will.  Christmas wasn't a big deal in our home so I don't get as sad about missing my Mother during that holiday as I do Thanksgiving.  I think why Thanksgiving always holds a special place in my heart was that was the first time I introduced My Bill to my parents after a year of two of estrangement with them after I came out.  Of course they loved Bill once they met him.  There were even times I suspected they liked Bill more than me. 

In closing (finally), I hope everyone who reads this blog had a wonderful Thanksgiving with their friends, family and loved ones including their faithful "kids", the critters (dogs and cats).  

Mom with her "friend" Rusty - a feral cat who got lucky