T Day

The Ds slept until about 1030, sharing a bed like they did for many years. When D1 was in kindergarter, they handed her a paper that said "draw your favorite thing to sleep with." She drew herself and a smaller version of a little girl -- her sister. We have the drawing up in our kitchen. We headed to Key Biscayne, and the fairy land of the Ritz Carlton. There was a last minute addition to our group -- my old, dear friend Vince and his kids Ashley and Tyler. They were going to spend the day by themselves, and came along. We all sat a table, toasted our blessings with Prosecco and OJ, and then headed to the 14! tables of buffet. We ate like kings of several different countries -- turkey, of course, and roast beef, but also shrimp, lobster, sushi, oysters, eggs -- just about any delicious food you could name. And for dessert there were mouses, if that's the plural, and pumkin pies and pecan pies, and apple pies. If the symbol of Thanksgiving is the horn of plenty -- we shared in the Tuba of plenty. We walked outside, and took photos, and then Tyler and Ashley left for their maternal grandmother's house. Vince joined us for a short walk along the beach, and then some lounging on patio furniture by the pool. The Ds and Wifey lapsed into food comas, but awoke for some lovely conversation about days past and still to come. Vince had a rough year, but is emerging very happy and well --thankfully. We met as kids -- I was 18 and he was 20 -- and we're savoring this time of our lives, as our children grow and grow nearer, hopefully, to finally leaving the payroll... We walked through the hotel, and I showed Vince the bar. It may be the prettiest small drinking space in Miami -- deep wood panels, but with tropical fans. It's like an updated British Colonial Carribbean dream. Vince fetched his new white Porsche, and motored off. We got into the embarrasing 7 year old SUV and putted away... Next stop -- the Olds. My father in law heartily rejected the flat screen tv Wifey had thought he should have. Wifey means well, but is still on the learning curve about treating our aged parents differently -- they CRAVE little change in their lives. I schlepped the tv back to the car, and D1 and I went to fetch my Mom -- the plan was to meet at the gazebo and enjoy the cool, Thanksgiving sunset together. Nope -- Mom had had a "very busy day," and so wanted to stay in bed. Wifey, her Dad, and D2 wheeled over to Mom's room instead. Mom was having a mostly out of it afternoon, but she did make us all nearly pee in our pants with her commentary. She loves the food at Miami Jewish , saying "They feed you here like you're going to die!" And then, "I've never seen so many fat nurses --with big asses and huge tits!" Then she asked us where she left her cigarette, lest it cause a fire. She last smoked 21 years ago... We left, and drove through the mostly quiet streets of Little Haiti and the Design District, full with food and smiling from Grandma Sunny -isms... We arrived at home, and Elizabeth joined us. She had T Day dinner with her sister and her sister's friends. She came in desperately needing a few glasses of wine. We all sat and enjoyed each other's company, as D2 and I searched online for "Book of Mormon" tickets. D1 and Wifey are flying to Atlanta for Christmas Day -- D1 to spend some time with her boyfriend's family, and Wifey to spend a few days with her best friend Edna. So D2 and I decided we weren't chopped liver, and we'd decamp to NYC for a few days away, too. Although I saw BOM, I'll happily see it again -- assuming we can find tickets that cost less than a European cruise. So far, we can't. So, Thanksgiving turned out to be like the Go Gos "Vacation" song -- all we could have asked for, and even more.