Thanksgiving Spent Alone

I know there are a lot of people that think spending a “big” holiday all by one’s self is a tragedy; however, it is not.

My Partner (Greg) is scheduled to work over Thanksgiving and has a wonderful 37 hour lay-over in San Jose, Cal. He will be able to hop on Cal-train, head into San Francisco and have a wonderful holiday with his good friend Jess. (Greg is a flight attendant, by the way, so holiday work schedules are not uncommon.) Although it would be my preference to spend the time with him, the fact that such a great opportunity has arisen for him, and the fact that he gets paid for it, is a wonderful chain of events unfolding.

My Sister is heading up to her in-laws for dinner. Linda (my sister) doesn’t get along particularly well with her sister-in-law, my niece is a bit of a “snot,” and in general, the experience is less than pleasant. I have been invited which is very thoughtful. Over the years, my Sister and I have developed an honest dialogue with each other. So, when I told her going up to Boulder to spend Thanksgiving with her in-laws was like walking into a men’s room with poor ventilation, and all the stalls “full,” well, she understood.

My wonderful next door neighbor would probably invite me over, if she knew of my awful dilemma of being all “alone” on Thanksgiving. But, all is not lost, believe me.

My day:

Morning:

Sleep in (without the TV running). Get up to take the dog out to pee and crap so he doesn’t do it on the new carpet, but otherwise, bury my head in pillows ( ½ a xanex the night before may be on the pre-holiday list of things to do.) While I am up taking care of Pedro’s (the dog) needs, I will put on a fresh pot of coffee and once again, head back to bed. Once the aroma of the coffee sneaks up the stairs to the bedroom, I will be enticed to venture out for my first cup-of-joe.

Breakfast will probably consist of yogurt, possibly some scrambled eggs and toast, OJ, and more coffee. I may slick my hair down with some hair wax (no shower yet), put on some sweats, and head around the corner to Zorbas diner for a greasy morning breakfast. Note so far: Except for ordering my food, there will have been no need to use my vocal chords up to this point in the day.

After breakfast, I will wait a short while for my system to “move things through.” Until this event occurs, my morning jog around Cheesman Park will have to wait. You guessed it, next is a good run around the park. I’m not a great runner, but I do try and get the aerobics in as best as I can.

Ok, ok, next are the sit ups and a shower. 24 hour fitness is closed so I guess if I want to do resistance training, the Boflex will have to do (time to dust it off.)

Mid-Morning:

Done with the jogging, shower, puppy poop, coffee, and such, it may be time for another short nap – just 30 minutes or so, followed by a walk around the block with Pedro, so that he can sniff and poop and pee again. If by chance, he pinches one off in front of a “favorite” neighbor of mine, I may pretend to pick up the excrement with my plastic bag, but I will leave it to fester.

Now, done with all that, what is left? Well, dinner will consist of a Turkey Pot Pie (Marie Calendars more than likely), a glass of red wine, and possibly a salad – yum. No fuss, no muss, no mess – quick and easy. Our friend Jerry often allows herself a day of “lifetime TV for Women.” We have the LOGO channel (gay, lesbian, bi, transgenedered TV) but re-runs of the COMPLETE “Tails of the City” gets old after a while. There is On Demand available to rent movies, which will more than likely be my pick for later in the day. I am digressing: it is only mid-morning.

Lunch:

Probably a chicken salad sandwich, and sparkling water. I may call Lily (the neighbor next door) and see if she wants to go for a mid-day coffee break at Diedrichs (again, just around the corner). I will put on a pair of comfortable jeans, a nice shirt, and we may even take the dogs and sit out on the patio since, as I understand things, the weather will be fantastic. Upon returning home, I may get the bike out and go for a bit of a spin (note to self: check tire pressure this weekend.) After a good spin on my bike, I will do some reading. I’ve been trying to finish up Jack Kerouac’s On The Road, and this will be my opportunity to do just that. Man, I’m almost 50, and I cannot believe I have never read this book!

Afternoon:

More napping time and a movie. I really should start to think about taking the Pot Pie out of the freezer at some point – after all, it takes about one hour in the oven to cook one of those things. I do a white-trash sort of thing with pot pies: I simply love to smother them in ketchup, disgusting as it sounds, I love it. Just looking over at the wine rack right now as I type to make sure there is at least one bottle of red available. Another walk will be most likely in store for Pedro. Nick the kat will need some loving as well. We keep thinking about subscribing to Netflex or something, so we have movies readily available. It does sound like a pretty good deal (note to self: sign up for Netflex and get some movies for the holiday weekend.)

Evening:

Time for the Pot Pie, a glass of wine, the salad and time to think about how lucky I am to be safe, and warm, and happy, even though I am alone on this day. You know, someone once said (I wish it was me) that the greatest relationship you can ever achieve, is to achieve friendship and love for one’s self. This is the absolute opposite of narcissism. This is that journey to become centered and take care of yourself, so that you have the time and energy to help others.

This day will be mine – alone. No big deal. And, a happy time. Call if you like, I will have plenty of time to chat as well.