Debate: How I spent my Thanksgiving vacation

Back to the DJ today after a full week off. It’s amazing how quickly one forgets how to sit around doing mostly nothing.

After Wee Sma’ Lex, we celebrated an early Thanksgiving at the daughter’s, as on the day itself she was off to London to visit the husband. (They’ll be skying back and forth until March when he lands here for the duration.) One of the guests was a relative, the grandson of my father’s Uncle Dom. I have no idea precisely how any of us are related to him aside from being some level of cousin at some level of removal. The funny thing is, he looked just like a Menick. It was like talking to one of my father’s brothers, except he’s half my age. Kate discovered him at her new job. You never know who’s going to turn up! He was full of family lore, including the source of the name which was Germanized in order for the Italians to get what was in our area a German-controlled liquor license. I recommend that every holiday have a surprise relative show up. Makes for interesting conversation.

On the entertainment front, saw Skyfall and Michael Feinstein (separately), and a superior exhibit of the circus in NY at the Barnard Graduate Center on the west side. Read about futurism in architecture. Ate out fewer times than I had expected. Paid little or no attention to blogging. Did some online Christmas shopping but went into no stores. Had another Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving day, this time at the chez. Watched five minutes of the annual Macy's Lip Synching Parade. Actually walked by the balloons being blown up on the previous Wednesday around the Museum of Natural History. They were working on Buzz LY and Spongebob SP when we were there, and the streets were lined with barriers in preparation for the big…preparation. Watching the parade get made up is about as popular as watching the parade happen, and you don’t have to suffer through people you don’t know pretending to sing.

Sorted out Princeton rooms. Complained a few times to CP about things for which he was not responsible. Cleaned up all my mother’s financial papers from the floor of the chez and stacked them in the basement. Discovered the NY Times site with the extra puzzles (including SET). Took a few naps. Chopped a bunch of wood. Started discussing Academy Debate on the northeast forensics listserver. Began preparing questions for the annual Christmas Bean Trivia session with the Sailors.

And, oh yeah, while I was typing this, got distracted and cleared off the last major bloc of Tigger entries.

We're where we should be the Monday after TG.