Thanksgiving Weekend!

I have a tendency to go off on Thanksgiving!! Not "off" in a bad way as if to bitch someone out, but "off" as if to say that I go on a "Thanking-Spree"--being thankful for every little thing and I'd make it known to the world by posting a long status on Facebook!  Yup, that is sooo typical me!  From all the major stuff like good health, awesome family and friends, great causes like St. Jude, etc., all the way down to the stuff that people don't really give a shit about haha!  [Merci à Dieu for making the sun so hot so that it is able to shed light on the cows in California, for making sure the callouses on my feet are the right size so I am able to do duck walks on any terrain, for the softeness of my cat, Nohea's, fur and how it brushes against me ever so gently gently]   I guess that's what I get for being an extremist!  But this year I really took it easy and without having to broadcast how grateful I am, I remained so deeply thankful for everyone and everything in my heart :o)  I know people say that if you appreciate someone/thing you should let them know, but as the saying goes, "Actions speak louder than words," so I'll let gracious actions speak for themselves ;)  So, Thanksgiving Day, I went to the 9am service at our church and had my usual conversation with my Savior.  For the remainder of the day it was pretty chill.  I spent it with the family and I replied to phone calls and messages as everyone else was on their "Thanking Spree."  We usually host Thanksgiving lunch and dinner, but this year we just hosted Thanksgiving dinner with the family.

Here's our deep fried turkey and the rest of the meal in the bottom picture.  Outter circle starting from the left going clockwise: rice, pumpkin bread, butter mochi, paradosdos, halohalo, corn, macaroni salad, gravy (in the pot, which I cut off), bitter melon dish, green bean dish.  On the lazy-susie: fried fish, some of the cut up turkey, Filipino spaghetti, and grapes.

During this weekend, I was given a small task to watch my friend's dog since she and her husband would be out of town spending Thanksgiving with their families.  So I went over to do my duties with Umi-boy and after doing everything I was asked, I was going to give him a treat and then be on my merry way, but as I was getting the treats out of the cabinet, he went for my left foot and started to chew down on it.  Thank God it was just my foot and not my leg where I could have muscle injuries or he could've ate a chunk of my fatty tissue.  I feel completely sad for Umi-boy because I know he misses his mommy and daddy!  Of course having me come around to the house is totally suspicious because he is usually super friendly with me when they are around.  So now I'm afraid to go back and feed him :'(

Thank God, it wasn't worse!  So anyways, next topic: BLACK FRIDAY!!  Everyone's been talking about it! Whether they have to work 12+ hours through it, or camp out days in advance to get through it, or shopping all day through it, whatever the situation may be, people are talking about these great deals that are going on everywhere!  Personally, since I've worked retail, Black Friday doesn't particularly turn me on and it's just because there are so many great deals during Memorial Day weekend, President's Day weekend, Fourth of July weekend as well!!  I don't find it worth my time to do so much damage in just ONE day.  Especially since ten million other people want to get the same deal on a particular item that you want.  Chances are, it'll be off the shelf by the time you get to it, unless you're hardcore lai'dat. LOL.

I am proud to say that I've finished my gift shopping in July and I paid it all off!! .......Okay I lied!  Now I feel completely ashamed.  That would all be true if it weren't for the little binge-shopping I did last night... online!  Ugghh!!  Well, at least I'm able to pay it off and they weren't for me!  I bought gifts!  Oh schnapppp!  I just lied again [feeling even more terrible] because the most expensive purchase I made last night was for me!  So I bought my mom a fitness kit since she's all about going to the Spa Fitness Center, I bought my dad a Leatherman multitool (I swear he is the most difficult person to shop for because he is so simple and when you get him nice things it just collects dust), made 2 personalized photo books for 2 different friends, and I bought myself........... a Nikon Coolpix 14.2 MP Digital Camera w/ 7x Optical VR Zoom in bronze for $166 on Amazon :))) It was so late in the evening that I didn't want to be making calls to friends to evaluate the pro's and con's with me... so....... **CLICK** [Just click once to make sure you don't get charged multiple times ;) ] and just like that, I bought it!  I just bought a camera back in March of this year.  My Canon Powershot SX20 IS is awesome, but there are just some things that my new Nikon can fulfill, thus in marriage, they compliment each other perfectly to fit my lifestyle and needs *:o)

So one more day and it's back to the daily grind!  I'm so dreading going back to everything because it has been such a nice break, but hey, nothing lasts forever right?!  So I am SOOOO THANKFUL FOR THE FOOD, THE COMPANY, MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS,  MY PETS, MY DANCE GROUP, FOR THE MANY MANY OPPORTUNITIES I'M GRANTED, FOR THE AIR I BREATH, FOR MY HEALTH, FOR MY JOB, FOR THE SAFETY & WELL-BEING OF MY LOVED ONES, FOR MY HAIR, FOR MY COMFORTABLE BED, FOR THE MAN-ABOVE, FOR MY IPOD TOUCH, FOR "RESTAURANT STORY" [a game on my ipod touch], FOR THE TRADE-WINDS, FOR THE TI-LEAVES IN OUR YARD, THE KALO PLANTS IN OUR YARD... you get the point, right?!  I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving weekend!!  Be safe... the Holidays have arrived :)))