Ah, yes, Thanksgiving Day once again. The day when celebrate the kindness and hospitality of the native people in helping the Pilgrims survive in a strange, cold land. Just a few years before our forebears attempted to wipe the natives off the face of the continent. I wonder what North and South America would be like today if the Europeans had never shown up (or had shown up as trading partners instead of people who felt it was their manifest destiny to exploit the land and eradicate its people). Somebody should write a book about that.

AS for us, we don’t have too much going on today. My in-laws are scheduled to come over (and seeing as it’s going to be sunny and 60 degrees today, I guess they won’t have an excuse to stay home). I don’t think they especially enjoy the drive out here to the country (it’s less than 20 miles, but they seem to think it’s one step down from crossing the Atlantic in the Mayflower). Of course, I don’t much like to go anywhere once I’m home, either (and I’m not 90, though some days it sure feels like it).

My wife has something or other she’s going to this morning. I think she told me what it was, but I can’t quite remember. So it’s my job to do the mashed potatoes, which I peeled and cut up last night (this is a job I grew up doing, so I’m quite familiar with it). In fact, I chopped up all sorts of things last night, most of which have gone into our ever-burgeoning collection of crock pots – along with a turkey breast. If there’s anything we’re thankful for this year, I guess it’s crock pots.

Otherwise, I guess I’ll just hang out and listen to the sound of gunfire all around me, as people are out trying to kill things in the woods. Hopefully they won’t be aiming in my direction. If I’m gonna die, I don’t want it to be at the beginning of a five-day weekend.

Anyhow, Happy Thanksgiving to everybody. I hope it’s a good one. Make sure you get some rest this afternoon, because Black Friday starts at 8:00 tonight (what a great way to wind up the holiday for all those minimum wage retail workers. As Dubya would say, “how truly American” that is). A lot of people (other than Wal-Mart workers) are having a not-so-nice one this year, especially those who lost everything courtesy of Sandy.

Time to go see who Detroit and Dallas are playing, I guess.