Crazy week

I worked 3 days in a row this week, and I am really feeling it today. The older I get, the more that 12 hour shifts take out of me. Of course, now I have 6 days off in a row, without having to use any vacation time, but still.....

We are having a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but on a non-traditional day. Since Laura is going to NY for the holiday, and I have to work, we are having Thanksgiving this Saturday, 11/22. Just our nuclear family, my mother-in-law, Laura's boyfriend, and two friends so that the conversation doesn't get too insular. I never know what to expect from my m-i-l when she comes to these gatherings. Her true command performance was at a Mother's Day dinner some years ago, when she asked me how many Valium she'd need to take all at once to successfully commit suicide, because she didn't want to fail and then end up "a vegetable". (Of course at the time I was completely horrified and demanded an instant change of subject, especially because the kids were both there; on reflection, I should have told her the answer.) Anyway, having "outsiders" helps keep her on better behavior. I'm trying a new recipe this year: pomegranate stuffing. Sounds yummy but labor intensive.

Our porch is finished and I have to say it looks really good. Even Scotty, the FedEx guy, was impressed. If I had a camera I'd take a photo and post it, but Diana broke my camera and somehow hasn't managed to replace it yet. So, we are considerably poorer, but then again we have injected a fair amount of money into the local economy.

Had a singing job this past weekend at the local hangout, the Broad Street Cafe. It's a friendly and fun place, whose new owners are trying really hard to turn it into a viable neighborhood/student attraction. I worked with a new pianist, named Chris Reynolds. He's a much older guy who wears tinted eyeglasses and a grey ponytail, but he's very talented and easy to work with. We did "We're In the Money", "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", "Makin' Whoopee" (as a duet, lots of fun), and "My Funny Valentine". It was a great treat to have not only piano, but also bass, drums, and sax as a backup. Arturo of course came, also the Campas, Sandy, Shawna, Avi, Summer, and Robert & Kathy McDuffee--it's been years since we saw them. Chris has already asked me to do another gig with him, on Dec. 4th at University Mall. I hope we can continue to collaborate because it's nice to do these little things in between all the work to put together (in the words of Ed Sullivan) "a really big shew".

My book club pick for December is "The World According to Garp" and I have to say I'm very pleased. It's a wonderful book, an old favorite, and full of great themes to discuss. I'm going to have to try hard to shut up during the meeting!

Diana broke up with Griffin a couple of weeks ago. He's been seeing someone else....the classic guy problem. She's handled it pretty well, with far fewer hysterics than I might have expected. Perhaps that's because le tout Durham knew about it almost right away, because Diana herself posted the news on Facebook. I don't know; maybe it was therapeutic for her, but I think it's just plain crazy. Why advertise that your boyfriend was two timing you? But then again, I'm not one of the Facebook generation......I think I was part of the Pepsi Generation......

Off to bed for me! A long day today (gym, lunch with Sandy, menu planning, food shopping) followed by a longer day tomorrow (Thanksgiving meal prep, cooking) so I'd better rest up.