Thanksgiving 2015

[phillygirl]

My parents didn't drink except to share some kind of hot drink on New Year's Eve. I didn't really start drinking until I married my husband as it was always a negative thing in my previous married life. I still don't drink that much but when we all get together or I'm in WA with my crazy clan, it's fun to make cocktails and just talk or play games...if my daughter's there, we're playing games. Our Thanksgiving started yesterday with the kids and out of state guests arriving. We made a pitcher of cosmos...they were delicious. Are you going to your sister's, Philly?

I am going to my sister's. My brother's 2 kids will only be there for about 2 hours, early in the afternoon. I love to play games as well. It's a great way to have everyone interact, rather than the boring gossippy conversation by adults and kids left sulking somewhere with their electronic devices.

[Michele]

I am going to my sister's. My brother's 2 kids will only be there for about 2 hours, early in the afternoon. I love to play games as well. It's a great way to have everyone interact, rather than the boring gossippy conversation by adults and kids left sulking somewhere with their electronic devices.

When my sister came out this summer with her daughter and two granddaughters (one a college sophomore and one a senior this year) on a girl trip, we played a new game called Wits & Wagers. I nearly died laughing at some of their answers. They both go to a private college and really are smart girls but some of their answers on dates in history...oh my!

[phillygirl]

When my sister came out this summer with her daughter and two granddaughters (one a college sophomore and one a senior this year) on a girl trip, we played a new game called Wits & Wagers. I nearly died laughing at some of their answers. They both go to a private college and really are smart girls but some of their answers on dates in history...oh my!

Ooh...I'll have to look for that! It's always fun to see what they do know and what they don't know. We sometimes pick teams (I'm always the first pick!)...but sometimes we do boys v. girls or adults v. kids or grouped by families. My sister and I together actually do pretty well (which completely ticks her off because the kids just assume that I'm much better than her at these games!)....but we have no sports knowledge. That's why I love the team games with the kids because everyone really does bring something to the table.

[Lady Marva]

Besides the one in the kitchen, we have one in the guest house and one in the metal building. But when you live in Colorado at this time of year, the whole outdoors is your refrigerator. I actually use the little garage which is right next to the house for storing vegetables, fruits and cooked pies and desserts.

Dang, woman, that's like FIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dunno that I would ever have seen that much food in one house!

[Hondo]

My family are all in Florida on vacation, so I have much to be thankful for.

I am working a mid shift Wednesday night, but oddly enough, considering I have the lowest seniority, I have Thanksgiving and the day after off. I plan to spend the day writing, trying to get caught up for NaNoWriMo. Possible, but unlikely.

As for eats, I will probably get a pizza, or something else simple that I can just eat at the computer. If the writing is going well I will probably take a break to watch the Lions game.

[Billy Jingo]

My family are all in Florida on vacation, so I have much to be thankful for.

I am working a mid shift Wednesday night, but oddly enough, considering I have the lowest seniority, I have Thanksgiving and the day after off. I plan to spend the day writing, trying to get caught up for NaNoWriMo. Possible, but unlikely.

As for eats, I will probably get a pizza, or something else simple that I can just eat at the computer. If the writing is going well I will probably take a break to watch the Lions game.

That is sweet sweet double time and half, I bet. I will skip a meal for that candy.

[Hondo]

That is sweet sweet double time and half, I bet. I will skip a meal for that candy.

We have an extremely weird system for overtime. All overtime is at time and a half, even on holidays, unless it is on your second day off for the week, then it is double time. If you are scheduled to work on a holiday it is not overtime, but you do get two extra hours of pay for the day. Since I came on board with two other guys, one who is ahead of me by a week in seniority, and one who will be behind me if he makes it through his training period, overtime has been very hard to come by, so the older guys have been grabbing it when they can. In January or February, if this other guy makes it through his training, I will probably be shipped away from the treatment side of things with all of the chemicals and go over to the distribution side. Less physically demanding, but more stressful, and I believe many more opportunities to pick up overtime.

[Adam]

We have an extremely weird system for overtime. All overtime is at time and a half, even on holidays, unless it is on your second day off for the week, then it is double time. If you are scheduled to work on a holiday it is not overtime, but you do get two extra hours of pay for the day. Since I came on board with two other guys, one who is ahead of me by a week in seniority, and one who will be behind me if he makes it through his training period, overtime has been very hard to come by, so the older guys have been grabbing it when they can. In January or February, if this other guy makes it through his training, I will probably be shipped away from the treatment side of things with all of the chemicals and go over to the distribution side. Less physically demanding, but more stressful, and I believe many more opportunities to pick up overtime.

Wow. That is really strange.

[Hondo]

Wow. That is really strange.

Yeah, the schedule is odd too. We work 7 days on, 2 days off - 7 days on, 2 days off - and then 6 days on 4 days off. Because I am the low guy, I have a rotating shift and have to fill in for the guys on straight shifts when they are on their breaks. So within my 7 day (or 6 day) work week, I will rotate from first shift, to second, and finally third shift. Never more than 3 days on any one shift.

[Adam]

Yeah, the schedule is odd too. We work 7 days on, 2 days off - 7 days on, 2 days off - and then 6 days on 4 days off. Because I am the low guy, I have a rotating shift and have to fill in for the guys on straight shifts when they are on their breaks. So within my 7 day (or 6 day) work week, I will rotate from first shift, to second, and finally third shift. Never more than 3 days on any one shift.

Many moons ago, I was on a 4/10 shift that I just loved: in at 7:00 AM, out at 5:30 PM Tuesday through Friday. I got the full weekend off and had all day Monday to do real life shit. Plus, this shift fell during the spring and summer, so I had plenty of daylight when I got home at 5:30. That was really fantastic for me, but it was an incredibly lucky draw: usually the 4/10 shift was something like Monday-Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday. That gave a full day off mid-week, but it meant that one never really had a weekend.

Nonetheless, I loved the 4/10 schedule. If I'd had my 'druthers, I would have done a 2/20 shift and then had plenty of other time of my own.

[phillygirl]

Yeah, the schedule is odd too. We work 7 days on, 2 days off - 7 days on, 2 days off - and then 6 days on 4 days off. Because I am the low guy, I have a rotating shift and have to fill in for the guys on straight shifts when they are on their breaks. So within my 7 day (or 6 day) work week, I will rotate from first shift, to second, and finally third shift. Never more than 3 days on any one shift.

That's a tough schedule. I once worked 12 hour shifts that rotated between 3, 4 or 5 days at a time, alternating between day and night shift. The nice part, though, was that every 5th week you got a straight 7 days off. At the time, it was the most money I had ever made (I believe it was close to $10/hour, when minimum was $3.35...with an automatic 8 hours of overtime per month). I never adjusted to the shifting schedule between night and day...but I loved the money and the time off.

[Michele]

Ooh...I'll have to look for that! It's always fun to see what they do know and what they don't know. We sometimes pick teams (I'm always the first pick!)...but sometimes we do boys v. girls or adults v. kids or grouped by families. My sister and I together actually do pretty well (which completely ticks her off because the kids just assume that I'm much better than her at these games!)....but we have no sports knowledge. That's why I love the team games with the kids because everyone really does bring something to the table.

Scattergories is another good one...simple but so fun when you play with creative people. Our teenagers are the best at it.

[phillygirl]

Scattergories is another good one...simple but so fun when you play with creative people. Our teenagers are the best at it.

I found a great game a few years ago called 30 Seconds. It's simple...there is a card with 5 things on it...no connection to each other. The "thing" might be a city, a person, a landmark, a war...anything, really. The team has 30 seconds to guess those 5 items based on the clue giver from their team. It's great. The breadth of the items is great. The first time we played it my niece was 7 and my mother 70 and we had every age in between. You have not laughed until you've seen a 12 year old boy give a clue for Viagra while his cousins, brothers, mother, aunt and grandmother are all sitting there. At first he kept stumbling saying "I guess it makes you happy". He doesn't tend to elaborate much as the clue giver, and finally made a motion with his arm saying "it makes this [pointing with his elbow towards his middle pant area] go like this [extending his arm from the elbow to his hand straight in front of him]. His older brother said "Viagra?" My sister, mom and I nearly died laughing at the description, the discomfort, and the fact that he knew what it was. And then his 11 year old brother said very dryly "why didn't you just say little blue pill?" I will never forget that moment for as long as I live.

And my niece's famous clue for the Chesapeake Bay..."it's a body of water that sounds like Cheesecake"!

Sometimes the kids have no idea what the word actually is, so that get very creative with their clue giving.

I have not been able to find it again, but we play it almost every time we're together. Such a simple concept, but loads of fun.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

The link doesn't work unless you subscribe online so here's the cut & paste. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Celeste. Will Nova join you and HRH this year?

Not this year. He's still packing things up and dealing with realtors. If all goes well, he'll be here for my birthday and HRH's (within a couple of weeks of each other) in early 2016.

It sounds as if you're already having a wonderful Thanksgiving, so I hope that continues. We'll be going to dinner at the home of of HRH's fairy godfathers, with all of the extended family one of them has. HRH and I both love his 87-year-old mother and his whole big Tex-Mex family, so it will be fun.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

I am going to my sister's. My brother's 2 kids will only be there for about 2 hours, early in the afternoon. I love to play games as well. It's a great way to have everyone interact, rather than the boring gossippy conversation by adults and kids left sulking somewhere with their electronic devices.

HRH would applaud this.