Estoy Nueces

We got the house all cleaned and I cooked like a fiend and we had a lovely Thanksgiving. I got to thinking about the subject "What is My Ideal Thanksgiving." I decided it would be to sleep late, enjoy coffee and cinnamon rolls with family, no cooking or dishes, rest and visit and just hang out for a while, watch football, eat a fabulous meal of turkey and dressing and all the trimmings at a beautiful table. Walk away from the table without clearing it and enjoy more football, maybe a nap, maybe a walk, pie, leftovers, etc. Sounds lovely. And somehow I managed to provide just that for Mark and the family. I'm the only one that didn't get my perfect Thanksgiving because I was up at 5:30 a.m. to let the cinnamon rolls rise, up early to cook and make coffee, washing dishes all through the day as I continued to cook and clean, etc. I did manage a nap before the Cowboys, which was nice, and I enjoyed the lovely food and table and football, so a lot of it was just fine, but I sure was exhausted before it was all over. I slept good and late on Friday.

Our Thanksgiving had lots of sadness over it from my cousin Larry's wreck. He was helping a guy fix a motorbike near his home in the Valley and he went off for a spin on it. They heard the motor cut out and thought he'd be back in a minute, but when they went to investigate, Larry was unconscious and a girl was near him calling 911. He is in ICU on a vent and in an induced coma with severe head injuries. There is no telling how damaged his brain is and he might lose sight in one eye or both eyes. I talked to his brother and mother Friday and felt a little better. If it were a tiny bit closer I would have driven down.

Then last night my younger nephew had a car wreck and possibly totaled his little Mercedes. Traffic stopped and he tried, but ran up under an SUV. I hope he wasn't on the phone or something. He is okay but sore. The car was towed.

My sister's marriage continues to crumble and that makes me so depressed I can't stand it.

Friday I did nothing but watch football and do some mindless surfing to genealogy sites. I had free time and couldn't think of any of the "need to do" things on my list of stuff I like and want to do. I was worthless. Yesterday was much the same, but I did get dolled up to go to a wedding last night. We left late and arrived almost too late, but it was Mark's friend so I tried not to sweat it. The whole wedding irritated me though because Mark was never with me. The 8-year-old usher offered me his arm and I let him escort me to my seat and turn around and Mark did not follow. He somehow eventually gets there. We leave the wedding and visit with folks and then move off toward the receiving line. Mark says, "You go on, I'll catch up." I'm left to make conversation with people and look at the paintings of the museum and wait and wait and I finally go on through the receiving line without him. Next up is drinks and milling. I get a drink and mill. I talk to people I know, but then they excuse themselves and move on. I mill and circulate and no sign of Mark. Finally he shows up and says "You walked right past me!" as if i was supposed to be looking for him and finding him. He has a wild story about being delayed by museum security, etc. It's time to move on into the dinner. Suddenly he is no longer behind me again. I go back and see him no where. I hand a bit. Finally I am hungry so I have the shrimp and crackers and appetizers that are there. Still no Mark. I finally get in the food line and get my roast beef and potatoes and sit with members of his band and have to say "I dont' know" to the inevitable question of "Where's Mark?" I finish. No sign of him. I go outside and see him no where. I sit down and call Beth and have a 15 minute conversation. Band members come by and say, "Oh, Mark, is at the table we were at." I finally go back in and he's milling again. We sit together for the music, but he's up and back and forth taking pictures and then he plays a few songs. Finally, we leave. I was a little concerned about whether he needed to be driving, but I kept close watch. He did run over a curb on a street, which is very unlike him, but he got us home. I want to do social things with him, but I don't like being abandoned. I think I may accept all social invitations for the holidays and just not take him. Or not accept any. I don't know.

So down today I just want to crawl back to bed except that I don't want to do that either. I apparently don't want to do anything at all. I am about to brush my teeth and go to see Pirate Radio and then go voice track. I am going to try to come back by the gig Mark's at tonight just for an appearance and to see what it is all about.