I know - a fat lot of help I am chiming in from the sunshine state (or is that Florida?), but just the thought of estrip going away makes me abandon all hope for my world. Maybe there's some perverse reason we let ourselves sink to the depths of despair before we'll attempt to turn it around. If so, I hope we're there (e:peeps) - I don't want to go much deeper than this.

I'm totally inspired by (e:DrChlorine) and (e:Ajay) 's posts. Seems like one recurring theme is loneliness, especially this time of year (I'm with you on that one). Again in the fat-lotta-help-I-am category, maybe think about making some peep2peep face2face encounters happen. Throw a party, and don't forget to invite the (e:peeps2B) . Or set up a coffee drop-in date at a local hang-out. Put it on the (e:EventCalendar) and make sure you've got those estrip flyers with you to pass out.

Everybody now -

::DOWNLOAD MEDIA::

"Don't you know that it's time to get on board...and let this train keep on riding, riding on through?"

Thanksgiving at B&K's this year. Last year we went to Kathy's parent's house, and her grandmother hosted the year before. Now that was a spread! I've never seen so much food.

We usually stay overnight at Kathy's parent's house when Thanksgiving is in that neck of the woods. This year B&K and Maggie (their golden retriever) will crash with me Thanksgiving night so Mom & Dad & Grandma can have the run of their house. Since B&K are in charge, all their singleton friends are invited (they collect us). 12 total at the table this year. Brenda bought a piece of masonite at Home Depot to extend the table. And as you know, table setting prep[inlink]twisted,62[/inlink] started over a week ago. They're pretty serious about this.

I'm in charge of sweet potatoes. Every year Kathy tells me to bring whatever it is that "means Thanksgiving" to me. She's an only child and only grandchild. Maybe because of that, and since she and Brenda are unlikely to have kids, she's super-conscientious about nurturing a sense of family with her extended family. I'm definitely part of that.

So I'm making sweet potatoes like my Mom used to make, with the marshmallows on top. Don't see marshmallows in recipes much these days. Why is that?

I'll never forget the first year I had Thanksgiving with my ex's family. They brought out all the fixings and a lovely rib roast. I thought to myself, 'wow! two main entrees.' How naive. When it became apparent a turkey was not materializing I finally asked what I thought was an obvious question. "No turkey?" The ensuing response still rings in my ear. "Nobody likes turkey anyway." Say WHAT?!!!

Ok. Fine. Serve whatever you want at Thanksgiving, but if you invite someone for Thanksgiving dinner you've got to at least consider the possibility she may have SET HER STOMACH FOR TURKEY!!! For God's Sake!

I don't think I'll ever get over that.

p.s. - crap, I just realized B&K are staying at my house and I'll be going to popscene for Meat Is Murder[inlink]twisted,63[/inlink] night. Is that bad hostessing? Now I'll wake the dog up when I get home. And I have to clean the house.

I've got to figure out a gift for my ex's bday Saturday. I got off easy the last few years because he requested some custom-sewn thing. A tea cozy one year (whatever impression you get of him from that is totally accurate), and a replica of a scarf I made him to replace the original he lost.

One year he floored me by sending me my favoritest gift ever - a lamp he made out of a toaster. He's always salvaged old toasters, but now it's turned into a full-fledged obsession. He's bought over 70 of them on eBay. Yep - that's seven-oh.


(wow, I'm a slob)

You push down the lever like you're making toast to turn it on. I bought the lampshade so it could hold it's own next to the hat ladies painting.

I hope he finally gets me the replacement glow-in-the-dark koosh ball earrings I've asked for 3 years in a row. Bought the originals at a cool store in Cambridge MA, but they got dehydrated and brittle languishing in storage for 8 months while I was looking for a permanent place to live.

Thanks, (e:southernyankee). Keep up the [inlink]southernyankee,109[/inlink]great stories, with or without pix. I love exploring new cities, and seeing DC through your eyes. estrip should have a roving reporter in every town.

I've been incommunicado for 14 hours now, so this may be outdated. But there's now a reciprocal site to our national confessional[inlink]lisa,156[/inlink]. We are not alone.

Please accept my apologies if I'm not making any sense.