HELLO, THANKSGIVING...!

It baffles me that in less than two weeks, it will be Thanksgiving here in the US. I honestly feel like last year's Thanksgiving holiday barely left my memory-bank, and now I'm already faced with the so-called thrills of the upcoming holiday season. It seems that more and more I'm becoming less thrilled, and more numb to what was once the happiest time of the year... for me, at least. Hopefully, this year will be the start of something different, and maybe I'll get "that feeling" back.

Some friends and I will actually be making our way to NYC for a couple of days to attempt to cop a spot along the infamous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route. It'll be crazy, I'm sure, and I'm hoping and praying that the experience will be less 1) rainy, and 2) super cold. I think I have enough days to start a 9-day novena to ask for sunny skies and no rain for this year's event. Let's wait and see.

I'm pretty sure that we'll face annoyances from the crowds, perhaps the weather, and all the other stuff that is bound to happen. And our bus ride via one of the area "Chinatown Buses" will surely add to the festive air, I'm sure. But this is what we wanted, so this is what we're going to get: a do-it-once-in-your-life experience at the expense of not being around family on Thanksgiving Day. Some call it a curse to miss out on such a holiday, but I actually think it'll be a blessing in disguise. At least we won't be tempted to keep going back to a stacked table for more food. Instead, we will be enjoying our (one serving) Thanksgiving Day dinner at a fine restaurant in Manhattan, then be on our way to find a neighborhood bar where we can drink more calories. And then, perhaps, indulge in a little Black Friday holiday shopping for ourselves.

Sounds like a plan to me...!

(Photo courtesy of Jeff Christensen/AP file)