My favorite day of the year... in Secrets from myself

When I worked at my old old job I always had the Friday after Thanksgiving off. It was a union negotiated holiday and the company went along with it for the people in the office too. Since my old old workplace went under five years ago I've pretty much still had the day off. The first year I wasn't working and the next three years at my new old workplace I was seasonally laid off so the day after Thanksgiving was just one of a string of days off. Two years ago I was called back the Monday before Thanksgiving for three weeks. The three weeks turned into almost two years without a layoff. I suppose we worked the Friday after Thanksgiving the last two years, because I know it wasn't an official holiday for that place.

So maybe that's why today seems luxurious. Maybe it's been three years since I've had the Friday after Thanksgiving off.

Why is it such a good day?

Well first of all, I do not shop. I am not a shopper. I lack the shopping gene. I am cheap. I don't like crowds. I don't like most of the merchandise that's promoted so heavily this time of hear. It's too soon to start what limited Christmas shopping I do do. I wait for the last week, sometimes the last day. I quite often find myself among the poor misguided Christmas Eve shoppers. We all tend to be vague and often poor looking but we have the true spirit of - let's get this over with - soon.

So it's not the shopping I like about today. What I like about it is the clarity it give me. My table is still cleared off from having been used for yesterday's meal. The expanse of formica pleases me.

The refrigerator is full of leftovers. I'm thinking of making mashed potatoes and gravy today. There is plenty of dressing and squash left over, plenty of turkey left over, and corn and green beans. And the turkey carcas which needs to be mined for further morsels and then given to the dogs. Dog I guess. Gracie and guest dog Hans do not get along well enough to share. So it will wait in the fridge until Hans goes home. (The reason I don't make soup if that I don't think I have a big enough pot to make it in. I'm not sure. Ask if you want the full story. It's not pretty. But it might be helpful for my psyche to go into it.)

My house is about as clean as it ever gets. The floor could use another sweeping... and I might get to it. I should make the piano music rack bare so when Katie plays her music will fit better. It now holds the music book the Stock girls made for me in 2003, three sheets I brought home from work. A big navy blue and white Yankees emblem, a sheet of dealers plates from the cousins' enterprise, another random one that George and I struggled with. There's also a library book on it and my son's tablet. Actually that's nothing compare to what's on top of the piano. But I'm not even thinking of doing anything about what's up there.

The family is around and in and out and still about - but not totally here. Deb and kids are occupied with her family in town. John just left with two buckets of corn for Joana's stove. He's also seeking coffee since there is none here. And he's checking into the family's activites for the day. I expect them all out toward evening.

Jim left seeking combine fixes. He has a part he wants to see if he can get a welder to straighten for him. He's been robbing Peter Old Combine to pay Paul New Combine. He did not have a good day yesterday. He and John both worked on the transfer most of the day. While the part is worked on, hopefuly worked on, he plans to visit the tire shop and see what they think about adjusting the lights on the the kids' car which apparently point in the wrong directions. He's stopping at the vet too, to get fresh eye ointment for Gracie and for Hans too. We are bent on curing his red eyes. I will keep you informed. Plus he will ask about the cat neutering. The power plant is supposed to pay for it. I know this sounds minor, but neutering two cats costs as much as it does to work a couple dozen calves. I suppose pet cat vet bills work themselves into farm expenses and are written off, but they shouldn't be and either way they are costly.

Last night was good though. We ended up having a nice evening - we laughed a lot

Today is quiet. In a good way.