Fasting for the turkey . . .

Happy Thanksgiving to all. I love Thanksgiving, it's a wonderful continuation of the Holiday season, all starting with my birthday of course. Today I'm sitting in my living room listening to Aretha Franklin, already listened to the Reverand Al Green. For some reason, soul music seemed like good cooking music today. I almost cracked and put on Christmas music, but since I've made such a big deal about my Christmas limits, I couldn't jusitfy it. So my addition to dinner this year is a pumpkin cheesecake that I last made with dear Arcadia, and dressing. It's called dressing when it's not cooked in the turkey, I learned that this year watching Let's Talk Turkey on the Food Network. The dressing I'm making is one that Mom has made almost every year that I can remember, except when all we have is Grandpa's sage and potato stuffing. I think Mom often feels guilty that she prefers her stuffing to Grandpa's, it's like his legacy sort of, we eat his stuffing every Thanksgiving and Christmas. But I don't think having his stuffing means we can't also have potatoes.

Today we went skate skiing out at Blueberry. I skied with Laura for the whole thing as I often do. I just hope my slower training speeds will eventually pay off. I don't think I can really loose when Laura is by far the best skier on the team, training with her will only help me. My feet were really cramping up during the ski, it takes a while for my feet to feel okay in my skate boots, the uphills on the Superior loop certainly didn't help my situation. I got a little frustrated with Marre today when she was putting down the boys' no shave November tradition, to me that was an attack on all tradition, which I couldn't live without. But then after the ski, she mentioned how excited she was to take part in Thanksgiving. Randi then asked basically what the tradition/holiday even was. It was fun explaining the whole story behind Thanksgiving with the Indians helping out the Pilgrams, saving them from starvation. That this is a whole holiday based upon giving thanks to those around you, your family, your team, your roommates. I get all nostalgic thinking about it. Funny now the stigmas and sterotypes that we have given Native Americans, I wonder if they celebrate Thanksgiving with such zeal, seeing how they would probably be better off having let us all die that November.

Alright, I really need a shower and want to be able to get it in while the cheesecake is in the oven. I want to look in there so badly, but I was advised not to in a review online, I had to write myself a sticky note reminding me not to open the oven until about the timer went off. Bummer, I want to witness my cheesecake setting up and getting all wonderful inside. Alright, Kevin is coming over to give me some whipping cream, who doesn't love fresh whipped cream? Happy Thanksgiving to all, I thank each and every one of the people in my life for being so awesome!

Caitlin