Sekrit update: Thanksgiving is being planned by e-mail this year! If you want in, contact me at radlab0 at hotmail dot com!

Because it is never too early to plan,

Squished Tubers and Dead Bird 2003: You can't teach an old dog new tricks.*

In 2003, Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 27th, which means that the holiday weekend ends on Sunday, November 30th. For those of you who haven't figured out the rule yet, Thanksgiving falls on the last Thursday in November. That is why Thanksgiving falls on the same day of the week but not the same day of the month every year.

Unless I go crazy, quit school, and move, Thanksgiving of 2003 will be held in Nashville, Tennessee. Although it is difficult to predict the features that will characterize this particular celebration, I can offer the following with some degree of certainty:

I know that Scott and I will be there. Will you?

People who asked to be on the list:
00100
avalyn
Chris-O and LadySun
disgruntledwren
enth
Iconoplast
Jethro Bodine and pitcher
karmaflux
Magus
Phyllis Stein
Spackle
Strong_Bow79
Walter
Wiccanpiper and Tom

*Yes, we are, in fact, crazy enough to do this again.




Want to know what happened at Thanksgiving, 2002? Check here, here, and here.

'Sure, radlab0,' you say, 'but what are your opinions?'

Everyone thought we were crazy for doing this, and they were all completely right. Scott and I spent nearly an entire week doing nothing but cooking, cleaning, buying food and supplies, pissing off my advisor, and fielding phone calls from Scott's mom, with one short break near the beginning when I studied for an upcoming exam in my statistics class. I got four hours of sleep or less every night. Prior to that, there were about two months of hardcore event planning. It was well worth the effort. Thank you.

As for the people, let's play the adjective game:

avalyn, BAR, bitca, Chris-O and LadySun, Cow Of Doom, dann, disgruntledwren, enth!, gwenllian and Strong_Bow79, plus Rowan and Ian (a.k.a. two monkeys), iconoplast, jessicapierce, jethro bodine and pitcher, karmaflux, metacognizant, Phyllis Stein, Spackle (who avoided both hell and high water!), tandex (who showed up on Friday), thefez and witchiepoo, Walter, Reed, Kevin. That's about the best I can do given a one-word limit. I assure you, given unlimited space, I would have much more to say. If you want to know exactly what I think of you, do not be afraid to ask.




'Okay, but what about the first time?'

For those of you who would like to know:
All told, there were seven of us to speak of, and while many of them have, at one time or another, held an E2 account, I think it would be safe to say that Mr. DSane and I were the only noders. This is who we were (in alphabetical order by given name!):

  • My dad was the oldest. It is strange, as an adult, to spend time with someone who played such a significant role in the development of my personality. It turns out that my dad is weird and shy and quiet and sarcastic and witty in many of the same ways I am. I guess I should have expected that. Stranger still was realizing how well my father got along with my friends. I don't think he would describe himself as a geek, but he did make and understand an alarming number of Star Wars/Close Encounters/Iron Chef/Tron/etc. references.
  • I spent the most time dancing. It seemed appropriate, since I had to stand up in order to cook, anyway.
  • Kevin was the skinniest. He also brought over more video game controllers. Kevin never seems comfortable or uncomfortable. I'm glad he let me feed him Thanksgiving food. He's quiet, mostly, but there was that one moment at Denny's after the Dudley Manlove show when he really started to get into singing "Lie Still, Little Bottle." He had the briefest moment of passion, and so I will continue to seek out suitable suitors; clearly someone needs to appreciate that boy more.
  • Kristi brought her own serving utensil. The best thing about Kristi is that, in the absence of other input, she assumes people are much more interesting than they really are. It's as if the entire world is colored in shades of film noir; everything is much darker and more mysterious than it seems. She left early, and I missed her.
  • Reed was the shortest. I can't tell whether his hair is growing back faster than mine. Regardless, he has been full of self-confidence of late, and it makes him very flirtatious and sparkly-eyed. Isn't it amazing how good self-confidence is for people? He has one of the most honest laughs I have ever heard. It is a beautiful thing.
  • Risa wore the most unweildy shoes. They made her quite tall, but not nearly as tall as Scott. It was pretty interesting having a someone of the vegan persuasion over for a traditionally meat-laden meal. At the end she said she was pleased with the fact that there were things for her to eat in addition to what she brought over (she brought vegan stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and sweet potato pie; I made vegan bread, cranberry relish, salad, roasted yams, and apple crisp.). Risa and Reed win the award for making the most references to lesbian erotica. She knows how to speak 4-year-old. That is a good thing.
  • Scott smoked the most. He was generous with offers of cigarettes, but most people didn't take him up on it much (Reed got the hiccups after he smoked one. That was funny.). So far, everyone I know who has met Scott says something along the lines of, "he seems really nice." He should really find a way to use that to his advantage; Here he is, flush with unsuspecting victims, and he is decidedly not using his powers for evil. It's hard to imagine a more shameful waste.

There were friends and food. Conversation happened, and so did dancing in front of the Freemont bridge troll. I am looking forward to next year.