Thanksgiving has come and gone, and with it the four day weekend. Coming into work the Monday before Thanksgiving is always a relatively joyous (compared to other Mondays), as it dawns on you that this week you will work three days, and then get four off. Ah yes, if only every week was like that...As usual, we had Thanksgiving lunch at our house for my wife's side of the family on Thursday. We fried the turkey (as usual), and everything tasted great. It was a relaxing afternoon spent with family, lubricated by good beer (Karl Strauss and Samuel Adams), good company, and good food. After the meal and before dessert, the group went down to a local park and kicked around a soccer ball, let the kids go wild on the play structure, and burn some calories off before refueling with sugar based treats.
The next day, Friday, found us at my mom and dad's house celebrating Thanksgiving with my side of the family. Yes, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls, etc. take 2! We had a good time visiting, and the kids (and yes, even the adults) enjoyed a bit of slot-car competitive racing. My father decided to pull down some of our old slot car track and mount two different circuits on a fairly large sheet of plywood. After a bunch of decoration (complete with sponsor signs featuring standard racing sponsors as well as family related businesses), the Krause Speedway was born. When I bring it home, I'll make sure to snap several pictures of it and post it here.
If Thanksgiving is here, then my birthday must be hiding around somewhere as well. As is tradition, we celebrate my birthday with turkey day (which I have been assured does not imply that I am, in fact, a turkey). As far as gifts are concerned, I received many cool things from my family: a new LGB steam locomotive and tender (Union Pacific 2-4-0 pictured below)
that features lights, smoke, and sound, which looks particularly handsome around the Christmas tree; a powder blue Chargers jersey featuring #21; an away jersey for the English world cup soccer team; the movie Heat; and a few other treats.On Saturday we got all of the Christmas stuff out and set up, including the lights on the house. I finished the train last night, and so now all we need to worry about is doing our shopping...
Here's hoping that you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday as well!
