Thanksgiving / Black Friday recap.

What can I say - both were all around success stories - for once.  With only a minor hiccup here and there.

I'm not going to lie - Thanksgiving was stressing me out this year.  You may have picked up on it in my last post, but if you didn't that's okay because we all know how subtle I can be...

I flew home on Monday (so glad I wasn't traveling later in the week) exhausted and still sick but muddling through.  Like a dummy, I neglected to take Tuesday off so I had to work.  Wednesday, although I was off, found me feeling really ill.  I'm not sure if it was just the tail end of whatever I've been battling or if it was sheer exhaustion from the long, stressful weekend.

At any rate, not much was accomplished on Wednesday, which meant that the actual D-Day was extra busy as I scurried around and prepped the house for guests.  And I'm proud to say, that I accomplished everything I'd set out to do, for the most part.  But the stress of having seven of us for dinner, one of whom I barely know and three of whom I'd never met at all (an introverts worst nightmare), meant that I wasn't surprised when I had a mini-meltdown regarding missing forks.  Oh sure, I've known that some spoons have gone missing and a few steak knives but forks?  I thought I'd been keeping a better eye on them.

Apparently not.

But here's the deal - just WHERE does missing cutlery go?  We all know that the dryer eats random socks on occasion but forks?  I'm beginning to wonder if the dishwasher has picked up on what the dryer is doing and has become a copycat.

Eventually, I calmed down and used a salad fork in place of a regular fork and since I was the one using the salad fork; I don't think anyone else was the wiser.  And after a glass of wine and chatting with The Girlfriend's mother and sisters for a few minutes my shattered nerves were somewhat put back together.  Turns out they are very nice people.  But I know me, it will take several more meetings before I feel completely comfortable with them.

The Husband put out a wonderful spread which was well received.  As were the pies that I'd made - including the pumpkin one that I tweeted about the day before...

After all these years, MC just realized I don't care for pumpkin pie. Then wanted to know why I make it. For you dear boy, for you.

— Gigi (@gigirambles) November 23, 2016

Turns out our children really ARE kind of clueless about us.  I've been making him pumpkin pie every year since he was old enough to request it but he'd never noticed that I never, ever ate it.  The only reason he noticed this year was because he was in the kitchen as I was putting it together and noticed my grimace as I was adding the pumpkin in to the mixture.  Maybe that means he's becoming more aware?  Doubtful.

Yesterday morning found me up really, really early.  The Husband had to go to work and Man-Child was sleeping, of course.  The paper person has been running really late here recently, so I didn't have my usual routine of coffee and paper.  So instead I was idly sifting through the Black Friday sale papers.  I had no real intention of heading out.  But as I was turning the pages it began to dawn on me that I had not bought one single gift.  And even worse?  I hadn't even started a list of ideas.

I pulled a pad of paper over and began to jot a few items down that I knew would suit certain people.  I figured I'd head out and if it was too crazy, I'd just come home.  So imagine my surprise when I walked into Kohl's around 8:00 am and found that the store was practically empty.  Clutching my list in my hand, I darted around the store and was able to find everything but one thing.  I was in and out of that store in under 40 minutes; walking away with at least five gifts.

After that I came home and made lemon poppy-seed muffins for Man-Child because why not?  I have to admit, I fudged the recipe though because I didn't feel like searching for an actual lemon poppy-seed muffin recipe; but they turned out okay.  My only nit?  Not lemony enough.  I've made a mental note to add more lemon juice next time.

Once Man-Child loaded up his car with leftovers to take to friends at school (yes, he's headed up the mountain for the weekend) and took off it was about lunchtime.  The Husband and I had made plans for lunch.  And honestly?  That was the extent of my plans.  Until after lunch, when I had the thought that if I hit the other Kohl's, I just might find that one gift I'd missed out on this morning.

And I did.  But the lines at this Kohl's were INSANE.  So I headed over to the jewelry.  I figured I could find something for my mother-in-law and check out there (they will let you check everything out there as long as you are actually buying a piece of jewelry) and, once again, hit the jackpot and was in and out of the store in no time.

All of this success emboldened me, I then headed for Michael's and Bath & Body Works.  Where once again - despite the crowds, I was able to find what I wanted and get out fairly quickly.

Today, I joined a friend and her mother and daughter for The Craftsman's Christmas Classic Arts & Crafts Show.  Basically, we and a million other people file into the Coliseum to look at various arts & crafts.  People have some talent and creativity, let me tell you.  I didn't buy much but it was a good way to spend time with friends and help get me in the Christmas spirit.

Now, while I am no where NEAR being done, at least I have made some headway on the Christmas shopping and maybe that will be the impetus to getting it done sooner rather than later.

How about you?  Are you in the Christmas spirit yet?  Have you finished your shopping (if so, I'm really jealous) or are you in a blind panic wondering just how you are going to do it all?