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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Nov 21, 2012 - 09:53pm PT
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Historically, Thanksgiving has been an opportunity for me to get out of Dodge and into the mountains for a long 4-day weekend.
Just another one of the many advantages of belonging to a broken family! (:
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Ricky D
Trad climber
Sierra Westside
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Nov 21, 2012 - 09:53pm PT
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My kid's too far away.
No parents to speak of.
Scheduled to work tomorrow.
I could give a crap about turkey.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Nov 21, 2012 - 09:53pm PT
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I'm sorry that you're not well, Randisi.
But you do have something good: An excuse!
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
California
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Nov 21, 2012 - 09:59pm PT
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Do something for someone else. It will fix what ails you.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Nov 21, 2012 - 10:16pm PT
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we'll have a small family T-day...
watch football
and think about going up to the Valley for photos on Sunday
when we lived in western Massachusetts we'd visit my grandma in Boston, still a pretty small gathering, I remember crashing into sleep, since I always was exhausted from travel and teaching, once flying in from Geneva, Ch. from a meeting to Boston and meeting up with the family at grandma's... one year I awoke from sleep to watch Doug Flutie heave that Hail Marry pass into the end zone for the Boston U. win...
I can't remember T-day in graduate school, probably also a small affair, don't know if we had enough to buy a turkey, but probably
as an undergraduate at UCB in the last few years there we'd get friends together and sort of graze on the turkey and other stuff... we'd eat everything and anything in those times.
of all the holidays, this one is a good one since we all have something to be thankful for à la the Pilgrims and all that... having friends over that share those same things seems appropriate, or family... no religious stuff, just thanks...
I'd understand if there were no football at your place... but maybe you could figure out what a desirable gathering would be if you can't be with your parents...
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Nov 21, 2012 - 10:31pm PT
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Hey Melissa
Don't fret--just make it low key. . .
(easier said than done, agreed, but enjoy it for what it's worth).
I'm having a couple of buddies come by to eat either just vegetables(1),
and a bigger turkey than I wanted--waited too late to order a smaller one. . .
Have fun!
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zBrown
Ice climber
chingadero de chula vista
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Nov 21, 2012 - 10:38pm PT
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I recall that the White Album came out at Thanksgiving. We went all the way from Berkeley to Oakland and listened to it and did a couple other things that improved our appetites.
To this day I still find it hard to believe that Mother Superior jumped the gun.
We didn't have TV in those days.
Maybe they were on to something
I look at the world and I notice it's turning
While my guitar gently weeps
With every mistake we must surely be learning
Still my guitar gently weeps
Clickety-clack, don't look back.
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Nov 21, 2012 - 10:45pm PT
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Oh, Melissa, have you been working too hard? It can sometimes just be the time of year. I have to say, just having had 4 days of sunshine myself, that my mood is great. Hope you do have a wonderful day long weekend.
phyl
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Nov 21, 2012 - 10:47pm PT
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I'm with you Melissa.
While buffoons inhale fat rich gravy and get to visit with the relatives they most hate (but have to pretend they don't) I will hopefully have the rifle range all to myself.
Well I can dream can't I?
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Nov 21, 2012 - 11:00pm PT
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For us, Thanksgiving will be an afternoon/evening of friendship with a few other Supertopians. None of us has family that... Well, leave it that family thanksgiving isn't really an option for any of us. But tribe is family, right?
And for some of us who really never found a place in the family or community we grew up in, the climbing community is home. So what better way to enjoy thanksgiving than with a few like-minded souls who share something that most families don't share anyway.
And as bergbryce said:
Do something for someone else. It will fix what ails you.
Seriously, Melissa, there are people who have so close to nothing that anything at all is up. Do something for one of them and you'll have a thanksgiving worth remembering.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Nov 21, 2012 - 11:09pm PT
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Thanks for your thoughtful responses.
phyl...you're sort of onto smething.
If I was free to go labor for the truly needy, I'd be less anxious.
I'm slated to spend a dozen or so hours, two days in a row, eating with the group, walking with the group, doing whatever the group decides we are supposed to do, and it's not my group. No tv or do-gooder escapes. And turkey. So, I guess I'm having the panic attack of a cat about to be herded.
But I'm genuinely happy for all of you who are psyched for your plans.
And I don't want to overstate my beef. I love these people. I just am very challenged to do the holiday thing for them for such a long strech.
Love to you guys. You keep me sane through the holidays. This is just the first one where I've posted. notthativeeversnucktothepottyforasocialescapebefore....
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splitter
Trad climber
Cali Hodad, surfing the galactic plane
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Nov 21, 2012 - 11:16pm PT
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Has it happened yet?
Don't mean sh#t to me.
I'm soloing TG this year, and most likely the rest of my life.
So, I guess i feel the same way.
edit: but if i get feeling REALLY thankful, maybe i'll cross the street to MacDonalds and get a turkey burger or sumpthin'!
Shut up Mouse! yer making me hungry!! I haven't eatin dinner yet!
I am not a cook. Bean burritos, grilled cheese sammy's, tuna samiches, tomato soup. that is about as complicated as it gets. microwave this and that!
Thanks for the invite Mouse. I was thinking that if I was in your area I would be welcome. I wish I was. Maybe next year! Thanks, bro!!
edit: "Fck the Cowboys, too." +1 ... Chargers all the way!!!
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Nov 21, 2012 - 11:17pm PT
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naFvwgkTo8A
I got a free turkey yesterday by NOT signing up for one. Each year the Key Club from the high school--God bless your shining faces and innocent hearts, kids--come through this old hotel and deliver a laundry basket filled with a turkey (eleven pounds!), various sides, stuffing mix, and an aluminum roasting pan. I was greatly pleased, because I do cook and like it. I even got waldorf salad that I was planning to make as a matter of course, and now I wonder who can share it with me. I need to find someone.
The video is to cheer you all up. It's a start.
Have fun Sunday, Ed.
Hey, Splitter, jump in the vehicle and come on up. It's six hours from LA to Merced. If you started now you'd get here in plenty of time for Thanksgiving sevices. I kind of think I might head over to St. Pat's tomorrow. Say thanks to Dad and Mom. Fck the Cowboys, too.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Nov 21, 2012 - 11:21pm PT
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sully....OMG Tim and Tickle. How'd you know? I tried my own moonshine (poison), and they were my inspiration. All the way.
zBrown: Thanks for the Beatles smile too!
Thanks all you guys. I appreciate the sharing.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Nov 21, 2012 - 11:23pm PT
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I even got waldorf salad
I knew I was forgetn' the fixins' for sumthin'
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John M
climber
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Nov 21, 2012 - 11:43pm PT
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When family got too much for me, I would try to sneak out of the house early. 2 hours of surfing or mountain biking would set me up just right. One year I was dating this lady who lived in Berkley. She knew I had trouble with large groups, but she was very social and we had this big all day social event to go to with loads of her friends and family, so she took me kayaking on the bay very early that morning. It put a big smile on my face and I was good to go.
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nita
Social climber
chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.
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Nov 21, 2012 - 11:45pm PT
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Miss Melissa ...You are gorgeous , healthy, intelligent, loved, have a sweetie, a fulfilling Jay-oh-bee, a roof over your head, plus you have Turkey day off...
Plus + Plus....++ ++ Plus...
lecture here....
Hijole Malcriada....count your blessings....
The Pollyanna in me loves Thanksgiving.... and giving thanks...
The grinch in me...dislikes Christmas and all the excess.
ok, lecture over...
Cheers ...
and i hope you degrinch tomorrow.. and have a beautiful day.
saludos...(-;
nita.
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Nov 21, 2012 - 11:51pm PT
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When I was young and on the road, Thanksgiving was a very lonely time. Sometimes spent with strangers or just alone with nothing to do.
Other times large family, or huge family gatherings, where I would sit on the fringe and wish I was out climbing or something.
Fortunately. the big family thing will be near an interesting beach up in Santa Barbara tomorrow.
My ideal Thanksgiving would be with a few hardy souls. Go out and kill something yummy, gather some seasonal fruits, squashes, etc. Make a big feast and pig out. Very hand-made.
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nita
Social climber
chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.
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Nov 22, 2012 - 12:20am PT
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One thing I am thankful for is that they still have not found a way to commercialize this holiday.
Randisi.....+++...Big time...YUP!
edit: Miss Melissa, at some point after dinner... sneak away and do something fun......
edit:Qitnl ...Quiet is the new loud....That's the day after turkey-day....
Splitter, if you were in my Mom's hood, we would invite you over...always lots of food..
sigh...
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Nov 22, 2012 - 12:32am PT
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hey there say, melissa...
my grandkids and their home (up here not the south texas ones) are in a divorced family, suddenly, since last year... :O
the mom is now too far away, but still in town, and my ex son in law, helps out if there is car troubles, etc, but i am not on his list of
'folks to hang around with' even when my grandkids are with him (he was married, first, to my daughter, and i am the ex mother in law).... so:
i am just staying home with the critters... used to be kind of sad, when that happened, if the grandkids family was invited to her-or-his family...
but my friend usually asked me to stop by... it made things kind of like a holiday, then...
well, tue, i got a surprise:
a friend came and gave gas money to go see the grandkids, and brought so extra groceriers from there stuff... they wanted to help me go to the grankids' mom house...
but she's having the meal late, at supper, now--too hard to see well, to drive back in the dark, as it is not a familiar road... so i gave the friends their money back, today, and chose to stay home:
the neat part is: i kind of HAD a thankgivings:
just knowing that my friends cared, and came over, wanting to help me not be alone...
(they themselves, had an invite away, or they'd have had me over to their house) ... and--they also brought over those bits of groceries, so:
that eve, i bought a little piece of lamb for 3.36 on sale, and made a stew for me and critters that night....
so wonderful!!! we ARE thankful that we had that special treat, and i will not forget that.... otherwise, it would just be a same-old-same-old day...
which it will be--but with that fun 'early thanksgiving' alread done!
tomorrow i will paint (i had a part that i had to start all over again with, :( --but then, now i am TWICE glad i am not traveling, :))
i miss seeing my folks at this time, though, :(
they might be visiting family, instead of having a meal at home, i am not
sure yet... :)
also:
randishi:
get well soon...
happy thanksgiving to you all!!!
there are so many ways to be thankful, by 'making our own traditions'...
perhaps melissa, you can have a special day, on THE DAY after, :)
something new and speical, just for you--back a little dish and have a
glass of wine, etc... and put some flowers on the table,
too...
:)
wow, mouse, and cosmic, steveW, and ghost, and a few others are ready to cook! :)
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Nov 22, 2012 - 02:34am PT
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I am having a hard time finding a good pseudonym.
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froodish
Social climber
Portland, Oregon
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Nov 22, 2012 - 03:22am PT
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I actually enjoy Thanksgiving more than Xmas, but tomorrow (today I guess, it is after midnight) will spend the day with good friends as is my custom. This gathering has been going on for 20 years and I look forward to it. No obligations, just breaking bread (and wine!, can you break wine?) with a good crew. I don't eat meat, but will happily participate in the deep frying of the bird and content myself with the numerous other dishes that are meat free.
Melissa, and the rest of the Taco crew, I wish you a joyous day, however you choose to spend it.
Cheers,
-Steve
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David Plotnikoff
Mountain climber
Emerald Hills, CA
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Nov 22, 2012 - 03:56am PT
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To me this is the easiest holiday. Everyone has *something* to be thankful for, no matter what your personal situation. Hell, be thankful you got out of bed this morning. Because some people didn't. Eat the turkey or don't. (Personally, I'm going with roast duck, the traditional trimmings and champagne ... Leftover turkey quickly assumes the texture of balsa wood. Whereas duck fat cures all.)
And if you're really stuck in a serious Class A funk, consider this: There are plenty of people pretty close to you who don't have enough to eat, don't have any friends who are still alive, don't have a safe place to sleep, etc. Not just today. Every day. Doing anything, no matter how small, to connect to another person who's hurting is always a way to make the holiday significant. It's not the size of the gift or the flamboyance of the gesture. It's just saying through a deed to someone else, "Hey, I recognize you're a human being like me and I give a damn." Applying a little money to the situation is often helpful.
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hooblie
climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
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Nov 22, 2012 - 07:11am PT
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may there be at least a game hen in every mailbox
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Nov 22, 2012 - 07:35am PT
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F*#k thanksgiving. I'll be glad when the day is over.
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splitter
Trad climber
Cali Hodad, surfing the galactic plane
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Nov 22, 2012 - 08:36am PT
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Thanksgiving is for turkeys!
Nuf said!!
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Nov 22, 2012 - 08:46am PT
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I have known the feeling Melissa.
Today is going to have exercise before the eating.
And I'm going to make Sooze' mushroom pie.
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Nov 22, 2012 - 11:04am PT
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They are beautiful people who are close talkers. Stepford Wives are people too, I've learned. Why should I worry about my large pores and flat chest when I'm around them?
Hahaha, Sullly! That ought to put a smile on her face!
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Nov 22, 2012 - 11:09am PT
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Well, they're starting Black Friday later today. . .
sheesh!
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Nov 22, 2012 - 11:52am PT
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Melissa,
Sounds like you could use a little social lubricant:
The Negroni:
1 part gin
1 part vermouth (the usual recipe calls for sweet, but I like to use dry)
1 part campari
A couple of these and you won't mind the relatives at all.
Cheers!
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Nov 22, 2012 - 11:56am PT
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Thanks, Rick. I'm providing the homemade booze this year. (I made plum wine, pear cider, and peach liqueur).
The trick is to drink just enough that I can give up control of my situation but not so much that I lose control of my tongue.
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10b4me
Boulder climber
member since 2002
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Nov 22, 2012 - 12:07pm PT
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T-giving is not a big deal to me, but I do give thanks for Supertopo. I like this site a lot
Big thanks to Chris for putting up with us.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Nov 22, 2012 - 12:19pm PT
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The trick is to drink just enough that I can give up control of my situation but not so much that I lose control of my tongue.
think of it as performance art... work through your role before hand, spend a bit of time before to get into the role... and remember it's only for a limited time.
I always feel I can be charming in any situation as long as it has a definite time limit. Longer limits require pacing. The challenge to self is to actually figure out a way to engage everyone and in an interesting (for me) conversation. Find something positive in everyone... this can be a stretch for sure.
As for drinking, well, I have no control over my tongue, thus the preparations for role playing before, and at some point drinking too much (three beer equiv. max?) just shuts me down completely.
But then again, sitting on a coach with a big grin and being incapable of much else is ok too.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Nov 22, 2012 - 01:04pm PT
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The trick is to drink just enough that I can give up control of my situation but not so much that I lose control of my tongue.
I dunno, Melissa unleashed would be awesome to experience.
Though, that dilemma, is part of why I decided to stop all together
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Nov 22, 2012 - 01:19pm PT
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The Canadian Thanksgiving is the second Monday of October, and so well separated from commercial excess, and more or less coincidental with the end of harvest, which after all was the whole idea anyway. If you're lucky, we'll have left some turkeys for you.
Oddly, the expression "black friday" is being used by retailers here anyway, some sort of foreign decadence or something. Especially odd when it's used by Canadian companies. Today and tomorrow are nothing special in our retailing world.
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
California
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Nov 22, 2012 - 01:48pm PT
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The Macy's parade is on in the background.
Do people actually watch that $hit? People other than 6 year old kids?
The future in-laws had leftover cold pizza in the fridge this morning. The day is off to a good start. Save for the parade noise in the background.
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Nov 22, 2012 - 08:36pm PT
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Two words. Port Allegany
Susan
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Nov 22, 2012 - 08:46pm PT
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All you people who feel sorry for yourselves need to get a grasp on perspectives and life elsewhere.
I'm not hatin', but remember where you live! You are fine!!!
for now.
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little Z
Trad climber
un cafetal en Naranjo
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Nov 22, 2012 - 09:23pm PT
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almost forgot it was Thanksgiving, but the little cabins where I'm staying while I'm working out in the field here in Costa Rica is owned by some Costa Ricans who lived for years in New Jersey. I was about to go to some restaurant up the road for my daily dose of rice and beans when they knock on my door and present me with a Thanksgiving dinner! Complete with stuffing, cranberry sauce, candied yams, peas in cream suace and homemade cranberry cheese cake. What fine folks.
thought about Thanksgivings past and one of the most memorable was one in the Hidden Valley campground at JT with a bunch of friends from Phoenix and San Diego. Everyone brought a dish and we had it all planned out but then the weather fell apart and the wind was so strong and it was so cold we all had to huddle in our cars and eat it mostly cold, but it was still fun.
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TwistedCrank
climber
Dingleberry Gulch, Ideeho
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Nov 22, 2012 - 10:06pm PT
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T-Day dinner for me consisted of Lunchables eaten in the car that were bought at the Tremonton C-Store.
Some family traditions are beyond words.
It's a charmed life.
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nature
climber
Boulder, CO
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Nov 22, 2012 - 10:19pm PT
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I ate vegan tonight. And I didn't know anyone at the dinner table for more than a week. rather refreshing really.
Too bad Riley is so sick - wanted to do the third flat with him in the AM.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Nov 22, 2012 - 10:52pm PT
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Everyone brought a dish and we had it all planned out but then the weather fell apart and the wind was so strong and it was so cold we all had to huddle in our cars and eat it mostly cold, but it was still fun.
Yep, sounds like J-tree for Thanksgiving!!! I missed it this year.
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WBraun
climber
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Nov 23, 2012 - 01:31am PT
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No wonder Americans are stooopid.
They eat a bird that's stooopid.
Just see how stooopid that is .......
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Nov 23, 2012 - 01:53am PT
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For those who come the US late in life, Thanksgiving is a strange... what? Holiday? Tradition? Sociological experience?
Whatever the descriptor, it is a very good thing.
For us, it was an afternoon/evening shared by six people who met through Supertopo and have since become good friends. None of us was in a position to be with family, but we were all thankful for the opportunity to spend the day together.
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