Bounty

So on Thursday I got to go to the O.C. Just like on TV, folks. Actually Josh Schwartz is a USC grad, or, in another way of putting it, part of the USC mafia that runs the show(s).

It was nice out there. The air was clearer and the ocean was visible and the streets have nature-themed names.

I was there for American Thanksgiving with Ms. Lebo and her family. I really love Thanksgiving. It's so secular and the central theme of the giving of thanks is so scarce in Western culture. Granted, it's got some sketchy roots (the pilgrims killed all the First Nations people, whaaaaa?), but the overall tone of family get-together for feasting and all-round appreciation of our daily bounty makes me feel warm all over. I was very sad to miss my own family's Thanksgiving this year, although the surprise of a dinner at Geoffrey's on the night of Canadian Thanksgiving did make me feel considerably better about being unable to defend my long-reigning Balderdash champion title. Anyway, surely Mom will make the broccoli casserole for Christmas?

But off to the O.C. for the warm family feelings of someone else's family! (or: feeling affection without also feeling slightly irritated!)

Sarah's aunt Susie is pretty awesome. When I met her for the first time last month, she told me that she'd been reading this here blog, which caused me to have a brief out-of-body experience in which I considered for the first time that people other than those who put up with me on a daily basis might actually read this stuff. When we got to her house, she had pages from mine and Sarah's blog printed out and up on the fridge. I feel famous already.

The highlights from the day include: the food (well, obviously. and of course the smell of the cooking turkey. and the pecan pie for dessert, which I evidentally enjoyed a lot, as I found little bits of it stuck to my shirt later), the setting (charmingly mismatched glassware, endearing hand-made placecards, a garden I'd give my eyeteeth for), the games (frisbee, in which I accidentally hit the smallest member of the party in the mouth and made her cry, daisy-chain making, in which I got to assist young Miss Katie, and picture bingo, in which the aforementioned youngest member of the party, Miss Lily, was told to call certain winning pictures by her grandfather or she'd be "in big trouble"), and of course, the people.

It gets the pump primed for all the partying and holidaying of December, this Thanksgiving at the end of November, doesn't it? I'm only too happy to make like Captain Torrance and bring it on.