So that was a nice Thanksgiving. The parade was good, even if my dad was badgering me to clean the bathrooms through it; I was especially pleased with the banter between Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Al Roker. At 11 I took my kayak out on Lake Windward, but I ended up getting a splinter as I wa pushing off from the dock, so I had to cut the trip short. Dinner was great as usual, and I'm looking forward to making those turkey-cranberry-stuffing pizzas we talked about in Wade's class.

After dinner we went to the Voss's for dessert. It was a little awkward at first because nobody in my family knew anybody. It's uncomfortable meeting the relatives of your girlfriend, because to some extent, I think they regard you as "temporary," and you feel a bit like a third leg in situations. I had fun though. Aniele came over, and we started talking about Ashley Carter, and some of the many girls in our school who are pregnant. It made me feel thankful that I have a fairly normal life and I don't have a drug problem or I haven't gotten someone pregnant.

Side note: If Aniele ever decides to market her own line of bras, I think she should call them "Fortinbras," and the slogan should be "divide and conquer."

I think this Thanksgiving would've been better if my uncle Doug was here. He always lends a kind of humorous, cynical air to holidays, which I think helps others enjoy it more. At the dinner table, he'll be the first one to give you a raised eyebrow at the first hint of a relative making a fool of themself. I think he's my favorite relative who comes to visit, because he's so not a relative. My uncle's in Asia right now, I think he's stopped in the former Saigon this week. I wonder if he misses Thanksgiving over there. If you're reading this, Uncle Doug, here's a Thanksgiving tribute to you.