Don't Ya Just Love the Holidays?

Are you alone on Thanksgiving? I've spent many a year alone on the holidays and it's no big deal anymore, but this year I've got Julie to cook for me and try to create a family atmosphere for us. This is indeed an unusual year. I find myself single and after 3 tries that's not such a bad idea, actually, but we get to simulate an actual family day together and I'm willing to bet dollars to donuts that it will be more fun this way.

For such a happy occasion, I know of an awful lot of people that hate the holidays. Paul, my mechanic for example, is having Thanksgiving with his mother and family and probably dragging his young children along to make it feel normal, but normal would be for him to be with his recently divorced wife. My son Brad is at the airport, where he just called me from. He's flying to California to be with his wife and kids, as they decided it was better to be there than here. He didn't sound thrilled.

Then there's Julie. She fared better than me this year, she was at least invited by her daughter and son-in-law to go to his families Thanksgiving festivities, but opted to spend it with me. For that I am ever thankful, but when you go to someone elses family for holidays, you always feel like the odd man out!

One year, when I was many years younger, I was invited to a friend's house for the holiday and she also invited a few other people that it turned out had no place to go, either. I think it was a distant uncle that asked everyone single, singly, why they were alone on the holiday. He was eventually just pushed out of an open window... That was the last time I accepted an invitation like that.

Then there was Tom white. Tom got married to a fellow Born Again Christian. They loved everyone. He would invite me to his holiday functions, but warn me that I wouldn't enjoy myself, as "her" family rules the event and they're just horrible people. Tom and I are not friends anymore.

This year, my first wife is in town and I know that she will be alone for the holidays. I thought about inviting her for Thanksgiving, but that would just be too weird. She hates EVERYBODY!

So, this is my way of wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday season and try not to eat too much......