Happy (Almost) Thanksgiving!

I've always loved Thanksgiving, and I think every year but three that I can remember, we've had Thanksgiving dinner at my house in Vienna. The exceptions are the year my grandparents (dad's parents) took us to the Homestead resort in West Virginia for a joint Thanksgiving/Dad's birthday celebration, the year my family tried going out for Thanksgiving dinner, and the year I studied abroad in France.

My memories of the holiday consist of sleeping in, waking up in time to see the last bit of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, lounging in pajamas for a bit before getting dressed and helping with last-minute preparations. In recent years, we've also had mulled wine prior to the meal, which I love. The spices and warmth are a perfect winter alcoholic beverage, and a great way to kick off the day.

For us, Thanksgiving has always been about being with family. It's a holiday of thanks, eating, and family time, and little else. We don't do any of the crazy 4am shopping events on Friday, and while we sometimes go to Black Friday, generally we take it easy, stay home, and continue eating and drinking. The time off from work, lack of obligations, and being at home makes it a really nice break right before the rest of the "Holiday Season."

This year is a bit different - in addition to this being the first Thanksgiving in 12 years without Riley, there are a few other changes to our guest list. Rather than having out of town family, my sister and I are each having a friend over, and Harry is having his boyfriend over. One of my mom's best friends from her childhood, my "Aunt" Renee, and my aunt's friend and his boyfriend are coming this year, as well. It'll be a fun family and friends food fest!

Why yes, yes I am excited.

Tae Kwon Do

I did tae kwon do fairly religiously while at Northwestern. For the first two years, I rarely missed class and tested for a new belt (rank) at the end of each quarter. As I got busier, I didn't go quite as regularly, but I was still an active member in the club, and it was a huge part of my life at Northwestern. I really loved it. It was a fun and somewhat untraditional form of exercise, and having the 1.5 hours of class time twice a week dedicated to it was also a great mental break from class work.

I hadn't done TKD since graduation in June '08 until I took a TKD class at GWU last night. It was amazing - I can't believe how much I have missed it. Everything was familiar, from the order of activities of the class down to the old, unairconditioned gym in which classes were held. The blocks, the stances, the kicks, and how the master taught and led the class were all familiar, as is the soreness I feel today in my shoulders and calves from doing things I haven't done in two years. It was great to be back, though, and I look forward to going to more classes in the future.

R.I.P. Riley

My dog, Riley, passed away last week. He was twelve and a half, and we had had him since just before my 12th birthday in 6th grade. He had been ailing for a few months, but when my dad took him to the vet on Tuesday, he was much sicker than we thought. My whole family is having trouble adjusting...we know he's gone, but I still expect to see him around the house. He had a great life, "the life of Riley," we used to say, and I think everyone who has ever met him had a story about a time when he stole food either off their plates or somehow got up on the dining room table when we stupidly left the room unattended.

I stayed at home last week and Monday night, and it's weird to not have him around, cocking his head at us, trying to understand what we're saying, or barking for treats at exactly 9pm, or lying in the hallway opening his eyes to look at us whenever someone passes by. He leaves a big hole in our lives that will be difficult to fill. I love you, Riley.