Ray always gets a kick out of Thanksgiving with my family. We end up toting a ton of birthday gifts along for the ride so it is almost like an early second Christmas. The sad thing is I am bad about getting the gifts ahead of time. You would think I would be better at planning out that shopping spree, particularly when you consider almost everyone had their birthday in August! Alas, procrastination sets in every year, and I find myself running around for the perfect birthday gifts for everyone in the days running up to Thanksgiving.

I know ... you are asking yourself how I am able to put off such shopping from August to November. Well, I am not sure how or why it happens, but my family is great about calling and emailing during the second half of the year, but we struggle with finding time to arrange get-togethers during that period. My schedule, and our distance from the rest of the family is the biggest part of the problem. I say the word "distance" specifically in relation to the scale according to Rhode Islanders. They really only live about 40 minutes away, but that sounds like a requirement for a stay-over for most of us.

Well, last night, I realized the the time had come to go do some shopping. Ray was doing the cards thing with the girls at the retired living complex so I had the early evening to go to the shopping center near the library I work at. It took only about 2 hours, but I got something for everyone. I had preplaned most of the gifts I wanted to get so that helped.

On a bizarre note, yours truly got checked out by a gay couple as I was roaming around Linens n' Things looking for something for my aunt. It was actually quite the ego boost. It doesn't happen often, but it is nice to be noticed.

Anyway, tonight, I have to check my recipes. I am not allowed to go to any family functions without bringing along my chocolate peanut butter bars. We are also all supposed to bring a sidedish. My aunt and uncle take care of all the basics for the meal, but they ask us each to bring a dessert and a sidedish to broaden the choices. So, I will run to the supermarket on my lunch break. Yeah ... I am pretty crazy. Then, I will go home after work, which will be a little earlier than normal since the library closes at 5:00 pm instead of 8:00 pm, and I will get my baking done. I will do the sidedish on Thanksgiving morning while we are getting ready and packing up my truck. That way, it will still be warm and tasty for dinner at 1:00 pm.