Thanksgiving break

Left work early, and headed to Carytown, Richmond’s shopping area for the young, the hip, the tragically chic, and the people who like spending too much money on things. Of course, since I intended to spend too much money on chocolate, it was the ideal place for me.

Passed by the completely-packed Ukrops parking lot and decided no, I don’t need to buy soap that badly (I have one bar left that will be switching from shower bar to sink bar in the upstairs bathroom until I go shopping again). Found a parking space in the lot for a shop called For The Love Of Chocolate, which is, of course, a store where you can spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on designer and imported chocolates, wacky stuff (chocolate baby poo, I am not making that up), weird stuff (a giant chocolate Santa, imagine giving that to your five-year-old—“Hey, son, would you like to much on Santa’s arm?” “WAAAH!”), and, of course, the stuff that drew me in an unerring direct line—the sugary stuff. Rock candy. Candy cigarettes. Candy, candy, candy.

I am so glad I went to this store after lunch.

I decided not to try the 85% cacao chocolate bar, because y’know, why not just buy a box of baker’s chocolate and eat that instead? I mean, ew. I also passed up anything I could buy in just about any store. I picked up truffles for Sarah and Larry, since Sarah is making Thanksgiving dinner for us tomorrow and absolutely refuses to let me do anything. I also picked up some sweet things for the kids, and some things for me, and then I went back and got more stuff for us, and even some for Heidi and G. There’s this special kind of chocolate they like that isn’t easily available, and the store had some.

And now I am home, and the chicken is defrosting, and I have about seven things for dessert, including the remains of my birthday cake from Saturday, and I have absolutely no need to leave the house until late tomorrow afternoon. For the first time in years, I won’t be driving to NJ for Thanksgiving. I’m actually rather relieved. It’s pretty lousy weather down here. I’d be driving through rain. Been there, done that, don’t like it very much.

Tig was sleeping on a box of clothes in my bedroom when I came home, and I had a momentary bout of panic when I couldn’t find Gracie in any of her usual places. But then I looked over at Tig again, and saw that he was back-to-back with his sister. I’m betting she was there first, he came up, and she refused to leave, so he pushed her over bit by bit until she was in the back corner next to the dresser. They have both been given some tuna-flavored Fancy Feast, and so, are happy.

And I have a bottle of Coke in my hand (the good stuff in the glass bottle, not the plastic ones), and a tape with two episodes of the Gilmore Girls on it, plus today’s soaps. I shall be relaxing tonight, and cleaning house tomorrow before heading over to the G. family’s Thanksgiving celebration, where a wonderful time will be had by all.

Blogging will in all likelihood be light. It’s Thanksgiving. Give yourselves a break from the usual routine. I intend to. And I will also be giving thanks for the good things in my life. I have much to be thankful for, not least of which is not having to drive on this yucky, yucky day.

Happy Thanksgiving, all!