Thanksgiving night gives way to the made up holiday.

Black friday is a joke.  What started out as a "clever" name to refer to the day when all the psychos were trying to get a jump on things and knock out their holiday shopping has turned into a day with its own ad campaign.  When I saw more ads for "black friday" than I did Thanksgiving this week I knew our society had gone off the rails.  But that is not what I came here to talk about.  I came to talk about the draft. . . oh wait, wrong story.

So today was a full day.  Turkey trot with the girls. . . lunch, dinner. . . things didn't go off without a hitch though.  No holiday is complete without a trip to the urgent care.  Thankfully it was me and not the girls.  When I go however, you know it was a must. 

So now I am on a medically mandated break from certain exercises and I am the proud of owner of some stitches to hold my thumb together.  It was pretty scary to see it deflate like a raisin and ooze blood.  No panic though. . . I calmly told the girls I had hurt myself and needed to seek medical attention.  I bound it up tight for the trip, Ione began sobbing.  Once it was bound I said "f" it and finished cooking.  We went to Thanksgiving lunch.  It throbbed, my head hurt and it continued to bleed.  Finally, John told me I should really go and get it looked at.  I did.  After hearing my story the doctor who was giving me sutures said, "you need to thank whoever told you to come in, this is even deeper than it looks."  She gave me a two point nerve test.  Sounds fancy, but it isn't.  Radial nerve is still intact.  Strength and range of motion test.  Check, the tendon is still intact.  So even with stitches there is a little blood loss. 

Anyway, we ended up being late for our second "thanksgiving date."  We still made it.  We had another Thanksgiving dinner that couldn't be beat, and eventually we won't get up until the next morning.  I am betting I will get a phone call from Officer Laurie (who learned of the wound while on the phone with the girls). 

So this Thanksgiving I am thankful for my wife and my children.  I am thankful for my family and my pets.  I am thankful for the kindness of friends.  I am thankful for the compassion of people whom I have known a short time but treat me the way they would their family.  And last but not least, I am thankful for two opposable thumbs. 

Our turkey trot was a success.  26:40 to get around the 2 mile or so loop.  Ione whined a lot, but we all made.  Tessie did a great job.  Gwen could have gone faster.