Monkey Sandwiches and Bruised Ribs

I realize it has been a while since I did a general life update. I haven’t really felt like the best version of myself in a while, so maybe that’s why I have avoided it.

It isn’t that I feel like the best version of myself right now, either. But, I guess I can’t wait around on that to happen. An adage about faking it until I make it comes to mind.

Thanksgiving has come and gone—it sneaked up on me and disappeared before I ever felt it was truly time for Thanksgiving. It was nice though: breakfast with my family and an early dinner with the in-laws. That’s pretty much been our standard Turkey Day schedule for several years. This year we had a waffle bar for breakfast and it was delicious! (I had a banana/pecan/chocolate chip waffle, if you’re at all interested.)

You know what I miss about Thanksgiving?

The Macy’s Parade. I know, I know. It hasn’t gone anywhere, but I don’t have any television services so I can’t watch it at home, and I’m usually travelling and/or cooking breakfast while it is on and my parent’s cabin was not built with kitchen television-viewing access in mind when they configured the rooms. I hear there was a scandal this year because two women kissed. Not to get political or anything, but I think women have been kissing for a pretty long time now, so I don’t know what the big deal was.

Another big deal I don’t get: I’m not a Black Friday shopper. My husband’s family used to be borderline fanatical about it. I remember one year while hubby and I were still just dating, they invited me to go BF shopping with them and I accepted the invite because I wanted them to like me.

Yeah…

I slept straight through them sitting in the driveway honking their horn and calling my cell phone to let me know they were there. See, Aila doesn’t really do the late night thing. (I know, I’m a writer…but an early morning writer, not a late night writer. Night writer. Knight Rider? Sorry, I’ll continue.)

Then, a few years after hubby and I married, I once again agreed to go BF shopping. A local-ish store was giving gift cards to the first one-hundred people waiting in line. Now, we assumed the bigger gift cards would be given to the people at the front of the line so I was first, hubby second, SIL third, etc. We more or less camped out. (By that I mean we sat in chairs, wrapped ourselves in blankets, and called upon family and friends to drive by and give us hot chocolate.) I don’t remember exactly, but I think we waited for five hours or more before the store opened. I got a five-dollar gift card. 

That was my last time ever going Black Friday shopping.

While millions of people strategized and plotted their way around the layout of their target stores, decided who would grab what and where to meet up before waiting in the check-out line, I was doing something I much preferred: Spending time with my nephew.

Now, I wish I could post pictures of the little big guy because he’s five years old and has the most adorable smile I’ve ever seen, but out of respect for his parents’ wishes, I hope you’ll take my word for how cute he is. (So. Cute.)

I’m not knocking people who love to shop Black Friday deals, believe me…but I was delighted to play Tickle Monster for hours on end and listen to wild stories and read children’s books with the boy wonder himself. Actually, if it weren’t for Black Friday, my sleepover with the nephew might not have happened, since I was babysitting so his parents could do the whole BF thing.

We made Monkey Sandwiches (peanut butter and banana with a side of strawberries) and told bedtime stories—and sometime around 2:30am it is possible I was struck in the rib cage by an adorable little foot…and by possible I mean it definitely happened…twice. But, that’s okay. I guess he was dreaming he was the next David Beckham.

I hope your Thanksgiving was fabulous as my monkey sandwiches and bruised ribs. What was your favorite dish served?

Do you do the whole Black Friday shopping thing? If so, what’d you score this year? If not, why? (In case you didn’t gather, I don’t do it because I’d rather sleep.)

That’s all I have today.

Don’t forget to check out my series on DIY cover design! New post coming on Monday! ♥

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