Thanksgiving Weekend

My Thanksgiving weekend was the most unique Thanksgiving I've experienced! It started off with me cooking a turkey at 7 in the morning on Thanksgiving Eve in order for me to be able to have it finished before I had to drop Shelley off to have surgery.

I was able to finish the turkey and get some household errands done on time. I dropped Shelley off at the hospital and went on to run other errands to be ready for John's arrival. I prepped the dinner when I got home and also wrapped some pumpkin bread loafs I had made in saran wrap and a bow.

I was really excited when John arrived at 4:30! We caught up with eachother for a little bit before we had to head out to the hospital to pick up Shelley. I was told she'd most likely be ready by 5:30, but that I should just assume 6pm or they would call me. John and I arrived right at 6pm, but discovered that the surgery started late and Shelley was going to need some time in recovery.

No surprise, Shelley was a bit out of it at first, but once she got some cranberry juice and graham crackers in her, she was starting to get back to her old self! It was so cute to see how attentive John was towards Shelley. He jumped up to help her sit up in bed when she needed to cough and he helped her into the wheelchair and wheeled her out of the hospital. When Shelley thanked him he said he had never wheeled anyone out of the hospital-it was fun!

We met Angie at our apartment. John, Angie and Shelley talked in the living room while I prepared dinner. I made a turkey cranberry wreath and a salad that had cucumbers and yellow and green peppers in it. It turned out pretty well! After dinner I told John I needed to make another wreath so he looked on, trying to figure out the method of my madness. It is sort of surprising how the technique looks like a jumbled mess at first and then it turns into a beautiful display! I didn't take a picture and the pictures online don't exactly look like how I present it, but it is a wreath shaped breaded concoction with a turkey, cranberries and stuffing mixture in the center.

Angie went home and Shelley conked out from all the anestesia and pain meds, which left John and I to enjoy the rest of the evening together.

The next day John and I went to breakfast with my dad. John got to see my childhood home and the infamous staircase I told him (and several friends) about. He proclaimed that the stairs are worse than you'd expect when it comes to their steepness! It's true! Anyone who has seen them would agree! The three of us went to good ol' Hot 'n' Tot and we were pleasantly surprised that the decor was back to the old fashioned diner style. Erika and I had gone years ago and they had everything decorated in southwestern style...neither of us wanted to go back because out memories of how it used to be was more like how it is now.

John and I dropped off my dad and headed back to my place before John had to set out for San Luis Obispo to see his mom. Originally I was going to go with him, but I didn't want Shelley to be alone and I also had an interview the next day and I didn't feel I should miss that. Shelley, Angie and I hung out on Thanksgiving evening, eating some more cranberry wreath. Yum!

Friday's interview was so-so. I was late getting there, which has never happened to me! The interview was long, but the job was supposed to start today so I figure I didn't get the position. It would have been nice to have a contract job for 3-5 months, but I don't think it was necessarily a good fit. I guess God has something better planned for me!

Saturday John came back from SLO in time for Saturday evening service at King's Harbor. I was saddened that more of my friends weren't there in order to meet John. :( He was able to meet Jenn Gunn, so at least one of my bible study members knows what he looks like and has a general sense of his personality! ;) After service we went to La Capilla in Old Town Torrance for dinner.

Sunday John and I packed up our lunch and headed to Palos Verdes for a hike. It was a beautiful day for a hike--the sun was shining and it was warm, but there was a nice breeze that would pass at just the right time. John fashioned a water carrier for his belt with the ribbon I used to wrap the pumpkin bread--so ingenious! He claimed that my water was the one with less in it, so I made sure to drink from both water bottles to ensure that they were approximately the same volume! ;)

John and I took a different route than I had ever hiked and we ended up right across the street from the water! There was a fence that was locked and we couldn't get across--we were so deflated that we were so close, yet so far! We hiked back (uphill). John found a nice pepper tree with lots of shade and a soft spot for us to sit on while we had our lunch of (left over) BBQ turkey sandwiches and pumpkin bread. The food was delicious and the company delightful!

That night we (John, Shelley and I) went to Angie's for Sunday Night Amazing Race viewing. Angie made us all paninis which were delicious and J, S and I brought chips and the vanilla ice cream and Virgil's Black Cherry Cream Soda to make floats for dessert.

After dinner, Gretchen, Shelley, John and I played Uno and Angie had the idea that whoever won the next game could choose someone to get up and they would have to write their name with their butt. Of course John was picked first! He was a good sport and was able to emphasize each letter of his name quite well: J-O-H-N! We were in hysterics! I had to go next, but I chose cursive and that didn't work as well. Angie did hers and then Gretchen was last (since Shelley couldn't do it because of her surgery). Gretchen's was by far the best, although John's was quite impressive! We all had a good laugh.

Since neither John or I follow the Amazing Race, we made the black cherry floats while they watched the first part of the show. John and I make a great team, making the perfect floats (in my opinion!).

John had to fly back to Ohio on Monday unfortunately. Thankfully he will be back soon since his boss and he decided that he would be moving to California temporarily for 3-6 months! Yay!