"My hands tremble, but my heart does not."

-Stephen Hopkins

Good evening to you all!

I hope that all of my American brethren are far away from any and all shopping centers and resting comfortably in preparation for Turkey Day.

I'm just preparing to break bread, and poultry, with a small group of friends before we all adjourn to our respective shifts tomorrow. (Somebody's got to keep working to pull us out of this recession GODDAMNIT! )

While I'm down here celebrating with a small group of friends down here, I know my folks are up in the Northeast, my dad counseling patient's and my mom preparing a vast thanksgiving dinner, after having given Anestesia for 9 separate Colonoscopies this morning...
I'll say that again, me mum is tackling Thanksgiving dinner after giving Anestesia to nine separate patient's for nine separate Colonoscopies.
My mom is pretty badass.

Well, it's Thanksgiving again. And the unofficial tradition on this day it to take stock of all the things you're thankful for.
And while it's true I'm whiny, grumpy and needlessly depressed for much of my waking life, I'd be lying if I didn't say i had things to be thankful for.

-I'm in good cardiovascular health, and I've kept off all the weight I've lost in High School

-I'm completely financially independent

-I've got 1 1/2 novels under my belt as a writer

-I live in a beautiful, free country where we all have the right to say whatever we want but we also have the right no to take other people's sh!t seriously

-The taste of a fresh-baked cookie out of the oven

-I'm a member of an amazing artist community that gives me opportunity for networking and friendship I never even dreamed of

-Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush can never, ever be President's of the United States again.

If you're reading these words, then you likely have a lot to be thankful for too. Being inside a warm building and having access to electricity, a computer and the world wide web to say the very least.

And associating with the Holiday, there is the inescapable connection between the settling, English Puritan Pilgrims (My ancestors on my mom's side) and the Native Americans who used to inhabit this country in the millions... Not so much anymore.
Yes, our relationship with the original indogines of this nation has ranged from genocidal at worst and sadly, at best, to hyperbolic [link]

I won't go into too much detail about the gritty history of Thanksgiving. I already did that journal entry.
[link]
And I don't feel like giving a blow-by-blow account of all the atrocities committed against the Native Americans again.

Besides, I've been watching nothing but Gangster movies for the last few days, And I find the idea of a bunch of Wiseguy Pilgrims sitting around, eating Spaghetti and Turkey and plotting the Indians demise much more amusing.

"Eh! I don't like these Indians! I think they should be whacked!"

"Look! I don't know who these guys are! But I want then, and them feddas in their heads... DEAD!!!"

... Just a thought.

Well, dinner's ready.
So I'll leave you all to your respective celebrations.

I leave you now with my very favorite Thanksgiving song
Enjoy.

[link]

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!