So, I was right. Game night was a blast. I was hesitant at first, since there were more people than I anticipated, (10 instead of 6), but it was great. We played Catchphrase for most of the night, and though the men started strong winning two games, the women showed them who was boss when we won the next 5 games in a row. (Of course it did help that the men were completely hammered, and the women were stone cold sober. But that's beside the point). Aside from the fun the game provided, the appetizers we had were awesome. Chips, dip, meatballs, cheese, crackers, bean dip, and pumpkin bread crowded the counter top, with brownies left for dessert. It was great and I cannot wait to do it again.

This afternoon Donald and I went to visit my grandma and aunt at the RV park where my Grandma and Grampa have had their 5th wheel stored for the last several years. It was great to see them, and yet it was also a little sad, as it was the first time I'd been there since my Grampa passed away. When Donald and I first arrived, there was a note on the door letting us know they were at the Pickleball courts. Pickleball is played on a court similar to a tennis court, but a bit smaller. It's a little like playing Ping Pong on a court instead of a table, but the paddles are larger, and you use a whiffle ball instead of a ping pong ball. I'd never seen Pickleball played before, and this sure wasn't what I expected. For some reason, I always thought Pickleball was like a slow motion senior citizen version of softball, where there wasn't a lot of activity involved. I mean, Grandma has been playing for 4 hours a day for the last several years and she's almost 80, so I guess I just assumed it was not very intense. Boy was I wrong. She's running just as much as a tennis player would, and about 10 times more than I ever could, and I'm 50 years younger than she is! I was seriously impressed. After Pickleball we hung out, had dinner, and just caught up. My Aunt, Donald, and I took a walk around the park taking pictures of the trees that Grandma & Grampa had bought and donated in the name of each of our family members. There were 12 trees in all, and we managed to find each and every one. We must have looked a little crazy wandering around the RV park with a map, flashlight and camera, but it was fun. It was like a scavenger hunt to find certain trees. Only twice did we have to explain to people what we were doing, and they were all quite friendly about it. Some of the names were spelled wrong, and one of the trees was literally growing around the placard on it, to the point that I couldn't move it to get a better picture. but I got a shot of each one, and will put it together in some sort of collage. It was a fun little hunt, and I'm glad I got to spend the time with my Aunt and Grandma. Grandma will be here for another week, so I'll get to see her again before she leaves.

Ok, so Thanksgiving this year wasn't so bad. I actually had a good time. I had a very relaxing morning, which included wandering over to the local university campus to watch Donald and the guys standing around drinking beer and attempting to play football, a trip to the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and a few quiet hours of reading and resting. Dinner at Donald's sister's house was actually pretty good. I tried the deep fried turkey, and while it was easier to choke down, I still didn't care for it. There were mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese, however, so I filled up on those, along with these amazing bread rolls that I couldn't stop eating (She sent like 10 home with us, so I'm quite the happy and fat camper).
After dinner we sat around and chatted, and I played with Donald's almost 2 year old nephew, who is the biggest little boy I've ever met (he outweighs his 3 year old sister). He's also very smart and has the most contagious laugh you've ever heard. He's a tank, and I adore him.

All in all it was a good day, especially considering that I can't stand Thanksgiving to start with. I am, however, thankful for my friends and family. I don't know what I'd do without them!

There is an ice pick stabbing me in the back of the head. I wish I was kidding. I swear it's there, though I can't see it. It's stabbing right through the base of my skull and ends right between my eyes. Light hurts. Sound hurts. I want nothing more than to crawl under the covers and sleep for a week. This is how I've felt for 48 hours now, with few moments of relief. Staring at the computer is not helping it go away, so this post shall be very short. Hope you all had a better Tuesday than I did.

Day spas are magical places. As are Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf establishments. Both of them make me equally happy, though one with significantly less damage to my bank account. Today my sister and I had a day at the spa, and it was glorious. Unlike some spas that I'm rather fond of, this one includes a huge amount of perks with a massage or skin treatment. You get a bathrobe, slippers, fresh fruit, admission to the steam rooms, saunas, jacuzzi, social rooms, quiet rooms, and showers (fully stocked with shampoo, conditioner, body wash, razors and shaving cream). Additionally, they have a special vanity area for getting ready to leave, complete with hair dryers, curling irons, clean brushes, and a variety of hair products, all free of charge. Not only that, while we were in the sauna, a lovely woman came in and offered us all little cups of frozen lemonade. I felt so pampered and wonderful!

My massage therapist was excellent as well. She asked about my last massage experience and I told her how it was wonderful at the time, but due to the excessive pressure used, I felt horribly bruised for the next few days. she promised to be gentle, and was true to her word. For the first time in a very long time, I almost fell asleep on the massage table. When she was done, I had no pain at all. I went into one of the quiet rooms to read and wait for my sister to be done with her massage. We hit the jacuzzi, misting room, and sauna before showering and finally leaving. We spent almost 5 hours at the spa treating ourselves and I'm so glad we did it. I feel great and relaxed and ready to start a short week of work, and then be on vacation for 5 days. Yay spa days!