Why is it...

[howeird]

...people feel the need to set aside special days to celebrate?

I'm not big on birthdays or holidays. I am big on spontaneously buying a gift for someone just because it was something I thought they would enjoy having. I don't believe there's a Higher Power watching over us or pulling the strings or even paying attention, so being thankful for the good things in life kind of falls flat with me. I'm happy when things go right for me and those I hold dear, and I'm unhappy when things go wrong. Heck, I'm even happy when things go right for people I don't hold dear, on the theory that it will keep them off my back. But I don't feel the need to set aside a day to feel thankful. I do it when it happens. And if it keeps happening, I keep doing it.

So far it's been a good day. I slept in a couple of extra hours, and had a Thanksgiving lunch at Little House in Menlo Park, a Senior center which a friend of mine is the director of. We sat with some people who have music and travel in common with us, the meal was excellent, and there was even eye candy in the form of young volunteers who served the meal.

After that, I went home and popped a DVD into the machine which I had been looking forward to seeing. The Returner is a Japanese film which I saw recommended on wickedwish's page, and frankly I expected Hokey Anime, and was ready to hit the eject button. But it turned out to be live action, high quality sci-fi, and lived up to the hype. Fine acting, impressive special effects, and some tongue-in-cheek spoofing of E.T. and The Matrix, among others. And it had a twist which I think came a little too early in the film, but worked okay just the same. Then I watched the "diary" of the film, which had the director and female star voiced over a video diary of the making of the picture. They are both charming and witty, it was fun to watch.

So here I am a little before suppertime not sure if I will go out to eat or just be a homebody. figmo is planning a "my kind of weird" dinner - since the holiday is about Pilgrims and Indians, she proposes making a pilgrimage to an Indian buffet. :-)

Comments

[scendan.livejournal.com]

LOL! I hope you went to the Indian buffet, because that amused me so unduly. ;)

Speaking of spontaneous gift-giving...I finally started the Peter Pan book today, and I'm already over 1/2-way through. It's absolutely delightful. Not at all true to Barrie's origin for Peter, but frankly that would have been a collosal bore to read in a prequel, considering that origin has Peter sneaking away as a pre-toddler in his perambulator!

Very very fun read--absolutely the exact book I'd want while recovering from the sniffles and curled up on the couch.

Thank you again. It went very well with hot tea and a slice of sweet potato pie. :)

[howeird]

The Indian buffet was a cute idea, but nobody RSVPed so I decided not to go. Instead I went to downtown Mountain View, bought a whole roasted duck from a Chinese hole in the wall called Food Street which has them hanging in the window, took it home and made a salad and some fixings. Cut up the duck and put half of it in the fridge and the other half on a pile of paper towels and nuked it in the microwave. Those things really melt the fat off. Wish I could figure out a way to do that with me.

For dessert there was Bryer's low-carb (98 calories per scoop) fudge brownie ice cream topped with walnuts.

I was planning on watching my last Netflix DVD, the first season of "Six Feet Under", while I ate, but the disc was cracked, so I settled for tuning in to the History Channel's UFO marathon, and a TiVoed recording of Psychic Detectives.

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Thanks for the update on the book, I am thrilled you are enjoying it so much, and my only regret is your cold has come back.

[figmo.livejournal.com]

You missed a good dinner. I ate too much of it. :-)