My Veins Now Contain More Gravy than Actual Blood--in a Good Way.

Happy Cyber Monday, all you cats and kittens! You'll have to excuse me if my usual babblings are especially incoherent this fine late November day--the Velogirl and I just completed an 1,867 mile roundtrip Tour de Turkey in a rented Mercury Mariner SUV.  Which, has to be said, is by FAR the nicest Mercury I have ever been in.  Or stood near.  Or heard about second hand.  In any less of an automobile, the trip may have left me a babbling, drooling, incoherent fool for an entire day after touching down in the District.  As it stands, I only drooled for 2-3 hours this morning, tops.  Way to go Ford Motor Company!

Here are some quick observations from this past "Weekend of Thanks":

• Chicago is COLD and beautiful.-- Like a diamond.  Or Superman's Fortress of Solitude.

• Two Dogs are More Fun than One --Watching the Wonderdog play with his cousin, I couldn't help but think how much fun it would be for him to have a brother.  Of course, I'd probably go insane from the sheer neediness.  But it would be fun for the first 10 days, I'm wagering.

•  Western Pennsylvania Sucks -- C'mon, we're all thinking it.  After sitting on the PA Turnpike in bumper to bumper traffic for close to 4.5 hours, I came to a decision:  Even if it adds an extra 17 hours, my next road trip to Michigan and points west will not take me anywhere near the PA state line.  Aside from the constant construction, shady rest stops and white knuckle truck congestion that makes every trip a living hell through that toilet of a region, I just don't want to give them any more toll money.  I feel dirty every time I cough up the $10.30, like I've just paid to watch "Deuce Bigelow" in an IMAX theater for the 29th time, when it would be easy to argue that once was more than enough.

• Thanksgiving Should Come Twice a Year, Minimum --  Duh.  This year, I got to eat TWO separate Thanksgiving meals, one on Thursday, and one on Friday.  I kinda want to make that a tradition going forward.  Seriously.  The excitement, the smell of turkey in the oven, the wonderful sides to choose from, the inevitable turkey coma afterwards--why only go through that once in a four-day period, when it's SO good?  Plus, it would give people a chance to add on some alternate sides on day two, or maybe even shake up the stuffing recipe.  I can tell you from personal experience that it works.

• Family, You Know? -- I am one lucky SOB, there's no doubt about that.  I like spending time with 99% of all family I am either: a) blood related to, or b) are now affiliated with due to prudent marriages.  (The one sticky wicket is my sister's cat, Lily.  We just can't seem to find common ground.)  To those people, and you know who you are, thanks.