Thursday, November 27, 2008

I Really Wannabe in LA



AT LAST . . three hours it's taken! I swear my internet is out to get me. I had a lovely post . . but I didn't save, then I crashed (much like yesterday when I backed into an oncoming vehicle in the car park at Coles but the guy was way decent and said it would probably polish off but we exchanged cards anyway with slightly 'I'm sorry' looks (God I'm turning into Miley).

The gist was . .of the previously written post in notebook that didn't save . . .One thing I like about America and Americans is the celebration of Thanksgiving. The thought of a celebration where Pilgrims are rescued by a scraggy chook and fed by indigenous populations is very romantic and whilst 200 years of history might have tainted this original gesture I love the idea that families come home for Thanksgiving, that families of most races and creeds and colour stick their fingers up the nether regions of an odd looking bird who's only claim to fame is the word "gobble" and as a table centre for hungry patrons. (Don't feel slighted, many of us do it for Christmas but I'm a glazed ham person myself).

I'd love to be invited to Thanksgiving dinner, in the early throes of winter, with a big red coat (why don't New Yorker's wear colour in a drab winter) with the awkward boyfriend and the grouchy carver and listening to criticism of too many apricots shoved up the fowls arse or the fact that pumpkin is pig food and not meant to be put in a shortcrust pie . . .

It sounds much like our Christmas, the one day of the year where the prodigals come home, food is paramount and pressies are exchanged then the whole night degenerates into a boozefest and games of Kings and shattered barbecue tables.

Anyway, this evening, I went Christmas shopping and scored quite well with all gifty poos plonked in a "Save Maddie" recyclable red Christmas bag. I'm glad I remembered the half kilo of prawns and sour dough bread nestling next to the . . .nope, it's a secret.

While I was driving home with a back seat full of silver wrapping paper, blue ribbons and a few pressies . .I lamented that I wasn't in America tonight. Storm clouds were gathering after a temperate afternoon and it all seems wrong having Christmas or Thanksgiving for that matter in a country where it's comfortable enough to sit outside and suffer the intolerable bombings of Christmas beetles in your champers.

I imagine it as perhaps having dinner with the Norman Rockwell family, "pass the beets daddy' and gratefulness for one's lot in life even though you've been ousted by the sub primers. Seriously though, it sounds warm and wonderful and a day when everyone is at one with the world. Women washing up and men snoozing - pogged on the couch while some weird game of football with overly padded men yell 'Hutt, hutt hutt!"

Wishing all my American friends a very happy Thanksgiving. I hope your family and friends are around and that you remember those who are no longer with you and for once in your life wear those matching knitted jumpers that Aunty Whatshername spent all summer putting together (I've got it totallly wrong haven't I?) . . I did smile as I turned into my street listening to the ratio tonight and thought "I really wouldn't mine being a wannabe in LA . ." For tonight anyway!

Does anyone wipe their cooking hands on the back of their pants and not realise that they look great from the front but like a garbo from the rear!

23 comments:

Miles McClagan said...

Ha, you don't want to turn into me...you end up getting nothing done because you are too busy watching people argue!

Melissa said...

Thank you, Baino! :) It's a wonderful holiday -- you should *smell* our house! Eli is such a foodie, he's making everything from scratch and started cooking two days ago. There is the prerequisite family "crappola" but I love this day. I'm playing dysfunctional family bingo with some friends ... we each come up with our own board of family quirks and irritations and then, as they happen on Thanksgiving day, we fill up our bingo boards. As we all gets bingo we email all the rest and tells them which quirks won for us. :) I'm so thankful for you and your blog! And, I must ask, what are champers?

Thriftcriminal said...

In the program Northern Exposure the Native Americans thanksgiving tradition was to throw tomatoes at the white guys as a PC way of expressing their anger at the theft of their land and destruction of their culture. It was all in good spirits but Fleichman objected stating that his jewish background made him a fellow member of an oppressed minority.

Unknown said...

I have 2 weekends to buy a gift for my picked classmate. I have already told the method how we choose the gifted person.

laughingwolf said...

arghhhhhhhhhh

Anonymous said...

Jenny (being in Adelaide) can't get her head around the idea of Christmas in mid-summer, she finds it very strange. Thanksgiving's pretty strange to us too, especially as one little boy in LA defined it: "Tomorrow is the day we celebrate the Pilgrims betraying the friendship of the Native Americans and then massacring them, right?" But still, any excuse to eat, drink and be merry, eh?

Anonymous said...

Wrong video, Baino.

There's only one song to create the cuddly embrace of such days! It goes:

I'd be safe and warm
If I was in L.A.

And, sure, you know the rest.

Anonymous said...

Well, like you, it is tough to celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving when you have 25 deg C outside, but we will cope. As you know from my lastest post, I am not into the traditional reason of Thanksgiving, but I like the idea that I am Thankful for many things.... esp the wonderf Turkey Mrs M has cooked, and we get to to it all again on the 24th and 25th of Dec

Much love x

kj said...

baino, the more i read your blog, the more i know you are a precious person. someday i hope you have thanksgiving in the US--you and yours are certainly welcome at my table!

we'll have a quiet thanksgiving today--jb and i and two good friends, so no dysfunctional family squawking. i'm aware of people i wish were with me, still, i know enough to be thankful.

have a fine day. (your poem is in the works..)

:)

TCL said...

Think the Canucks have Thanksgiving Day too. But not sure what they do. Plymouth, England is the only town outside of North America with a Thanksgiving tradition. Something about that's where the pilgrims shoved off for America.

My family is really a goose family when it comes to Christmas. Either that or cold leftover Chinese food. But I can't say I remember the last time I spent turkey with family. It was at the pub last night with all the orphans in DC who didn't go home.

My turkey day is Oz and Wales play an entertaining match in Cardiff tomorrow.

TCL said...

BTW cheers! Happy Thanksgiving to ya from across the big pond. I hope the Wadi Rum photo is sorted.

Baino said...

Well that and I'd forget what paragraphs are for!

No worries Melissa, you're lucky to have a man who cooks. Ha! Love the idea of dysfunctional bingo although might cause a few arguments among my lot!Champers my dear thing is an Aussie euphamism for the bubbly stuff - Champagne! What else.

Thrifty, used to love that show, I can't for the life of me think why they stopped making it. Loved the Indian receptioinist. Repressed minority . . .move on I say!

Ah Mr Kringle himself. We do it for our 'table' gifts. I've yet to buy three mystery gifts for my lot. Thank God for the $2 Shop! Do you have those in Hungary?

Wuffa? Why? You don't like Thanksgiving? C'mon now crank pants, you had yours a couple of weeks ago.

Much like Australia Day here Nick where the aboriginal population have tried to establish an 'anti Australia day'. Not that they're anti Australia but they feel the invasion of their "Terra Nullis" should be recognised for what it is. Still, tradition reigns and basically it's a celebration of Australia, not colonialism. I hope it's nice and sunny for you when you have Christmas in OZ!

Oh Ian, I was but a child when all the leaves turned brown . .I prefer my boppy version.

Yep, that's what appeals to me also I think Moon. Have a good one! Then a nice walk along the beach with someone else's dog!

Why thank you kj and I will certainly take you up on that if I can time it just right. No rush with the poem but it will go on 'The Wall'! (I was the 20,000th visitor on kj's blog folks). Sometimes the quiet ones end up being just as much fun!

Ted I believe they do but a few weeks earlier. The ol Wuff will correct me I'm sure. Goose? Chinese food? That's not traditional. As for Rugby, might as well hug a couch like the rest of the men in the afternoon! Go Aussies! And yep, the link worked fine. Cheers :)

Unknown said...

Well I am not sure I understand what you mean. Do you want the photo with me in Palotás dress? That's fine. I would like to see the result of your wall. You use weird phrases sometimes which confuse me. :P

Anonymous said...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Paddy in BA (Quickroute) said...

I had a few nice TG's in the New York - very like xmas indeed- big family get together.
Xmas in the New York is a more of a private thing - strange?! Mind you there's a big Jewish community so don't mention the crucifiction! - not that that has anything to do with xmas anymore - not that I care about that either - Oh god - where was I going again? - oh yes my beers empty - gotta go - Happy TG!

Bear Naked said...

Love that photo of the turkey.
I am going to *borrow* it if I may.

Bear((( )))

Anonymous said...

I like the idea of thanksgiving.

Today I am thankful to be alive!

Anonymous said...

Hey yeah! Bring on dysfunctional bingo!!! I like it alright!!.....But must have a few drinks prior so we dont take it tooo seriously....I still think fancy dress Christmas is the go...hell I might even go as a turkey! Gobble Gobble Gobble!

Kath Lockett said...

But Baino - isn't that what the back of your trousers are for? IT's either for wiping your own kitchen-filthy hands on, or for your toddler to simultaneously grip your leg, wipe their nose on the fabric and leave you with shiny snail trails as you walk up the office corridors later in the day....

Megan said...

Nothing could have improved the day just passed except for Baino on the porch with us.

Not kidding.

laughingwolf said...

we did... just dunno why y'd wanna go to smoggy la....

Baino said...

Ropi, yes please. The one that makes you look like a 'General'! I'll post the wonder wall next week!

Same to you Chicka!

Quickie are you having a party for one down there?

Bear - pinch away - I'm sure I pinched it from someone in the first place

Babysis, I think dysfunctional Bingo might be 'lost' on our lot. Babybro will have a wobbly, Stressany will get defensive, Fringelet won't know what's going on and Gockle will fall asleep.

Kath, I'm glad I'm not the only one with bleached hand marks on my bum and doggy slobber on my thighs. I'm a chronic wiper of hands on the back of my pants.

Aww Megs, that's so sweet. I would have loved it I'm sure! Glad you had a wonderful time.

Nah Wuffa, just like the song . .been there . . done that . . .tick it off!

GrannyMar, every day over 35 is a bonus I say!

i beati said...

the internet is out to get you by the way sandy