L - I'm still trying to figure who did that painting... Don't tell me yet! My sympathies on the packing... sheesh.. I hate packing... but it will all be worth it... you have your dream apartment!

A - yikes.. I totally understand the whole Thanksgiving Family Dinner issue.... I really don't like Thanksgiving myself. Too much family. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate my family, I just prefer them in small doses and not at a pre-orchestrated 'Holiday' dinner. Those are just awful. Everyone is on their 'best' behavior and there are so many 'expectations' for everyone. It always sucks. That and I really prefer to NOT be around certain family members or certain combinations of family members. My cousin S, is 21 jaded and knows EVERYTHING... just ask her, she drags her boyfriend to EVERY family event, then ignores everyone except her boyfriend, her step-brother and her mom. When she does interact with the rest of us 'lowly' family members it's only to whine about some thing or direct an insult in that general direction.. and be damned if you complain about S to her mother or anyone else who thinks she's a Demi-God. *eyes rolling up in head*. Then there's her mom P, who is a very nice person... normally... but when she's surrounded by family for an 'event' she either acts overly cheery about everything but has no time for a conversation with anyone but those she wishes to impress, or she's wanting to do some family bonding. very odd. Then our other Aunt L, she's always to busy for family. If it's at P's house, she has her head up her ass the whole time or P has her head up L's ass and they ignore the rest of the family. And most of the rest of the family will crowd around L to fawn over her and get a few moments of her attention. People treat her like she's some visiting Queen. *barf* when we are at her house it's a little tiny bit better but not much, she's usually on call if she's near her home, so she has to work.. odd.. even when she knows people are coming for a visit, she's still on call. Then of course add in all the spouses (read - men who happen to be with these women, but aren't actually counted as family... just people attached to the 'family' member... ahhh the luck of being born into a clan of man haters). My sister and I actively avoid holidays with the family. We both are the lowest of the low on the family ladder. This year she'll be with her inlaws for Thanksgiving and will probably go to Hawaii for Christmas. Lucky her! We will be doing Thanksgiving with my inlaws this year.. I'm looking forward to this.. their family is soooo small it's nice. And Christmas... well my grandmother has planned a HUGE Family Christmas at my aunt and uncle's over priced house that's not big enough for everyone to stay there overnight. I'm hopeing to come down with something at the last minute so as not to subject myself and my family to the torture of the Family gathering... (it's a pretty good chance, even unintentionally.. I some how always get something over the holidays...) Again.. not that I hate the family.. just don't like the 'gathering' part.

Anyway.. well that turned into a big whine! lol sorry!