I'm going to Sacramento tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Only as I've gotten a little bit further away from high school do I realize how incredible my family is. Not everyone has a family like I do. As a matter of fact, nobody does. I'm not judging: everyone's familial experiences shouldn't be held to any kind of standard. Everyone has their own beautiful things, and my family is by far the strongest one of my existence (though I will have to further cite Stacy Burcham as a pretty darn beautiful thing in my life... thanks pooks, for everything).
There are two things about this trip to Thanksgiving I am greatly anticipating:
1. The moment right before we pray (and before Emily lets the whoopy cushion loose), where I remember my grandfather and how Thanksgiving was the last time I saw him.
2. The Experience.
Now, number 2's full title is the Core Group Experience 2003. It's the shopping trip. My mother, three aunts, cousin and I go shopping every year on the day after Thanksgiving. But it's no regular shopping trip, no no no. We all dress the same, in shirts that have our picture on them and red vests. We also carry walkie talkies and walk in a V formation down the mall. We start at 7 and end at 10 at night. We drive in the Love Machine (Aunt Maureen's Windstar or something). This year, we have three special "guests" (KLINGONS): Aunt Theresa, my good best friend and ex roommate Lizzy Carley, and Uncle Timmy's Shiny New Girlfriend, Terii Ward. This year is special- shirts, bags, badges, cds. I made them all -- because I'm going for MVS (Most Valuable Shopper). I have yet to win it. I WILL WIN this year. OH yes.
The other part of that tradition has become for me to wear a wig. One year I wore the purpley magenta wig I had that actually looked like my hair- with an Elmo hat on the top of it. The year following, I wore a light purple and silver wig with a tiara. This year I have a shoulder length (with bangs) medium purple wig. I'm still debating what my head gear should be. most likely it'll be a sweat band. A workout band. Gotta get it tonight.
The thing is- between the wigs and mochas, there's just so much love. It's that mixture, the irreplaceable conglomeration of divinities (my irreplaceable mix used to be the scent of a shoulder, peach light, and ella fitzgerald) that brings me such joy on the trip. I cannot wait.
