After two hours of waiting, the parade finally begins.


It's Dolly Parton! I guess that would be yet another celebrity sighting

Over here Big Bird!

Sesame Street supposedly takes place in New York. I have yet to find the neighborhood on a map.

Hello, Kitty!

Lifehouse. Really? Do they have a Christmas album or something?

Hi-ho, Kermit the Frog here.

Oh good, Santa's arrived. Now we can go eat.

Using my mad knife skills to carve the turkey.

It's pretty, but let's eat.

I am thankful for Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. It really is my favorite patriotic holiday. It's probably because I really like food. But I also always enjoy spending time with my family. In the days leading to yesterday's holiday, I must admit I felt a twinge of homesickness when I thought about the drive from Seattle to Spokane that I had taken to be with family. I missed everyone tons, but I am THANKFUL to have new traditions to make here.

Sure, I stayed here last year, but I didn't stay in NYC. I actually went up to my friend Brenda's house in West Point. I had a really great time, but this year I wanted to stick around for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

To be honest, when I crawled out of bed at 5:45 Thursday morning, I nearly regretted that decision. I really wanted to sleep instead of standing outside waiting to see something I could watch on television. But as soon as the first balloons came by I was as giddy as a little girl to actually be watching the parade live. I was fortunate that we had amazing weather. It was really warm (and I was grateful that I decided against the long underwear). The floats were great--my favorite was the Sesame Street float. I just love Big Bird. I was actually glad that it was a "celebrity" I recognized. If it wasn't for the high school kids next to me I would have never known who Corbin Bleu was.

The parade you watch at home is actually a lot longer than it is in real life--depending where you stand. My roommate Lynette and I stood on the corner of 72nd and Central Park West (just outside the famed Dakota Building where John Lennon once lived) which just so happens to be five blocks south from the beginning of the parade. By the time the first float reached Herald Square we were waving good-bye to Santa Claus. Next time I go to the parade, I will try to be in that same general area. But I will probably get their earlier, bring a camp chair, and check the weather so I can dress accordingly. I may have left the long johns at home, but the big pouffy sleeping bag coat was a little too much for the 60 degree weather.

I did have a really nice dinner to attend. A few people from my former singles ward (including a pastry chef) organized a rather large Thanksgiving get-together. Somehow they managed to put enough tables and chairs in a typically small apartment for about thirty people. Surprisingly, I didn't feel overcrowded. The hosts handed out food assignments, so we had plenty of food. I was asked to bring pies. Let me tell you I was a little apprehensive about bringing dessert to the home of a pastry chef, but luckily everything looked and tasted fine (I brought a pumpkin pie and a French apple tart). Phew! I even had the fun job of carving the turkey. I was a little hesitant because for some reason I have always felt that it was "the man's job" at big fancy meals. None of the boys wanted to wield the knife, so I went to town. Thanks to Martha Stewart and my dad, I handled the task pretty well. Oh, thanks also to some pretty fancy knives that I now want for Christmas. Hint, hint.

It was a really great evening, and I feel even more THANKFUL for the wonderful, talented people I know here in New York. They make a great second family. I also really liked the fact that the trip home takes 20 minutes instead of four and a half hours.