Next year, a restaurant. That's my Thanksgiving resolution (okay, so there's no such thing, humor me). I busted my ass all day for an hour's eating and a mountain of mess, and while it was all very good and a good time was had by all, I think I'm off cooking the bird until one of the offspring produces a grandchild and staying home becomes more practical. But right now, while we are all adults, screw it - I have an Amex card and I know how to use it. My daughter suggests a beach weekend - the water's too chilly for swimming but it's ideal for walking on the beach. I think she's onto something.


After a day at home and a night at her big brother's hanging out with friends, Girlchild came home with her own Thanksgiving resolution- she's quitting that damn job. She has been juggling a full course load and 30 hours a week of work and she is just plain exhausted and burned out. Her grades have suffered badly and she's exhausted and stressed. The last straw was that she asked for today off weeks ago, so she could get a stinking three day break from the grind, put in her request well in advance, and didn't get it - while everybody else who asked for it did get the day off, they they claimed they must have "lost" her schedule request. So she was going to be a good little Do Bee and turn around and drive 4 hours home today, but after thinking about it, she's finally had enough of that horseshit. I totally support this move - she has become the workhorse they work to death, and the money isn't nearly good enough to make the stress and exhaustion worth it. So she's home until probably Sunday, which is great - she's partying with her brother's crowd tonight, taking it easy this weekend, and that restaurant can just find itself another workhorse. So we talked about budgets and ways to juggle expenses while I have to cover for her, and it can be done, and it's the right thing to do. I'm hoping to be able to cover her for all of next semester, so she can have a semester without work, then find a job that is less demanding.


Girlchild graduated from high school and three weeks later her father was diagnosed with incurable cancer. We sent her off to college anyway because she'd earned a full scholarship, her father insisted she go on and be as normal as possible, and she joined a sorority, made friends, did well in classes, and as months went on and things got harder here, she took on more financial burdens and did without and scraped by on a shoestring. She has worked her ass off all through college, trying to hold onto her scholarship, working too many hours, trying to participate in sorority activities, and she's just plain burned out. She's earned a break.


Tomorrow I'm out with my Mass buddy sans her little hellion wild thing darling daughter. Man, that kid wore us out last night - she's adorable, but she never stops moving or talking unless she's asleep. She was overtired after a big day of visiting and socializing, and went into that hyperdrive mode some kids use to avoid sitting still and falling asleep. We kept trying to park her on the couch with blanket and Stuart Little movie, but she would have none of it. Duct tape started looking like a good solution, and the Bailey's milkshake was almost a reality, but she wouldn't sit down to eat or drink anything either, so it wouldn't have worked.


Knitting talk - I finished the first Kureyon bag and cast on a second one from color 102, which I had in my stash. It's really bright, purples, pinks, acid greens - and Girlchild saw it and immediately wanted a super-long scarf from it. I didn't have enough to make the scarf as long as she wants it, but I found the right amount on Ebay for a good price. That's probably the last yarn I'll be buying for some time - a Yarn Diet, as well as a physical one, is now very much in my future.