sansgeebing

What a week it's been so far. These long days haven't caught up with me yet since it's all still so new. It's really fast-paced and interesting work. Sometimes I could rip my hair out, but I remember days where I was so bored in Cleveland that time seemed to stand still. I like having a full plate. It keeps things interesting and keeps me challenged more so than I've ever been.
I've got a rare case of Thanksgiving blues. It goes in phases. I never thought I'd get this nostalgic, but it's hard not to after looking at pictures or listening to Celia Cruz. I'm not sure which is worse - letting the week pass by as if there were nothing to celebrate, or reminiscing about full bellies, salsa dancing, and loud, Latin people.

I just Skyped with my family, actually, and my dad passed mom's lap top around. i saw about 20% of the Thanksgiving (latino pronunciation: sahns-geebing) guests - people are still trickling in to my uncle's place, girls were shopping, boys were gluttoning - everyone follows a structured itinerary that my tia puts on the fridge to ensure a safe and enjoyable stay at the 'Rosales Resort'. Someone's always cooking for 60 and the poor guests sit in agony as they soak up the aroma of arepas, indian food, tortilla espanola, cuban coffee, and much more. i think tomorrow i'll call around midnight my time and get passed around the big circle of laughter and tears that ensues before the big feast. My tio Joaquin usually has had a few budweisers before thanking everyone for coming and expressing how much he loves us all. He always reads a prayer or a poem through his fogged-up lenses before getting a bit misty-eyed and telling my tia Esther how in love with her he is (that part always gets me going). The circle continues. We go around every year as if it were the first, reflecting on the year, reminding one another why we make such a long trip to be together. I personally look forward to the Friday feast over Thursday's white meat and cranberry sauce since the low country boil that takes place is mighty tasty. Although it is pretty entertaining watching my cousins chase my mom down on Thanksgiving to see where she has hidden the dark meat turkey neck in the house, which she fights desperately for with a bottle of tabasco sauce and a lime.My tia Ana is always out with her camera taking pictures of everything she sees. I am usually there with her to capture shots of living room dance parties, cots to accommodate all the cousins, soup-kitchen style lines for food, random family members napping, and lots of extended arm-out shots of ourselves together.

We have a Thanksgiving crayon picture that Will drew of our "family" here on the fridge. I would post a picture of it, but my inner child came out to play on my birthday and i sadly lost my camera with all the pictures from the weekend. I am still rather annoyed about the whole situation since I know exactly where it is, but the sketchy "cab" we solicited to take us home is long gone. I'm better off shopping around for a new and improved one in the meantime. We have some tricks up our sleeves for what to feast on tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm going to get a good night of sleep and dream of Thanksgivings to come. happy turkey day. i will dream of mashed potatoes in the meantime. I tried date-flavored camel milk today. I wonder how that would fare as a substitute to the normal milk mom uses in her creamy mashed potatoes...