thanksforbringingitupgiving.

today the mother comes into town. in just a little shy of an hour, i'll be leaving to pick her up from lax only to endure an awkward five days with her, filled with questions, doubt, suspicion and likely disappointment - the usual motherly cocktail.

i digress.

it's surreal spending thanksgiving in another town, particularly one as dense and as populated as los angeles. the last several thanksgivings i can remember were spent alone or with one other close friend aimlessly wandering around a seemingly dead city since most of my 20-something neighbors all had family to go home to for the holidays. the usual hard-pressed-to-find-a-parking-spot streets are empty - even the bums are nowhere to be seen.

switch now to downtown la - thanksgiving day 2008 ends up sunny, much to the dismay of the rain that's flooded the streets of our beloved city over the last day and a half. being downtown where the majority of the shopowners are of ethnic origin, the shops are open and just as busy as ever - each storefront seems to feature some extravagant display busting at the seams full of imported, knock-off goods. and the shoppers, they're out too; shopping totes in tow, children biting at their parents heels begging for every toy their beady little eyes happen upon. noting these details, stands in such stark contrast to the pacific northwest thanksgivings i'd grown used to. i've traded in my grey, wet, empty and unforgiving streets for sun, traffic (even on a thanksgiving day), and neighbors who both don't understand and don't care what all this fourth-thursday-of-november fuss is about.

to this, i say: to new beginnings.


(lunch today)