Happy Thanksgiving

I awaked early this morning to make it over to Mikey's in time to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in its entirety -- and let's just start there, shall we? Nothing really needs to be said other than this: Julie Andrews. Singing. Again. After all these years. (With the exception of that two-note ditty in The Princess Diaries 2.) And she sounds good! God, the divas are REALLY coming through for my birthday this year! What kind of message am I supposed to gleam from this? Am I supposed to soak up their energy, go out into the world and be one of my own? LOL

Mikey and his mother were both sick and dragging for part of the morning. Mikey made a kick ass breakfast for us though before we got started on dinner. Though Mikey's mom and I are more "traditionalists" when it comes to Thanksgiving dinners, Mikey likes to add his own Martha Stewart flavor to things. He brined the turkey this year and instead of stuffing it with stuffing, used this combination of apples, cinamon sticks, onions, rosemary and sage that seep through the turkey to give it flavor. I have to give him credit, it was a damned good, juicy turkey! But I missed the stuffing from the bird. Just not the same! Lots of other dishes too and good family time with his mom and one of his brothers as we cooked and watched Breakfast at Tiffany's -- which neither Mikey or myself had ever seen.

Afterwards, I ran over to Brandon Baker's place to meet up with Angel Benton, Kyle Foxxx, Jonathan Chang, Tom, Travis and more for our own little Thanksgiving get together. I was delirious from lack of sleep and lots of food, probably on a sugar high, but inside was giving thanks for having a group of friends I can now be my normal crazy self around that in the past only Mikey really got to see. "Yeah, that's kind of a double edged sword isn't it?" Tom cracked. LOL... Love him. Fucker.

I have to say, the most classic thing of all was Jonathan Chang. Thanksgiving is traditionally a "dress up" day for most people. At least casual dressy. In fact, I was on my way to Mikey's and saw so many people in slacks and button ups carrying pies in their homes that I turned around and went home to change from the hoddy and jeans I had on to the outfit I'd worn a few hours for The X Show this week, just to play it safe. So it's really classic that I get to Brandon's and Jonathan Chang, who is never caught dead in anything but a button up, would make his Thanksgiving dinner appearance in jeans and a black wife beater tank. LOL... The man slays me!

Last year, I gave a long list of all that I'm thankful for and it hasn't really changed much in a year. (You can find it in the archives.) But this year, I'm most thankful for family and friends. My mother has been there for me this year in so many ways, I find it seriously impossible to count them. I think for the first time this year I went from seeing her as my "best friend" to really opening up to let her in and be my "mom." She can be "Just Jen" to everyone else but she's become the defintion of all that a mother should be to me. Meanwhile, I have made great strides at repairing my relationship with my father who continues to inspire me with his heart and his creative spirit on a daily basis. My boyfriend... my God, my boyfriend. He is the best man I've ever known. Period. And I feel closer to him than ever after the hell we went through together and separately this year. And friends, well Susie believes in me and makes all my dreams come true while Angel will listen to me ramble indecisively and ponder philosophically for hours and hours on end. She's pushed me to be the best version of myself I can be. He's helped me find myself underneath all of this so many times that it's finally starting to come out as I go into my 27th year this go around. For them and for my friends at Bradnon's Thanksgiving, and every other person who has touched my life this year, and you know who you are, I am grateful.