What exactly is that? I’m thankful I’m not some random dumbass. Happy I’m cognizant and able to react and able to self determine to a degree.

Love in my life. Good family and good friends. Fuzzy loving critters. Animals are to your hands and heart what delicious pie is to your mouth and stomach. Try to have at least two wandering around at all times. Trust me.

A few days back my ex called me and asked if I wouldn’t mind not attending what has become the annual Thanksgiving dinner for the misfit toys. Those of us not from here and without geographically convenient family. A burgeoning tradition. She was bringing her boyfriend and was concerned about his comfort level.

In the interest of diplomacy and respect, I agreed not to show.

In the days since I gave her my word, I’ve begun to regret it.

These are my friends. Before they were her friends. The house at which the dinner takes place belongs to one of my very best friends of some two decades.

I smell chickenshit.

I’ve made other plans, I’ll be fine.

The more I think about it, the more it irks me.

She’s met my girlfriend. As a matter of fact, she met her for the first time at last year’s Thanksgiving dinner for the misfit toys. I realize I’m walking on ice here but I’m pissed off enough to flirt with indignant.

They’re about to move in together and he’s not comfortable enough to meet me with my friends and my girlfriend?

Then the very worst occurs to me. She’s embarrassed. Of me. Maybe it’s her and she doesn’t want him to know me because she’s ashamed. Maybe my friends agree. What an awful thought. Any part of that idea would crush me.

Sheezus, that’s ugly. I’d rather go with the idea of him being a gigantic vagina.

She could knock on the door of any member of my family on any day and be invited in, loved, engaged and fed under any circumstances. She could bring her man and not a single eyebrow would be raised.

My family adores her. Her family thinks very little of me.

This sucks. I’m pissed.

Thanksgiving day:

I had an extraordinarily pleasant evening in house full of people I’d never seen before. Nice, normal friendly folks. Excellent food and I brought excellent wine because that’s what I do. Wonderfully moist turkey, home made mac n’ cheese. String beans and red potatos with bacon, dressing with apple, pecans and onions. Serious cornbread prepared by an actual matriarch.

Lemon cake, peach cobbler, pumpkin pie cheesecake.

I’m not sure where we were but we drove around downtown. Way around. It stayed on my right. Downtown. We collected my girlfriend’s son in a place called Cerritos. One of the craziest houses I’ve ever been inside. Giant murky fishtanks everywhere. Wierd. Dark and bubbling.

He’s an awesome kid. At first he was detached and uncommunicative, but we were brawling openly by the time we got to where we were going.

I bought him a jar of ham glaze for his sixteenth birthday.

We stopped at a place called the Liquor Bank on Crenshaw for cigarettes. He and I sat in the car. He advised me to stay in the car despite my superpowers. This place was amazing. I need to go there again before I can tell you about it. She thinks as long as I’m cool, nobody would think twice.

Before it was over, he steadfastly refused to believe I could defeat a dragon with a fork. My point was show me a dragon and hand me a fork.

Warm people, good food. My girlfriend’s friend is awesome. A strong woman with one son in college and another bound for it.

We talked politics and we talked Barack. A well informed group of people. Skeptical and honest.

At the risk of sounding gratuitous, I was the only white man there.

Drinks for my friends.

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