The day so far...

We had a lovely breakfast with the E. family. The kids played hard and were very disappointed that they had to leave for the rest of their Thanksgiving journey (both because they get along great with the E. kids and because they knew that we would be cleaning like demons once they left). We unpacked a slew of boxes (actual count will have to wait until after the holiday, by which time I hope to have even more unpacked). We've organized the basement playroom almost entirely. My sis-in-law will have more than enough space to throw down a mattress and sleep in there. I went to pick-up my race packet and as I was pulling out, I discovered that my ratty children had been in the back of the van, where I have all the Christmas presents I have bought thus far stored. (They didn't get the back completely shut and the blanket I had carefully covered everything with was runkled around and no longer neatly tucked.) I went to packet pick-up in a bad mood only to discover that the t-shirt for this race is quite possibly the ugliest (grotesque actually comes to mind) I've ever gotten. Truly hideous. So many cute things to do with turkeys (it's the Turkey Trot) and they have to make the shirt creepy. I come home and have my sneaky children lie to me about getting into the trunk. I'm now contemplating returning all of their presents. Just think how much money we'll get back!!! I didn't scream at them. But I did work them like dogs, assigning chores right and left that they had no choice but to do for fear that that one fuss would be the one to send me over the edge. The laundry is in so everyone will have fresh sheets tonight when they get here. And now D. and I have moved all the book boxes that were in the bathroom out so that everyone can actually shower as well. Such service we supply. ::snort:: The K. bed and breakfast is the place to stay! Well, maybe only if you don't mind cold cereal for breakfast because I'm too pooped out from making sure there were all those other amenities like open beds and a cleared out bathroom to offer to make something.

Tomorrow ought to be a blast. Running a race and cooking my first ever Thanksgiving (I've avoided it successfully for 13 years but I guess the streak is over) dinner. With luck, fewer people will get salmonella than don't. And if a relaxing hospital stay is offered to those suffering, I might be first to sign-up. Salmonella's not the one that *always* kills you, is it?