It was a good Thanksgiving overall. No major family fights and when politics did come up in conversation I wasn't the only one shutting things down. I think after over 2 years of this crap we've all just learned to zip it and if topics come up, change the subject and move on. There are no winners in that debate.

On a more positive note, my uncle looks better than he has in over a year since he got out of the house with my crazy cousin (albeit under pretty dire circumstances) and moved into assisted living about 3 weeks ago. I finally got to spend some time with him for the first time in months and we talked for a while. He feels betrayed, which is appropriate since he was, but is coming to terms with it.

We went off to the sunroom to chat, worked our way around to the topic of his four sons, and he told me a story I'd never heard. I never knew my grandfather since he died when I was less than a year old, but my uncle (his son) went down to see him about a week before he passed. They were sitting on the Point Pleasant inlet and my grandfather asked about his boys. My uncle replied with the usual well, three are doing fine, but Billy's having problems again.

My grandfather looked at him and point blank said "Vin, you might have to be okay with three out of four." That was 39 years ago.

Turns out not only was my grandfather right, but my aunt and uncle should have pulled the ripcord on Billy long ago. They trusted him too much and for too long, and in the end both my aunt and uncle paid for it, monetarily and emotionally. He took all of my uncle's pension and savings, but at this point my uncle knows what's done is done. It's sad but he's dealing with it far better than I would. Most importantly my uncle's relatively healthy for 91 and will be taken care of for the rest of his life.

Billy? Yeah, he can go fuck himself with a rusty chainsaw as far as the rest of the family is concerned. If he wastes the money he got he's truly on his own now, as it should be.

So yay Thanksgiving :S.

It's that time of year again and it's off to the relatives for Thanksgiving. I hope that it will go well and my sister and my aunt won't get into a Trumpist argument. I can usually deflect and redirect since logical arguments go nowhere, but for someone who hates conflict yet feels that her point is the most important my sister's a mystery wrapped in a conundrum.

I'm holding out for hope though. Maybe it will move smoothly. In the meantime I'll help cook, and retreat if things get contentious enough.

I love when it snows in New York City. Even with all of the noise it seems to quiet everything down since no one drives who doesn't have to and people stay inside if possible. During the snowfall or directly after is the best.

Yes, after that it gets gray and slushy, but for a few minutes you can stand there and watch the tree limbs turn white as the city takes a breather.

I'm still here, but also haven't been inspired much. It's almost time for annual reviews again and I've got another round of doctor appointments coming up. Still waiting on the cool weather and this has been some of the latest hot (70 degrees) weather I can remember, so winter can't come fast enough.

It's a routine so I should know better than expect inspiration, but sometimes variety is what is needed. Maybe I'll figure out something in the next few weeks, and Christmas shopping should start soon. NYC is always nice that time of year at least.