the last 2 years we've travelled to Beth's mother's place in New Jersey for Thanksgiving. this year, with a new place to enjoy, we stayed home. 5am, a few flakes of snow gently fell. by 7, when I walked the dog, there was modest accumulation, which was slippery when I later ran. determined to be fairly worthless for the day, I watched the Thanksgiving Day Parade. here's a fine example of the pure products of America going bonkers. it can't just be a parade, it has to be lip sync. there was a taped piece of bull crap that was oh my god so ridiculous. a Broadway style musical skit that apparently was about spelling bees. it featured people in their 20s and 30s pretending hopefully and quasi-cutely to be elementary school kids. how embarassing is that? they all had theatre voice, they all worked hard, they were all downright plucky. the dancing was faux clumsy, which you could associate with humour if you were bored enough. the choreographhy was the sort determined to make the performers look silly. it's so implausible. what's the aesthetic of Broadway singing anyway? well, it was jolly good fun watching these people and their lack of pride. a so-called country act called Big and Rich did what I assume is their big hit in a taped sequence on an aircraft carrier. aircraft carrier = support our troops, or trope, as the case may be. the band was fronted by 2 guys. one just sang, he was longhaired, bearded, wore a hat with LOVE on it, looked hippie-inspired. his mate was shorthaired, wore a cowboy hat, played one of those A-line Stratocasters, so he was mostly country but look at the rock guitar! the rest of the band hung in the background. it included a fiddler. there was a dwarf on crutches back there, seemingly part of the band. maybe he was to fill the role that Joe whatshisname filled for Kid Rock. too many mixed signs, at any rate, tho the song was catchy. the big news in the parade was that a balloon hit a light post, that sent a lamp into a crowd, injuring a couple of people and perhaps giving M&Ms the wrong sort of pub. Santa slid thru with a gang of elves, who wore stars on top of their heads, a fashion statement that looked both inconvenient and silly. what I really wanted to do was watch football. I've seen really only part of one game this year. I saw most of a crappy tussle between the Falcons and the toothless Lions. after that was a better game between the Broncos and Cowboys that I couldn't see the all of because we were going out to dinner. a repast at the Concord Inn, for which we dressed up. the inn is almost 300 years old and was once owned by Thoreau's father. Beth called a week or so ago, taking a flyer that we could get reservations. by crackie we could. I assumed it was one of those year-in-advance deals. the place was plump with people, many of them from the tweedy prep school squad that inhabits Concord and environs. the reservation desk was in a small, low-ceilinged room, something of a zoo. the guy in charge of reservations was a fussy, slow moving older fellow with 3 earrings who was clearly fed up. everyone was pushy, eventually even me, and he just wasn't built for the pace. he doled out tables as they became ready. a waitress periodically reported on the the table situation. I don't know if she misspook or he misunderstood but it came out that two tables for two turned out to be one for two. that required a rather lengthy expresion of his exasperation. I stayed near the desk so that I'd be ready. a little later the same waitress came back with knews of several tables open, one 2 and 2 4s. a woman enquired about when her table would be ready. he said he called 1/2 an hour ago. she was a bit irate that he hadn't come tell her, in the next room, where the bar could be accessed. he replied, well I couldn't very well leave this desk could I? point taken, tho indeed he did leave frequently. I somehow enquired for our table in between other people's interruptions (my interruption was more important than theirs). he slowly went down the list, checked us off and directed a frail, elderly woman to see us to our seats. he room was a-buzz but we could relax. it ws a limited menu. the waiter was friendly and efficient, and tho the pace was considerable, seemed unfrazzled. a big headed turkey entered the room doling out chocolates. I had turkey, the others pork loin. Beth cooked a turkey yesterday, to serve today, but I like turkey. the waiter not only gave Erin a 2nd dessert, he brought another to take home. on the way home we passed 2 houses already lit up for Christmas. like last year, both houses have as many lights and decorations as possible. one house is quite tasteful for all that. the decorative elements are nice ones, and there's some harmony to the lights. the other house is maxed out gaudy. all mny of Christmas gimcrack is thrown onto the roof, the trees, the yard. snowman and magi and Rudolphs and whatever. last year, the roof was lit with the display: Support Our Troops. a happy reminder for Santa. there's an airfield nearby, so truly, the message does get out. this year it's merely Seasons Greetings. I didn't mench that wednesday evening there was a bonfire, to rally the local troops against those footballing lads of Concord. yesterday morning the thing was still smouldering in the snow. thus the holiday, and Beth says she needs to go to the mall. I dunno if I will be part of that venture.