On the ride down, we stopped in Valdosta like we always do for lunch. And as always, we stop at the Book Warehouse there for cheap books. Normally, they don't have any books that grab my interest. But last year, I got hooked on Ted Dekker novels when I purchased The Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, White) (there's actually a fourth book, Green, and I don't have it), and guess what this store has? LOTS of Ted Dekker. This year, I found all six The Lost Books (Chosen, Infidel, Renegade, Chaos, Lunatic, Elyon) which tie into The Circle, and bought them all for less than $50.
On Tuesday, my dad, brother, and I went to play golf. Now, I'm not big on sports, but this is one of those rare times where I can spend time with my dad, and also my brother and not fight with him. Because me and my brother are too big to fit in the same cart with my dad, I got my own. The club closed at six, but we still got to play thirteen holes. For the final five holes, my dad and brother raced me back to the clubhouse. I was in front most of the time, until they passed me with a sharp, "bazinga" (which will be explained later) as they passed. So I floored it, and I passed them with a counter-bazinga. Afterwards, we went to a restaurant in Brooksville called Coney Island. Naturally, they served hot dogs.
On Thanksgiving day, I finally got to see my Uncle Johnnie and Aunt Connie, both of whom I haven't seen in twelve years. Johnnie just so happened to look a lot like George Lucas, or Martin Sheen if he were to shave. We all went to where the annual family reunion is at the house my late grandfather grew up in. As any sane human would, I ate my fill. While most Americans would think that the main course of a Thanksgiving dinner (or lunch in this case) is the turkey. How wrong they would be if they were my family. It's all about the pie. More specifically, my mother's chocolate-mint pie. My cousins, Courtney and Levi (Alishia, Robert, Luke, and Naomi weren't there), and I wait for this every year. As Jerry Seinfeld once said, "It's chocolate, it's mint; it's very refreshing." Back at my grandmother's house, the family talked and exchanged gifts. We do this because we do not see each other on Christmas. My Aunt Carol and Uncle Gary always get me the greatest gifts. They gave me a T-shirt, which I normally don't care to get, but this was no ordinary shirt. This shirt featured the main cast of The Big Bang Theory, and the phrase, "Bazinga!" Other gifts included a bag of candy, money, and a quick talk from my Uncle David about how I need to go to college (which he didn't and hates himself for). In case you're wondering, I start at Georgia Highlands College on January 7.On Friday, my parents, brother and I went to an Italian restaurant in Brooksville called Papa Joe's. I enjoyed a big plate of ravioli, and spoke with the owner, Joe (an Italian immigrant), as I realized that I would need a take-out box. Unfortunately, the marinara sauce the ravioli was swimming in dripped out of the box over night and was thrown out.
Now, on The Big Bang Theory: it's my absolute favorite modern sitcom. I love it so much, I was Leonard Hofstadter for Halloween this year. I watch the show almost religiously every day. It's one of the few shows I see worth possessing on DVD. I'm a nerd like the characters, although not quite on that scale. And the saddest part of all: I understand all they say (despite my rather poor performances in my science and math classes in high school).
That pretty much sums up my Thanksgiving. I hope my American readers enjoyed theirs. And if you're not American, I hope you enjoyed just a regular week.
