I had a snarky post planned for yesterday about how I was thankful for a comfy couch and Crystal Light lemonade to nurse my food hangover — yes, food hangover and it was miserable — but I’m feeling just so dang happy right now after what was a lovely weekend I cannot muster any snark. Alas.

I had a lovely holiday, three actual days off work, quality time with family and friends, lots and lots of indulgent food and a lovely night at church last night. And now, my busy season at work is diminishing ever so slightly, giving way for the slightly more enjoyable crazy-schedule season in which the hours I work are fewer but all over the map. This is something to be thankful for.

I successfully celebrated my first family oriented holiday with the Modern Love Machine that did not involve us going our separate ways to our respective families. We spent Thanksgiving day in Nashville with his family, and I’m pleased to say it was no less or more crazy than a Thanksgiving with my own family. The story of the day was from the Modern Mom-in-Law, who ran into Ke$ha earlier in the week at TJ Maxx in the Nashville ‘burbs (Ke$ha spent some of her formative years in this particular ‘burb and apparently her mother is still there). The MMIL, who could make friends with a brick wall if she felt compelled, asked the unmake-uped, not-so-trashily dressed blonde in the check out line if she was, in fact, Ke$ha, and the blonde said indeed she was Ke$ha and apologized for looking a little rough because she’d gotten off a plane from New York just before her mom whisked her to TJ Maxx. The MMIL said something to the effect of, ‘You’re actually really pretty,’ and got a photo with her.** And now I think they’re Facebook friends or something.

Friday was spent back in Knoxville with the Modern Love Machine who made a fabulous Thanksgiving lite dinner for my parents, who came to visit for the weekend. He really is turning into a great cook, which, epic win for me 🙂 Usually the Modern Mom and I get out quasi-early on Black Friday and try to knock out most of our Christmas shopping, but she and the Modern Dad didn’t make it to Knoxville til the afternoon, so there wasn’t much time for Black Fridaying. What I lacked in quantity of purchases I made up for in quality of purchase as the MLM and I replaced our seven-year-old TV (you know, from the pre-flat screen era) with a plasma TV that is obscenely large. Way too large for our mediocre-sized living room. And while I kind of hate myself for becoming one of those people that has a way-larger TV than necessary, I have enjoyed being able to clearly read the potty mouths of angry coaches and players all weekend while consuming vast amounts of football and basketball.

Saturday during the day was spent at work and Saturday night was spent at the MLM’s and my favorite restaurant, site of our first date. I lost a bet on a football game to the MLM, and he made sure I paid. I paid for the wine at the liquor store, paid the bill at the restaurant and paid for the indulgence in duck and kobe beef on the couch on Sunday morning with my food hangover belly ache. Two days of Thanksgiving dinners with a side of more crazy-rich foods is NOT A GOOD IDEA, kids.

The beautiful thing of the weekend is that the Ke$ha story, the obscenely large TV and the kobe beef were not the highlights by any means. Instead it was the time spent with the MLM, the rest of the Modern Family, the Modern Pooches and Modern Friends that made me happier than I’ve been in months. That and the serious lack of the work computer in my life lately.

**If you go far enough back in her Facebook photos, you will see said photo of the MMIL and Ke$ha)