A break from the norm

Tomorrow, Deano, Marcus and I will load up and travel to my parents' house in Oxford for the long Thanksgiving weekend. We are all looking forward to a break. Dean is ready for "unbridled fun" as my dad says, and Marcus and I are jazzed about a full night's sleep and some food we didn't buy or cook ourselves. We have decided to go easy this year--we're eating at Cracker Barrel! That means NO cooking, NO shopping and NOOOOO cleaning! Yay! It also means no leftovers, but that's ok because we're going to a family party Friday night that's going to involve chili and a football game and tailgate Friday afternoon, so we're sure to stuff ourselves sufficiently.

We went to the college to have lunch with Marcus today and all the students looked like walking zombies. Many of them are closing HAIR tonight, so they have been stretched thinner than thin these past couple of weeks because of the production. They all need a break from classes and college life, I think. We've fed 3 of them dinner on at least one occasion over the past couple of weeks. See? I'll make the transition back to academia just fine--they're not even my students yet and already I want to take care of them!

I think back to my college days and remember how completely and utterly DONE I was by the time Thanksgiving rolled around each year. We were on the quarter system, so our first quarter ended in November, just in time for a lovely 2 week Thanksgiving break! My first day home, I would present my mother with her special gift (my laundry), eat at Abner's (my favorite chicken place) and go straight to bed for hours and hours and hours. It was usually the first night I'd slept more than 6 straight hours since the school year started, and also the first night in a month or so that I wasn't in rehearsal until at least 11pm. My parents worked hard to make my trips home relaxing for me. Comfort food was served, favorite restaurants were visited, shopping trips were planned, nostalgic movies were watched. Nowadays, we do a lot of the same things. This weekend, we'll get to visit with some old buddies, meet a new baby friend, see an Ole Miss football game and go to church with my mom and dad. And I have a hunch it'll feel like one of those quarter breaks from college. (Don't worry, mom, I'm not bringing our laundry!)

Now if you'll pardon me, I have to go finish cooking my very healthy and well-balanced dinner which consists of Velveeta Shells and Cheese and Coke Zero. It's "Eat What You Can Find" day here in the Lane home. Guess how you play!? ;)

If you're traveling for Thanksgiving, please do so safely and have a great trip!