My first Thanksgiving away from home

First of all, dang it's a deserted city here! I was talking to my friend Jamie for a few hours last night until Strada kicked us out and there was seriously no one around... Same thing this morning as Allan and I walked to the theater on Shattuck together. No one except this crazed homeless person who kept following us and shouting to Allan "KISS HER! IT'LL FEEL GOOD! SHE LOOKS PRETTY!" Damn, you can sure depend on the Berkeley homeless to boost your ego every now and then, heh...

Anyways, I'm happy to say that I got to spend Thanksgiving with a well-sampled non-random cross-section of my Berkeley friends. I watched Harry Potter with Allan, Brad, Dave and Richard at 11:45am today, but before that Allan, Richard and I got to spend some time at Starbucks since we thought there would be a mad kiddie rush to see Harry Potter early Thanksgiving day and got to the theater at like 10:40am (ref. Richard's hot hair) Harry was okay; funny scenes only due to lameness but overall, not too bad, though I really say the book was way better at plot development and the details. And I guess them kids are moving onto crushes and whatnot. I really don't see how Hermione and Ron could end up together, but I guess from the movie, they both like each other and Hermione would have much preferred to have gone to that dance with Ron instead of the mucho-macho Krum. They gotta get that sorted out... I should read book 6 sometime... And even during the movie, I got to thinking that the girl at the ticket station shouldn't have ripped both tickets. What if I had just taken Richard's stub or something? I don't see how I could have proved that ticket was paid for... Anyways, I wasn't thinking, my brain automatically shut down for vacation (I wonder what's my excuse the rest of the time...), so I let her rip both, but whatevers it all worked out, though it bothers me with the inconsistency.

After that, it was an hour of shivering in the cold and the lonely corner of Center and Shattuck waiting for the 7 bus. Another encounter with a homeless person who wanted a light, but I couldn't understand him at the time and he kept poking me! Argh... Once again, some time to myself to contemplate life... whatever that may be.

Got to Jasmine's place where a huge array of food was already ready! Jasmine is so good to me. I finally ate some turkey on Thanksgiving day in years. My family doesn't celebrate with turkey, ever... so I got some turkey this year, and salmon and macaroni and cheese and collard greens and stuffing and corn and sweet potato pie and chocolate cake and sweet cornbread. All of Jasmine's good Southern cookin. I also got to meet her good friend Campy from Florida and her usual law skool buddies (see pics). Damn, they are a funny bunch.

And then it was off to Emeryville to see Rent. I love the singing, but it was just so sad and depressing.

"525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love. Seasons of love."

I had a great time today. Yes, indeedy. Life be good.

And hopefully the zoo on Saturday! Wooohoooo! =)