I woke up quite late on Thanksgiving, thankful that I didn�t have to go anywhere or do anything. There was no required cooking, cleaning, or traveling, so I let my hung-over self rest sleepily until early in the afternoon.

Hambone finally had enough of my lounging and his rumbling belly, so I awoke to a paw to the face. He was one very insistent boy, so I got myself up and the kitties fed.

I read some Internet. I finished the crappy book Helga insisted that I read. I talked with friends on the phone. I sat on the couch in only my underwear and took turns petting each cat.

Nothing of too much excitement there.

Friday

I halfway considered getting up super-early and getting to Best Buy to get myself a $499 laptop, but I figured the aggravation wasn�t worth saving a hundred bucks. I once again spent much of the day in my undies, talking on the phone, and wasting a day away.

Happy called to get the scoop for our dinner plans, and then she picked me up. Since so many people were out-of-town, we got primo parking and our choice of tables at the Indian restaurant. The food was wonderful, and we headed back to her house to hang her Xmas decorations.

When I say that we hung Xmas decorations, I mean that I stood on a wobbly stool, asking, �Is this good?� while she drank the better part of a bottle of wine and handed me tape. She made me listen to some wretched Xmas music -- quite possibly my least favorite part of the season. I took a small glass of wine to help her finish off the bottle, and we went out to meet with some of her friends from school.

The bar had what is my new favorite beer on tap, so we ordered multiple rounds and some lemon drop shots to break things up. Happy and I made it back to her place, where we both quickly fell asleep.

Saturday

At 8 o�clock, I pounced up, chipper as can be, ready to get my day on. I noticed that my belongings were all strewn throughout the living room, so I took it easy for about an hour, sipping on some Diet Coke and reading a book about dogs.

All was fine, the Diet Coke gave me an additional jolt, and the book reconfirmed that I really don�t care too much for dogs. Since all was settled, I quietly left the house.

I was already in my favorite neighborhood, so I decided to walk around a bit. Nothing even thinks about opening until 10:30, so I walked ten blocks to the Taco Burrito House for some breakfast. The doors were locked, and I once again debated just leaving. I rationalized that I was already here and that I�d merely sit on my tush at home, so I braved the 30-degree weather and its wind and headed up 14 blocks to the thrift store I really like.

Their freaking doors were also locked! Argh.

Since I was already that far north and not really in the mood to go home anymore, I walked an additional five blocks to Trader Joe�s. Let me tell you, TJ�s is like Disneyland -- my favorite place on Earth!

I was mindful of the $30 rule, and loaded up my cart with bagels, three varieties of guacamole, two bottles of wine, and some instant Tazo Chai tea. $27 later, I walked to the nearby el stop.

I spent the rest of the afternoon online and petting the kitties, waiting for the early evening so I could go and meet up with Oz et al to see Cabaret.

Confession time: I�m a theater idiot. I had no idea what to expect with this show. (For instance, did you know that Cabaret was about Nazis? And here I thought it was all about dancing and singing -- Sheesh!) Although I went in with hardly an expectation, anything that I might have thought wasn�t even met. The casting, the talent, and from what I�ve read online about how the scenes are supposed to go, were all jacked up. I laughed to Oz, saying that I was glad he wasn�t in the show so I�d have to lie and say that all was great.

[In all honesty, I�m quite the diplomat. I know that I would have said that he was fabulous (while 100% not lying) and then kept quiet on the rest. You know, those costumes sure were cool. How do they build those sets? Who works the lights? Aversion, aversion, aversion...]

Afterwards we headed to Sidetrack with two of his friends. The only straight guy there managed to find me and fall prey to my charms. He�s a nice enough guy, but I�m just not interested. (...a topic for a much later entry.)

The two friends departed, so Oz and I called PeteyPuke to meet us over at this untz-untz club. (If you don�t know what that means, make the untz-untz noise repeatedly, add some bass, and pretend there are swirly lights all around.) Oz and I checked our coats, emptied our bladders, and then found spots on the dance floor. I was one of the very few wearing a shirt, but I did flash Oz my bra.

Petey took a looooong time to get there. So long that I got my coat and waited with Oz. The lovely Petey showed up, I said my hellos, and then walked to the Taco Burrito House for some 3 a.m. grub. The veggie burrito with guacamole and extra green hot sauce, sans the cheese and sour cream, was exactly what I needed.

I slept well that night. Ahhh...

Sunday

I woke up semi-late and talked much of my morning away on the phone. I knew that I needed to get a few items from Kmart, so I took the ghetto bus out west of my neighborhood. I didn�t realize the area of town I was in, so I took full advantage of being in another of my favorite hoods. I went to each cheap-ass clothes store and thrift shop, searching for perfect pants replacements. I rationalized that for $4 each, I could stand to wear pants I didn�t think were worthy of the title Perfect Pants but that were nonetheless acceptable.

I�m now the owner of four pair of JustPants. Two need to be dropped off at the ridiculously expensive alterations lady who giggles with glee whenever she sees me, exclaiming, �This going to be hard job! Hard, hard job!�

�Yes, Lucy, I know what that means. This is going to be an expensive job.�

She then laughs, takes the markings on my clothes, and hands me a receipt to know how much cash to cough up when I come to pick up my clothes.

Alas, I now have four pair of pants that I can wear to work. And, yes, this makes me happy -- even if they are a size larger than they should be.

Which brings me up to

Monday

where I�ve spent my day working. CW2 is on vacation this week, but my buddy Matt is in the office. Tomorrow he�s going to come sit near me. I have a feeling that very little is going to get done.

There aren�t any plans for tonight yet. I think I�m going to give the boxes stacked in my apartment a looksie. It�s time to clean my crap up.

Happy Monday!�