"1" Is The Loneliest Number

Life is full of many firsts. Your first steps, your first tooth, your first overdue library book... and then there's your first holiday spent alone.

***Cue the sappy music (something like Eric Carmen's All by Myself) ***

Ah yes, this Thanksgiving 2008 will be spent with me, myself, and I. It just happened to turn out that way. I work at a 24-hour hospital and everyone is required to work 2 holidays per year. I usually choose an early shift on Memorial Day and Thanksgiving, which for the past 3 years has worked out marvelously. Choice of holiday shift depends on an assigned priority status based upon seniority. Though my time at VSH pales in comparison to the few people who've been there 10+ years, I have a decent spot on the list. Well this year the powers-that-be decided to extend the length of Holiday shifts to 10 hours instead of 8 hours. LAME! So basically it’s just another day. One of the only perks of working a holiday is the reduced shift time (not to mention the holiday pay) and they took that away from us!! Grrr.

So I am scheduled to work from 9am to 7:30pm on this national Day of Thanks, only to return to an empty house, a hi-def television, and a cat that needs insulin (I'm petsitting). Thank goodness for hi-def!!

"Don't you have anybody to be with?" Um, no. Its unfortunate, but no one is to blame. My dad is nestled in the mountains of south-central Utah with his wife, Sarita is hosting my mom at her home in Colorado with her family, and Jessie is tucked away in Texas with her husband. Harrison and his family will be together in Los Angeles at his brother's house. And well, you all know I don't have any friends so that leaves just me!

Woe is me...wait, the song is reaching its climax... "ALL BY MYSELF!!"... heh, let's listen for a minute. Ok, that's good.

So on November 27th, as you sit with your loved ones around a table brimming with freshly prepared yumminess, have an extra helping of stuffing for me. And don't skimp on the whipped cream on that pumpkin pie! I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. Here's to a kick-ass Christmas, ya??