Too Many Shoes...

Otherwise known as Giving Thanks...

I left My Small Town today for the Atlanta 'burbs to spend Thanksgiving with the maternal side of my family (as chronicled in Family Affairs and The Neutral Zone).  We lost our matriarch, my 93 year-old grandmother, this past March, and this is our first major holiday without her.  For the sake of family peace I will refrain from offering any more details, except for this:  The shock and numbness I felt after Grandma's sudden death has long since worn off, and my heart has ached tremendously for the past two weeks.  Grandma was one of a kind, and tomorrow her presence will sorely be missed.

I started packing for the trip yesterday evening prior to going to salsa class, and finished the job this morning.  I needed clothes for Thursday, Friday, and to drive home on Saturday.  It should have been simple.

It wasn't.

Friday morning I am going to work off my Thanksgiving meal with an eight mile run through the 'burbs.  I have to scope out a nice, relatively flat stretch of pavement tomorrow.  I had initially thought I was up to nine miles this week, but realized a few days ago that I am a week ahead of the training schedule for my early January half-marathon date.  As such, I can keep the same distance that I ran last week.  Great.  Because I am running, I brought a pair of yoga pants, a t-shirt, and my favorite comfy hoodie.  I also brought my training shoes of choice, Asics, and the appropriate under attire. 

Tomorrow's outfit is a gorgeous sweaterdress that I bought last week at Loft.  It is black and charcoal with horizontal stripes, and hugs every inch of my body.  The dress looks amazing, and will keep me warm in this chilly weather, particularly when worn with black tights and my favorite polka-dotted heels.  I know what you are thinking-- Polka dots and stripes?  Trust me, with this outfit, it totally works.

Okay, so I knew what I was going to wear for my post-Thanksgiving run, and on Thanksgiving day, but aside from that I was clueless.  Would Friday afternoon be ultra-casual, or only partially casual?  What about Friday night?  And what would I want to wear driving home on Saturday?  Would I need an outfit to change into on Thanksgiving evening, or would I just stay in the slamming sexy-yet-refined dress? 

So many options!  Too many choices!

I ended up with the following shoes:

1. Bass shoes that I wear in cold weather with jeans
2. Black heels with cream polka dots
3. The Bass flip flops I drove up in
4. My pink and white striped slippers (that match my flannel pajamas)
5. The aforementioned Asics
6. Black patent leather loafers.

Utterly insane.

I also have my dance shoes in the car just in case...

No one needs that many pairs of shoes for 2 1/2 days.

I brought two pairs of black tights in the event that the first pair had a hole or a run that I am unaware of, and packed a second hoodie and pair of yoga pants if I needed to be comfortable without rocking the pjs. 

When I was about to leave I suddenly realized I hadn't packed any socks, so I ran to my room and grabbed three white pairs out of the drawer.  I shoved them into the Bass shoes that were patiently waiting in my car trunk.  Chuck looked at me running about like a mad woman.  You know you're only going to be gone for three days.

Yes-- can you tell my family makes me crazy?

It's okay Jen... Everybody's family makes them crazy.

That's what the holidays are all about.  Spending time with people you love tremendously, and feeling a bit crazy at the same time.  Some people feel more crazy than others.  I would know.  I am a counselor.

When the car was sufficiently packed, I hugged Chuck, wished him a Happy Thanksgiving, and drove away. 

Well... almost.

I started detailing what I had packed when I realized I had left a crucial item behind.  I had only driven a few houses down the block, so I turned around, pulled the car into the driveway, and ran into the house, motor running.

I forgot my cell phone charger!

Chuck and I had a quick laugh about how I couldn't live without my phone, and then I ran back out the door and drove away.  Traffic was heavy, but moving.  Today has been a good day-- in large part due to the magical radio.  Tomorrow morning I will wake up in the same home as my parents, watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and all will be right and good in the world.  Just as it should be.