Gobble Gobble...

Starting with my roomie, Zulay, who was out of here Monday night, last week marked a mass exodus out of Syracuse U to a place I would like to call "anywhere else BUT Syracuse" for the annual Thanksgiving break. That's right. Like clockwork, the minute people 'round here get a whiff that Thanksgiving is here, they pack their bags and get the fuck out, like rats escaping from a sinking ship. Because most people around here live somewhat relatively close to the Northeast, it's not that much of a big deal to head home for the holiday weekend. For some others, however, you got those people from Cali or Hawaii who don't have the money to head back home, so instead, they find some other family to chill with for the weekend. Like I said, "ANYWHERE but Syracuse."

(Exception, of course, to the people that are actually FROM the Central NY area. Then again, I'm sure they find ways of getting out the city, as well... Gotta love JetBlue. :-) )

So, I was no exception. I headed back to NYC for the extended holiday weekend to spend some time with the family. My abuelita ("grandma," for the Spanish-challenged) flew in from Houston, and one of my cousins was in town after being in Germany for over two years. For whatever reason, I wasn't able to meet up with my cousin (that wench), and I didn't spend as much time with my grandmother as I would've liked to because she was out all the way in Brooklyn, staying over at one of my uncle's houses. (It takes an hour and a half across the city to make it to where my grandmother was staying...freaking carajoland) Still, I managed to chill with my momma a lot during the entire weekend. It was all good. We caught up, chit-chatted, and made each other laugh, for the most part. It's so funny hearing her talk about college (she went back to school this year), and hear the genuine excitement coming out of her over the fact that she's doing really well. Seeing how much of an effort she's putting into school is making me think twice about the effort I've put into my own schoolwork this year...I guess we're coming from different vantage points. She's happy to be back in school, whereas I'm burnt out from dealing with the same shit over and over again. Still, I'm happy to see that she's striving forward to finish college and earn the degree she sacrificed when she had me 21 years ago.

Who says a Latina single parent can't raise a child from the tender age of 18, have them go away to a private University, AND earn a degree themselves? That's ma momma, making me proud. :-)

I really didn't chill all that much in the city with friends, if at all. I was more concerned with doing school work and spending time with the fam. I received countless phone calls from people telling me to "come out and get fucked up," and the usual "Hey Ray, I hear you're back home," booty calls. but, unlike this past summer, where my #1 priority was meeting up with friends, this time, I just chilled and concentrated on work and chattin up the relatives. After all, it's the relatives, who after careful "reminders" that a birthday just passed, feel guily about not calling you up, and give you tons of money to make up for it...

...And it's because of that, in a way, that my weekend was GRAND...in dollars...I took full advantage of the after-Turkey Day sales and obtained $1,000 worth of merchandise. (costs of which were split between myself and the fam) Yessir. I did my part to boost the fucking economy. I felt that it was time to update my clothing and footwear collection for upcoming business interviews and job opportunities, which, when put that way, justifies the spree. It had been awhile since I had spent a good amount of money on myself, so, it was quite a refreshing change from the dire financial straits I faced earlier this year, when I barely had enough money to pay for a can of soda while I was in London. (Seriously, you guys need to see the food diary I made when I was in London during a two week period...it's sad...it'll be published when I republish the Europe blogs before the end of the year)

So Apple and the 'Fucks are paying the bills. :-)

When I got home, I had one of those new Nintendo DS handheld systems waiting for me, courtesy of the Mother. Man, that shit is awesome. Wish me luck in balancing finals, L.U.C.H.A., Apple, and playing time with that thing lying around. The system replaces the one that was stolen from me during my first day in London almost a year ago. I couldn't be happier with the birthday present. Thanks ma. :-)

...Trips down to the city make me want my car that much more...soon, though, that problem will be addressed...

Turkey was good. I ate at my uncle's house in Carajoland Brooklyn. Turkey, Rice and Black Beans, and Candied Yams. Yum, yum. And topped off with Pumpkin Pie. It wasn't the most expansive Thanksgiving meal I've had, not by a long shot, but, hey, it's food, and, one has to be thankful for what they get anyway, y'know? Right now, ZuZu and I have tentative plans to cook our own "post-Thanksgiving" feast this coming weekend to get us in shape for finals week. Depending on our collective finances and dedication, we can go all out on this meal. I'm not going to set it in stone just yet. We gotta see what's good. Even if we don't, hey, at least we all had decent meals to fill our bellies with. :-)

...I'm working on seeing whether or not I can work at a 'Fucks in NYC during the X-Mas break until I return to school. If that's the case, I can stay in the city a lot longer and get to do the whole "hang-out" thing that I didn't do during this break. Last year, I was so desperate for work, that I had to stay in Cuse till Christmas Eve, leave, and then come back the day after Christmas to continue working for the "London Honeypot." Hopefully, I don't have to do that this year, and I can work in the city, make NYC wages, and have some REAL time off from school. (with money in my pockets.) :-)

So, I'll holla soon. Later!