It’s been an interesting few weeks, holiday and post-holiday. I’ve had a fairly happy and relaxing Thanksgiving, even at a dinner with over 28 relatives. I had the chance to go to not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR bars in Toledo in one night (ok, so that one wasn’t so fabulous… give me [Sullivan's](http://www.cleveland.com/dining/reviews_plaindealer.ssf?6116?6116_2) any day). I even got to make the gravy–something I genuinely enjoy. Something that I didn’t get to experience while visiting the vast, flat lands of Northwest Ohio was a reliable internet connection. Oh! The humanity!
When we finally returned to Cleveland, I came back to a storm of freelance work, catching up on emails, a whole lot of knitting, and some relaxing. Over the week I’ve contemplated several entries, but nothing quite solidified, except for a few lists, which I will now publish:
### Things that are fabulous:
- Absolutely dear and gorgeous commenters who share a little bit of their lives and opinions on my site — y’all are sweethearts for taking the time to tell a story or share your views
- Lots of stuffing and sweet potatoes
- Correctly poured Guinness
- Pubs where people can talk over said correctly poured Guinness
- Using Kool-Aid to dye wool yarn (it’s just so stinkin’ fun!)
- Jimmy Carter speaking on the [Al Franken radio show](http://shows.airamericaradio.com/alfrankenshow/)
- John Murtha finally telling it like it is (although it’s very un-fabulous that it took so long)
- Actually finishing knitting projects for people
- Diet Coke
- Cafe Aroma’s Chocolate Blizzard coffee by [Panache](http://www.iwantpanache.com/)
- Late night talk shows full of progressive and liberal politicians and writers
- People who don’t think that “Liberal” is a bad word
- Having a husband at home
- Having a 20-month-old daughter who, at one time, can actually say “apocalypse” clearly while waiting in line at Panera (sadly we have not been able to coax a repeat performance)
- [Gloria Ferris'](http://www.gloriaferris.net) return to blogging
- Black baby clothes
- Snow
### Things that are quite un-fabulous:
- People who feel the need to spew hatred and poison like the people featured in [this blog article](http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2005/11/27/possibly-the-most-disgusting-thing-ive-ever-read/)
- Awkward social moments at holiday dinners
- Hastily poured Coors (actually, Coors poured any way is pretty heinous)
- Establishments full of aging yuppies attempting to regain their youth and get their groove on to Korn and Fifty Cent on dollar beer night
- Bars where every conversation MUST. BE. SHOUTED.
- Waiting for freshly dyed yarn to dry
- George W. Bush speaking to captive audiences of troops.
- Rod Parsley speaking anywhere
- Coffee shops with burnt coffee and four dollar egg salad sandwiches
- Writer’s block
- Caffeine-Free diet coke
- People who say “Jose Pa-DILL-ah” instead of “Jose Pa-DEE-ah”.
- [Paid propaganda journalism](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/12/02/wus02.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/12/02/ixworld.html)
- Jim Petro’s new “Vote for me, I’m buddies with Jesus” commercial. Nothing like whoring out your faith for politics, eh?
- Having a husband running around Southern Ohio chasing Bambi (the deer, not the floozy)
- Host Gator (for screwing up [Gloria's site](http://www.gloriaferris.net) in the first place
- Stained baby clothes
- Snow
