Sean Punch

Monday is the Canadian Thanksgiving Day holiday. I'm on an American schedule – because I work for a U.S. company – but I definitely took time to relax this weekend. And there's much to be thankful for . . .

First, I got to sleep in until noon today. I mean, seriously – noon. Even for the childless among us, that's an accomplishment.

Then Bonnie and I took advantage of a wonderful gift from our good friends E. & D.: a certificate for a couples massage. I've never had any kind of professional massage, so this was either jumping in with both feet or going in with my hand held. Either way, it was very relaxing. I'm not much for the whole New Age scented candles-and-chakras thing, but I'm definitely down for anything that does more good for my sore arm in one hour than about two months of everything else I've tried. So here's to getting aches and pains ironed out – I see more of this in my future. (For the locals, I would recommend Espace Nomad . . . they were polite, professional, unrushed, and very willing to explain things to a massage newbie.)

Our Thanksgiving dinner was unusual, as far as Thanksgiving dinners go. Instead of the customary stuffed bird, we put together two Welsh items. Katt pie is a kind of sweet-savory pasty filled with sweetened, spiced lamb and currants – it's just amazing stuff, and nothing at all like any kind of meat pie I've had before. Glamorgan sausages are rolled-up, fried-up treats made not with meat but with cheese, leeks, and breadcrumbs. Neither is "fancy" . . . I suspect that they're basic fair food or pub food of some variety. But with a good Chianti Classico and fresh veggies (and some totally excessive biscotti and calvados for dessert), they were just great. If all Welsh food is so tasty, then the slagging people give it is thoroughly undeserved.

Which is to say, I cannot complain. Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends out there! I hope your day is as good as mine.

As my short break from work draws to a close . . .

Saturday brought yet another show for the baladi troupe to which Bonnie belongs. This was Lala Hakim's big annual spectacle, built around Hakim's troupe but including guest dancers. Bonnie's instructor is an acquaintance of Hakim's, so her troupe was invited to perform. Baladi is always fun to watch – especially when several styles are represented (in this case, Egyptian, Macedonian, and Yemeni, plus some less-traditional stuff). It was a nifty way to spend a Saturday night!

Sunday was the day of our 20th anniversary party. We started early out of respect for folks with kids, but a few of us were still playing tunes and sipping cocktails at around 2 a.m. Anyway, it was a lot of fun. My only regret is that most of my pals from 20 years ago couldn't be there. Like many people my age, especially those who made a lot of friends in university, my social circle from two decades ago has blown to the four corners of the world. To any old cronies reading this now: Wish you could've been there!

Today is mostly a chance to recover from my time off. Every day since May 26 has had something medium to big happening on it, so this is my opportunity to rest before I return to work tomorrow . . . and before Bonnie goes away for a week, leaving me to manage the household and garden.