Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy rainy Thanksgiving!
This year, I’m giving thanks for (among other things) red pandas. Because they are SO ridiculously cute. It’s just not right that something should look so snuggly and not be snuggle-able. Sharon and I spent maybe an hour staring at the red pandas in the DC zoo last weekend, as you can see from the many many photos of them in this blog entry.
There are two of them there, and as we watched they climbed this super-tall tree and went out to the very tips of the branches to get as close to us as possible, as if to say, “Take a picture of me! Take a picture of me!” Like I could say no to that!
I think Sunshine would love a red panda, at least from a distance. Like maybe on TV. Up close everything is always a lot bigger than she expects. I think red pandas might be a bit bigger than her — they’re certainly longer, with their big fluffy tails. But they have very similar expressions sometimes.
We also, of course, spent forever watching the actual pandas next door, but I’ll save those pictures for a later blog entry. Same with the otters and the Mysterious Creature I Have Never Seen Before In My Life. Now you’ll come back, won’t you? Going to the zoo is like sweeps month in Tui’s Blogworld. Next Time…PANDAS! or possibly…a BLURRY BABY ELEPHANT!
For our Thanksgiving we ate a lot and watched The Island, which made me thankful that I’m not a clone, and also that I have more facial expressions than Scarlett Johansson, although I wouldn’t exactly say no to looking like her.
We also went to see the Macy’s balloons getting blown up Wednesday night. Weird! Half a Snoopy is a lot harder to identify than a whole Snoopy. And there were MASSES of people there. I never knew this was such an enormous event. Shuffling past half-inflated balloons in a giant crowd? I mean, it was on my “Things To Do Before I Move Out of New York” list, but why was everyone else there?
And I finished reading Lucifer’s Hammer, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, which is a post-apocalyptic book about what happens when a comet strikes the earth. Which made me VERY thankful that a comet has not, in fact, struck the earth just yet. And it made me think I need to make some farmer friends who won’t mind me living on their farm (where the food is) when the apocalypse comes. Also that perhaps I should develop some skills besides surfing the internet and knowing everything there is to know about current TV shows, since apparently neither of those will be in high demand after the apocalypse. WELL. FINE, then. I’ll start working on my “rebuilding civilization from scratch” knowledge instead. 
Speaking of TV shows, I am thankful for Kris and Jon on Season 6 of The Amazing Race, since they are the cutest couple in the universe and totally make that season worth watching all by themselves. And I am extra-thankful for Friday Night Lights, which got picked up for a full season (HOORAY!), and which you should all be watching if you’re not already. Yup, my favorite TV critic was right: he picked Ugly Betty and Friday Night Lights as the best new shows this season, and it turns out I agree with him. Don’t be alarmed by the sports aspect — I like it, and I’m the least football-y person in the world. 
Hope your Turkey Day was fantabulous!
Quote of the Day: "Thanksgiving without family would be…Thursday." –Daniel on Ugly Betty