Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Tonight on the phone Ross asked me what foods I want him to eat for me, since I don't get to this year. I think it's easier for me to not celebrate this holiday since my family is here and none of us are really celebrating, at least not in the traditional way. We do have plans to go to Jamie Oliver's bistro "fifteen" for lunch, and maybe a walk through Hyde Park. According to the weather man winter is supposed to hit London tomorrow, this year is apparently going to be the coldest winter in ten years...you can just imagine my excitement.
We spent the day today in Oxford. About an hour's train ride outside London, Oxford is a great little town with all sorts of history. The buildings are beatiful, green grass, perfectly kept quads. We had lunch in the pub where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien spent their mornings discussing their writings. We visited the gargoyles that inspired the stone statues in the "Chronicles of Narnia," we saw the Great Hall from Harry Potter. Overall it was a great day, however cold! It's been a fun week, great to have my family around. The other night at dinner a comment was made about all the people who have experienced family travel on this trip. Joyce, Emily, Ulla and Sven, Andy, Trace, and Morgan...they all have a new (or first) outlook on our family. We thought about starting our own tour company, Sean came up with the slogan, "Come for the travel, stay for the strange entertainment." But then we got to thinking, we would really need a harsh regiment for making sure people can keep up with our pace. They need to be able to walk at a very brisk pace for hours, stay in any sort of budget accommodation, and be able to put down large amounts of wine at happy hour every night. If this sounds like you, then you might be the perfect candidate to be "an oldroyd extra" as emily put it.
Mom and Dad leave tomorrow, and then everyone else on Friday. It will be very strange to get back into the swing of things on my own here. I'm so used to having people around all the time, it will be an adjustment all over again. Hope everyone's Thanksgiving is wonderful tomorrow!