"Your plate's looking kinda lean there!" (Thanksgiving '10 with the Fam and video of my first Just Dance 2 attempt on Wii)

image from myspace.com

Thanksgiving is always a big to-do for me because both sides of my family live in NY (but my 'rents moved to SC before I was born). I always want to spend time with both families. Luckily, most of them live pretty close to each other on Long Island.

First, I hopped in the LIRR to Nana's house in Queens. I drove her (who is recovering remarkably from a broken hip) and her 2 disabled siblings in her car over to her niece's in Hempstead. Nana's sister has taught me a new level of patience because getting her out of the house, down the front stairs, and into the car is always at least a 15-minute process.

I drove us over to their niece's house (maybe the 3rd time I've driven a car this year), and as soon as I walked in, her husband asks, "Whatchu drankin'? I got a new bottle of rum downstairs with your name on it!" We were among the first to arrive, and it seemed no one else was drinking yet. I told myself it was trend-setting.

image from oldgoldandblack.com

For a while, the closest people to my age were my cousins, a couple in their mid 40s, and their daughter, who was maybe 8. Eventually, my grandmother's Diva niece came with her daughter and granddaughter, all of whom are drinkers (Hennessey, apparently). I tried bonding with the males in the basement, but they were watching football. And one of them was trying to get me to pull up pictures he'd taken of his niece's wedding on my iPhone with all of the 2 bars of reception AT&T had blessed me with. I retreated upstairs to charge my battery just before dinner was being served.

We gathered everyone in the living room to hold hands and say the blessing. The two 8-year-olds were fighting over who would say the blessing, so my grandmother, being the diplomat that she is, told them they could each say a blessing. They both said very cute, thorough, and surprisingly long prayers. The second one's mother almost made me crack up out loud when she unsuccessfully tried to cut her daughter off with a loud "AMEN!"

image from gamrconnect.vgchartz.com

"God, she prays like [minister uncle in his 70s]!"

After some roast beef, bbq chicken, ribs, collard greens, green beans, and stuffing (cousin: "Your plate's looking kinda lean there!"), I took Nana's car to my uncle's in Valley Stream.

After getting off a couple of exits too early and passing his exit, I finally made it to the semi-famous uncle's house. This is the uncle who grew up on welfare, got into top-tier undergrad and grad schools, and basically became the best at what he does (and receives appropriate income for his expertise). It's always fun going to his house.

They were already on dessert when I arrived, but you'd better believe I saved room for some curry chicken (I swear my aunt must have Caribbean in her family!), spiral ham, candies yams, more ribs, sweet potato pie, and blueberry pie. And I was upset that Grandma didn't make her famous rum cake. Obviously, I wasn't the only one, because on her way out, Grandma told my cousin from NC she'd make her a rum cake before my cousin left town.

Some of my younger cousins were in the den playing a dancing game on Wii. It looked like tons of fun! I had gone to the gym earlier, so I still a bit tired. But after watching them do a few rounds, I had to get in on the fun. I handed my phone to my cousin to tape my first attempt.

I may or may not have totally kicked younger-cousin ass!

The cousin who got our Grandma to make her a personal rum cake is always harassing me to sing for her. Now, I have an okay studio voice, and I used to get solos occasionally in choirs. I've sang at a few cousins' weddings, and I think she might be mad that I was too young to sing at hers. She sat me down at my uncle's computer, played me a song I'd never heard before, and was like, "Okay, sing it to me." Say what?! She eventually settled for the song my former sister-in-law had me sing at her and my brother's wedding 5 years ago ("When I First Saw You" from Dreamgirls... in an Episcopalian service... Weird, right: who knew there were black Episcopalians!).

image from blackchristiannews.com

Actually, I don't know why this cousin harasses me because her daughter has a much more agile voice than I. But the real moment was when my aunt's niece sang a super done-up version of the gospel classic "I Won't Complain," complete with a reprise! I've known her a good 15 years, and I had no idea she sang!

As soon as she was done, I slipped into the kitchen to make myself a to-go plate (before they tried to coax another song out of me). At this point, it was about 10. It would have been so easy to catch a train from there right into Manhattan, but I had to take my grandmother and her siblings home. And of course, they weren't ready to leave when I arrived.

Luckily, there was an 11:43 from Hollis. Did I mention it only took me an hour and a half to get home? Did I mention I had 2 plates of leftovers?! Yeah!

Click here to check out Thanksgiving '08.


Speaking of me singing, click here to check out my a cappella arrangement of "O Holy Night" (my all-time fav Christmas hymn... no auto-tune: guaranteed).