THE GOOD AND BAD OF THANKSGIVING WEEKEND

Good: Attending an advance screening of “Big Fish” with Drew and hearing him blubbering like a baby all the way through.

Bad: Drew crying again at the next movie we saw – “Bad Santa”. (Oh, yes, he did.)

Worse: Seeing “The Triplets of Belleville” with him after that, and both of us falling asleep.

Good: Making chocolate chip cookies and cornbread for Thanksgiving dinner.

Bad: Danny complaining that my cookies didn’t have enough chips in them.

Worse: Danny complaining that my cookies didn’t have enough chips all night long.

Good: Realizing that Danny didn’t make anything himself, and that this supplied me with the perfect comeback.

Bad: Not realizing that fact until I was on my way home.

Worse: Eating my leftover cookies the next day and realizing that Danny was probably right.

Good: Clearing out of my old apartment for good and cleaning it as much as possible in one afternoon.

Bad: Being reminded of what it looked like when it was clean and empty and new.

Worse: Realizing how easy it would’ve been to keep it clean all the time I’d lived there and feeling like a total slob.

Good: Getting back my entire security deposit.

Better: Getting a picture of myself with my landlady before I left.

Best: Having to bend down for the picture when standing beside her and feeling tall.

Good: Going day-after-Thanksgiving shopping at Best Buy and Target.

Bad: Having to wake up at 5 a.m. to do it.

Worse: Spending more money buying things for myself than for people on my Christmas list.

Good: Discovering my new favorite song, “Deckchairs and Cigarettes” by the Thrills.

Bad: Playing that song so many times that it vaulted directly to #1 on my iTunes Top 25.

Worse: Seeing Robbie Williams’ “Mr. Bojangles” fall to #2. And then getting sick of that damn Thrills song.

Good: Finding a new place to put the couch in the new apartment, so that it’s no longer blocking the hallway.

Better: Clearing enough space so that we had room for a Christmas tree.

Best: That brisk pine smell and the glow of tiny lights.

Good: Getting to shop for Christmas tree ornaments.

Bad: Suggesting the 99 cent store as a good place to start, and then realizing that 99 cent ornaments are crap.

Worse: Going back to Target for the third time in four days to get some decent decorations.

Good: Finding somebody to see Avenue Q with when I go back east later this month.

Bad: Immediately finding someone else to see it with, too. Someone who doesn’t get along with the first person.

Worse: Trying to unite different groups of friends.

Bad:Not getting to play any Mario Kart all weekend.

Good: Still having four new racetracks and a bunch of karts to unlock on that game.

Best: … and knowing that once that’s done, Tony Hawk is still waiting for me.