Friendsgivings, Breakfast Casserole, and… Gay Hockey?
Pumpkin Pie, giving thanks, and Serena and Tripp’s affair being aired in public while “Whatcha Say” blares in what has to be one the best representations of holiday family drama to date: These are things we all associate with the last Thursday in November, right? Thanksgiving used to mean a dinner with my family: whether that be a big get together at my Aunt’s followed by a night of family poker, or a night that my brother and I were both off at my parent’s house. Whatever it was, it was basically an unspoken rule that the family had to be together in some way, shape, or form. But in the last few years since moving, it has changed.
I have come to realize that my “wants” and my ideas of holidays have shifted a bit. I think a core difference is that I am learning I want to be surrounded by people who make me feel whole and love my most authentic self. I’m not saying I don’t get that from my family, I know they love me and I love them. Sometimes I think I just spent so much time in the closet that they essentially spent the first twenty-five years of my life with a completely different person. I catch glimpses of it sometimes: when I make a joke or a comment about someone or something- something I never would have ever said when I was hiding my personality and I see the looks I get or the comments that it is met with. I will tell a story and I get a: “I can’t believe you did that.” It’s not bad, it’s just… different. Maybe that’s because I moved a state away, came out and never looked back. Maybe things would have been different If I had come out sooner and been myself more around my family, who’s to say? But I feel an immense guilt when it gets around the holiday’s- I have to start mentally preparing myself for the conversations of why I don’t come home, why I have plans with other people, etc. etc. This year, I casually dropped it in the family group chat and went about my day. I dodged a few passive aggressive texts and just did not respond. Big steps over here!
This year, we had three Friendsgiving’s: One the week before, and two on Thanksgiving day. We laughed, we ate entirely too much food, we joked, we made memories: all the things you want from a fun holiday. Things have changed a bit over the last few years but I’m glad spending it with family is still a given. Whether it be chosen or blood.
Ok listen, I have been trying to get healthier but the fiancee and I have taken off the last few weeks from the gym and this week was Thanksgiving so I was like “screw it” I want a delicious breakfast for the entire weekend then I’ll get back to protein coffee starting Monday. I found this recipe on tik tok that did not miss!
https://www.tiktok.com/@cookinginthemidwest/video/7439361293850512683?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
I added in a can of Rotel to the eggs but followed the recipe besides that. She turned out beautiful:
Ok- I am going to have to do a deeper dive on this but if any one is actually reading this blog, please go start reading the Game Changers series by Rachel Reid! I saw a Tik Tok about a book: The Long Game (Book 6) and it sounded mildly interesting and I had just finished 107 Days and NEEDED something fun after that masterpiece so I said why not? The series follows different groups of guys who fall in love and play hockey. From what I can tell, each book follows another couple who appear in other books. Audible had a bundle deal that had Game Changers Volume 2: Common Goal (Book 4), Role Model (Book 5), and The Long Game (Book 6). I didn’t know anything about any of the characters so I decided to dive in on Common Goal because if the books sucked, at least I was spending the Audible credit on the 3 books instead of 1, right? Let me tell you, the books absolutely did not suck (in the negative way, there is definitely some sucking going on, sorry I had to). I knocked out Common Goal in a few days and was about to finish Role Model a few days before Thanksgiving when I saw something about a new “steamy” Hockey Romance coming to HBO on Friday called Heated Rivalry. I knew I recognized the name and had to look it up, it was the first book in the series I casually jumped over to start midway through like an idiot. I had the house to myself Friday morning and said: “fuck it, book orders do not matter”(they definitely do) and watched the first two episode that had premiered of the TV show. I was kind of blown away, but knew I could not judge it unless I read the book. Plus- I had already fallen for the characters and had to know how the story ended. So Saturday I woke up at 7am and knocked out the first book and I have to say… HBO kind of nailed it? I know we are only two episodes in but they got the details down, like down to the lines of dialogue which is kind of crazy to me the kind of justice they are doing it so far. Like I said, I will continue to talk about this to anyone who will listen as the show rolls out so please watch the two episodes that are out, and read the books!
Also, I may have re watched the first episode in bed Friday night, I'll never admit to it though...
Next week it is back to work and the gym (hopefully) I also plan on getting my first sourdough starter started and I could not be more stoked!
Until next time! -Roy