Tag Archives: A Single Man

Ten Things to Do When Alone on Thanksgiving!

C. Foxy Belle

C. Foxy Belle

As a single man, I’ve on occasion found myself alone on holidays, most notably the end of the year rituals of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In our culture, these tend to be over-marketed as nuclear family-centric events, so it takes a little creativity when one is on one’s own, and can’t be with loved ones/family because of distance or whatever reason. The culture will do its level best to try and make you feel miserable, because all the images you see will be of things you’re not doing. You are unloved and, you’re a loser! So it takes some fortitude to prevail – yet I know you will – because you are a strong, independent person.

Here are some tips, from my own experience or from others who’ve shared over the years:

  • Feast, but with family of choice. Takes preplanning – you probably have some idea that other friends in your orbit might be solo come that day, too – so make plans to spend the day together. Dinner optional.
  • Volunteer – there’s always gonna be someone more miserable than you, and it’s a good thing to do, regardless. Homeless shelters and other organizations often have Thanksgiving Dinners where they need volunteers – perhaps that’s you.
  • Day Trips – it’s great day to go local, ‘cause nobody else is doing it, but the trains and buses are still operating. Beaches, parks, trails – mostly deserted.
  • Movies – Go early and often. Studios time their best hopes for the year-end holiday and awards-qualifying season – so there’s always fresh and anticipated fare the week of Thanksgiving.
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  • Gym – it’s usually open for a few hours, again when a lot of people are gorging themselves on turkey and football. You might have the place to yourself, or to yourself and that like-minded person who is also alone on Thanksgiving (and wants some company . . .)
  • Home Improvement Projects – maybe not what you want to do on your day off, but I once wallpapered the kitchen on Christmas Day.
  • Yoga/Spiritual Practice – meditation, yoga (podcast if there are no classes!), your church. Good to give thanks, after all, that’s what it’s for. Speaking of which:
  • Gratitude List – make a list of all the things you’re grateful for, and realize what a wonderful life you are living, even if you happen to be alone this one Thanksgiving Day.
  • Diner Delight – a lot of restaurants are closed, but a lot are open, serving up that turkey a zillion different ways. Your servers at such places probably wish they were home with their loved ones. So patronize them, and tip well for all the service they give you all year long. That glow you leave with won’t be heartburn!
  • Self-indulgence: It’s a day off, right? So pamper yourself – have your very own little day spa, bubbly bath at home with candles, lotions, sleep/nap, self-loving of the intimate variety (yeah, masturbation, boys and girls! That’s right!) chocolates, flavored expensive coffees or drinks (if you do that). Find out what the most expensive coffee drink is at the coffee shop of your choice, and order it. And tip the barista twice that for all they for you all year.

Happy Thanksgiving, whatever it is you’re doing!

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Thoughts on "A Single Man"

OK, it’s been a week since I saw A Single Man (with Wayne Hoffman when I was in New York, at the Angelika in SoHo) and despite all its design gloriousness, I haven’t been able to like it more in the ensuing days. For me, I think the problem is character identification, or more precisely, the lack of it – SPOILER ALERT STOP READING NOW IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW STUFF – it’s just damn hard to feel sorry for a guy who seems to have everything, yet is for some reason going to chuck it all in a suicide. I mean, successful handsome professor pretty much has all the beautiful boys and girls lusting after him, he’s got this amazing mid-century glass house near the beach, wonderful friends, what I would call a pretty enviable life. His problem seems to be that he misses his boyfriend way too much (handsome younger BF died in a car accident several months prior to the action in the movie) so he’s going to punish himself by taking his own life. MMM K. ?

Even though during this time period the closet was a prerequisite pretty much for everyone, that is not even much of an issue here as the main character (Colin Firth) seems to be surrounded by mostly very supportive individuals. He’s not even persecuted, for heaven’s sake. Which makes the motivation even than much harder to fathom. So instead of being worried, anxious that our hero is going to die I was thinking, “well, I’m really kind of sick of this self-pitying wimpy character, the sooner he croaks the sooner this movie will be over and we can go get some lunch.”

Sorry about that. Bitchy, I know. Other than that, the movie looked great, every man in 1962 LA was apparently lean and hairless, and fetishized smoking. Something about an open mouth with curled smoke in it that does it for us. Also, I did enjoy scenes at a beach bar that must have been inspired by The Friendship in Santa Monica Canyon, where of course Christopher Isherwood (who wrote the novel the movie is based on) and Don Bachardy lived – and probably hung out. I certainly did after many epic beach debaucheries in the 80s (but that’s another post, something about beer and navels).

Sleeping with viagra from usa downtownsault.org your eyes open is not healthy and hinders your body’s natural healing ability and innate intelligence. The herbs which are used in making of this medicine as you may be allergic to view my store now levitra without prescription any of the ingredients used in making them. Dust-free environment is necessary Order Page viagra prescription for the storage of these medications. buy cialis canadian http://downtownsault.org/soo-theatre-project/ Kamagra comes in 25mg, 50mg and 100mg pills. And let’s not forget the wonderful mohair sweater the young man (Nicholas Hoult) who’s pursuing his professor gets to wear in several scenes. Kind of miss those and I certainly am old enough to remember when they were all the shit.  A Single Man hugely benefits from Julianne Moore’s scenes, as she lights up the brooding screen whenever she’s on it.

Not to discourage you from going, by all means do so and support independent film. From what I understand Tom Ford used his own coin to make this film, and that is a huge accomplishment in itself. I just want to see Colin Firth smile.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eafJ4jvf-sY]

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