Well, I'd forgotten about this until the missus mentioned it this morning. There's just something about unexpected bank holidays that makes them better than normal ones. Sadly, next year I'll probably remember and it won't be the same.

I might buy a turkey and also make some pumpkin pie. Though apparently mostly they aren't made with pumpkin, but some other kind of squash or something. Well, I'll be using a proper pumpkin and certainly not that tinned crap - otherwise I'd have to call it tinned crap pie, and who wants to eat something called tinned crap pie? Alternatively I might sit around alternating between playing video games and laughing at buffoons on the internet. I give thanks to buffoons on the internet for being so entertaining.

Anyone doing anything different?

'er indoors, or 'eroutonthebus to give her her new title, made a pie from butternut squash last year just to prove the point. It was every bit as delish as a pumpkin one.

Her bus company gave her a Turkey this year... maybe not a city banker perk, but appreciated none the less

Me? Im building a retaining wall. I hope it doesn't become an annual tradition.

Yeah, butternet sqaush, that was it. It's sweeter and the texture is better for pies or something like that.

And if you do a decent job of your wall you won't need to do it again next year maybe?

A colleague of mine is married to a Chinese woman, and they invited us and some others around for dinner one night. We were really looking forward to getting some nice authentic Chinese food, but instead she decided to do Western food, so we were served up pumpkin soup, followed by pumpkin stew, follow by pumpkin pie.

It was horrible. Every last bit of it. Everyone was being really polite and going "Oh wow, this is lovely, you must give me the recipe" etc. but you could just tell that eveyone was thinking "This is without doubt the weirdest food I've ever been served in my life."

HID is bringing home a supposedly organic turkey as one of her office staff's uncle owns a turkey farm. Apparently its at least 20lbs there's going to be rather a lot of leftovers. I said we should donate the bloody thing but she's having none of it.

That'll be my thanksgiving this year. For decades we've alternated between us inviting a family of very long term friends (ex NZ-Canadians) to our place or them inviting us to theirs.

As said, they're good friends, but I'm afraid their (I suppose mostly her) cooking is absolutely abominable.

Roll on 2012.

I'm on a plane to Edmonton

With canadaian friend, her daughter and her student - turkey, ham, various veggies, NO PUMPKIN PIE_ but a cheese plate : )

I hate pumpkin pie so we'll be having blueberry pie with whipped cream.

I had blueberry pie the other week. Although we've been having loads of blackberry themed deserts recently cos the brambles in the garden keep producing them - must have had about 6lb's of them so far and there might be another pound on the bush if they ripen in the next day or so.

I'm obviously working for the wrong bus company!! We got zilch!

Still, we'll be having a houseful here for Thanksgiving (11 at last count) but, on the plus side, one of the husbands has offered to do the cooking!!

You better clean out the deep fryer.

Fear not! He's a brit and he's doing a roast turkey and all the trimmings! I dont even own a deep fat fryer!!

I shall be on several planes in succession, travelling from St. John's to Alesund, Norway from Sunday night until Monday evening. Including a 3 1/2 hr layover in Terminal 3 at Heathrow.

Through bad luck or ill judgement. I've managed to plan three business trips already this year that take me away over the public holiday.

I shall console myself with a pint of London Pride in the pub in T3, but it won't be enough.

We shall gut the attic/box room thingie upstairs in preparation for men with hammers coming and removing the roof. It's a little autumnal to be going roofless but the summer was frittered away with bureaucracy. Soon the dogs will be able to howl at the moon without leaving the building.