Thanksgiving Dinner de Successful(s).

Chicago weather. What is anyone going to do about it. It was the last Thursday of November; quite a bit closer to December. The chill was in the air even though we had gotten a few heated days during the last few months. Carol and her mother had just pulled into a parking spot and parked their car. They buttoned their jackets to get ready to step into the Fall air. Carol's teeth had already started chattering even before stepping out.
"Brrr. Mom, what time is it?" she asked.
"About 6," her mother replied.
"Oh great...it's 6" She thought in her head. Carol just had this feeling it was going to be a long night. They rang the bell and the door buzzed in response. They got the greeting that they always got when coming to this house for any type of meal. 
"Mary! Carol! How are my ladies?" It was Carol's mother's sponsor parents when she was little. Calvin Bower of course would always be the more robust and homely one. Greeting everyone with that booming voice of his. Pam, his wife, would be in the background with a "Good to see you!" and a hug just waiting for any person. 
The two were lead into the hallway and into the living room. There were a few people seated there chatting away about their lives. Carol already knew most of them; Gayorg married to Stephanie and so on. Now, this was a group of very successful people. Stephanie was a tall blonde who loves to drink a bit. She's a veterinarian as well, with two daughters. Kestrel and Laura. And the father would be none other than Gayorg. He's also the son of Mr. Bower. He would be the somewhat shorter husband. His height doesn't reflect the height of his job at all. He's a private pilot for celebrities. 
"Je je!" called Gayorg to Carol's mother. This was a term that he always used to call her that. There were hors d'oeuvres already set, naturally. This was a rich household and this apartment had 2-stories. 
Since everyone was sitting, Carol and her mother decided to have a seat as well. Of course someone decided to point out that Carol wanted to go into the veterinary field and this started up a conversation among the circle. 
"Where are you thinking of going to college?" Asked one.
"Are you even thinking of going to college?" Asked another. 
She hadn't given a thought to what college though. This was only 2010 of course. She was known as the shy one of course, so they didn't really expect an answer. 
Stephanie was the one to speak up to save her. 
"Do you want a life, sweetie?"
"Uhm. Yes, I suppose so."
"Don't become a veterinarian. Most marriages end in turmoil. You have to eat, breathe and sleep the animals that you take care of. You're in the office all hours of the day. I, myself, am taking a break from the work life to raise my two kids. That's one of the only reasons."
This actually made Carol rethink about all of this. Was this really true?
"If you want to make big money and work the least amount of hours, become an anesthesiologist."
Gayorg chimed in as well, "Yeah definitely. You'll go in mid-day and be able to get out in a few hours. You have to watch monitors but you still get paid a lot for so few hours."
Now this was an idea. But at this moment in time. Carol had absolutely no idea if she could be in the medical field at all. She could be an airhead after all.
Another older, successful lady, Joanne, came to talk to her. 
"Don't worry about it, dear. Just pick a college and have fun for a while. Figure what you like down the line. That's what I did. I didn't know what I was going to do at all. I changed majors a few times, even my senior year. Of course it's a matter of whether you have the money for it. But in the end, just figure out who you are in college. Don't worry your little head over it so early."
This made her a lot more calm than she was before. Someone successful finally telling her something she could comprehend and think about doing. This is the way she decided to go.
She enjoyed an amazing Thanksgiving dinner cooked by Erling, her uncle, Chef at the Publican. There were 2 turkeys...Cajun and original. The pies were amazing. All the goodbyes and thanks for comings were said. 
Walking back to the car, Carol had a lot to think about. However, tonight was wonderful. Laughs and smiles were shared and stories of Germany and France as well. 
What are we going to do about this Chicago weather?


Even now, Carol is a sophomore close to becoming a junior. She's still sticking to the plan of finding out who she will be, in college.