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Lady Freedom Returns

(14,120 posts)
Mon Nov 23, 2020, 02:40 AM Nov 2020

My Thanksgiving.

Going to have Chinese. Ya know the kind you get out of the freezer section of the supermarket.
Also going to have Arizona Ice Tea and a bunch of Snowballs for desert 🍽️.
Going to watch the parade and the football games 🏈.

Happy early Thanksgiving🦃 everybody!
Edit: no Velveeta Voldemort! I am not paying him any attention! I'm going to enjoy my day.

18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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My Thanksgiving. (Original Post) Lady Freedom Returns Nov 2020 OP
is there going to be a parade this thanksgiving? (never mind; i googled) orleans Nov 2020 #1
Kinda..... Lady Freedom Returns Nov 2020 #2
i was just reading about it. too weird. but the snowballs sound like a good idea! n/t orleans Nov 2020 #3
I wish I had the day off on Thursday DFW Nov 2020 #4
do you do this every day??? please say no. TomDaisy Nov 2020 #6
Luckily I don't DFW Nov 2020 #8
I hope you are very well compensated for what you do. TomDaisy Nov 2020 #10
I'd say that's relative DFW Nov 2020 #14
I'm actually glad to be home with zero marlakay Nov 2020 #5
Exactly! I'm looking forward to one of my best Thanksgivings in years. SunSeeker Nov 2020 #12
Sounds great! Meowmee Nov 2020 #7
It's just me. Lady Freedom Returns Nov 2020 #17
Good move on your part Meowmee Nov 2020 #18
there will be 5 of us MFM008 Nov 2020 #9
We'll be 4 but the menu will be traditional. I usually have Squinch Nov 2020 #13
We usually have 20 with what seems like half an EU summit meeting DFW Nov 2020 #15
Sounds like a great Thanksgiving! SunSeeker Nov 2020 #11
I am calling it my warm up for my Christmas dinner. Lady Freedom Returns Nov 2020 #16

DFW

(54,057 posts)
4. I wish I had the day off on Thursday
Mon Nov 23, 2020, 03:28 AM
Nov 2020

I have to get up at 3:15 in order to get a 4:44 AM train south, 5 1/2 hours trip, 5 hours to get my work done, then 5 1/2 hours on the train back home again. Thanksgiving « dinner » will be a sandwich on the train.

There is always someone who would rather be doing what you are, I promise you.

DFW

(54,057 posts)
8. Luckily I don't
Mon Nov 23, 2020, 04:24 AM
Nov 2020

Usually, depending on what country I have to be in on any given day, I never have to get up before 4:30, and some days not before 5. Commutes are usually no more than 4 hours each way and often as little as 3 hours if it’s someplace close like NL.

DFW

(54,057 posts)
14. I'd say that's relative
Mon Nov 23, 2020, 07:31 AM
Nov 2020

The money is OK, and I get to hang in some of my favorite places, such as Spain, France, Scandinavia, NL and Switzerland. Plus I get as much vacation as I say I need, and if there are slow periods (virus-caused, for example), or illnesses in the family (wife has had cancer twice), I never get harassed for taking time off.

This would all be fine and dandy, since we have a relatively modest life-style, but unfortunately, the Germans seem to want to selectively ignore parts of the double-taxation treaty between them and the USA, so that between the two of them, they want to tax me at 90% on a substantial portion of my income (the top rate kicks in at around $80,000 gross salary here), and that part has been a subject of 8+ years of dispute. I don't mind the de-facto 50% here, but that ADDED TO of 40% which is source-taxed in the USA, and is not credited here, doesn't leave me with much. We're waiting on a judgment, and if that should go against me, I will be back to sucking wind financially, and will have to leave Germany, which my wife (who is German) will hate. But I cannot live on 10% of my gross income with the cost of living being what it is here, so staying in the 90% tax bracket is not an option. That's 90% TOTAL, not marginal.

I have been invited to Switzerland, where I would be paying 25% to the Swiss government, plus the rest of the 39% to the USA, which would be fine with me, but not my wife, who wants to stay right here (Rheinland area).

We could theoretically move to the USA, too, but her mom is still alive and kicking at 93, and needs frequent visits. We have one daughter in New York and one near Frankfurt, so that wouldn't change things much. But my work is 85% here in Europe, can't be done remotely, and one of the reasons I moved here permanently was to cut down on all the transatlantic commuting. We're only 68, so I figure I have 10 or 12 years until retirement.

But we'll take it as it comes. We've managed it this far. We'll figure it out for the rest as well.

marlakay

(11,370 posts)
5. I'm actually glad to be home with zero
Mon Nov 23, 2020, 03:33 AM
Nov 2020

Expectations from anyone to travel to visit them. It always ends up costing a ton of money with hotels, dinners out, etc. or dealing with certain family members and being polite.

Wow, what a relief to just be able to stay home without guilt trip.

Meowmee

(5,164 posts)
7. Sounds great!
Mon Nov 23, 2020, 04:19 AM
Nov 2020

I wish I could eat that stuff, lol. will be cooking some version of the usual for my family and kitties... I wanted to avoid this year but my father wanted it, oh well... more work.

Lady Freedom Returns

(14,120 posts)
17. It's just me.
Wed Nov 25, 2020, 03:43 PM
Nov 2020

And I don't want to go to any of the free dinners that is kinda sorta happening sponsored by some of the churches. Really don't want to take any risk with the numbers going up here in Tucson.

Hope you have a great celebration tommorow!

Meowmee

(5,164 posts)
18. Good move on your part
Wed Nov 25, 2020, 07:22 PM
Nov 2020

Protect yourself, there are other days to celebrate when covid is finally under control. Thanks, you too, I would love a peaceful celebration with no cooking 😀

MFM008

(19,782 posts)
9. there will be 5 of us
Mon Nov 23, 2020, 05:10 AM
Nov 2020

3 live together
my son and his wife
ill wear a mask as im the oldest and have the most health issues.

Squinch

(50,774 posts)
13. We'll be 4 but the menu will be traditional. I usually have
Mon Nov 23, 2020, 07:03 AM
Nov 2020

about 15, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what a relaxed Thanksgiving feels like.

DFW

(54,057 posts)
15. We usually have 20 with what seems like half an EU summit meeting
Mon Nov 23, 2020, 04:14 PM
Nov 2020

People drive over from Holland, plus Germans from all over and at least one Austrian plus me as the token American. Can't have Thanksgiving without at lease ONE American, after all!

We usually have it of the Friday, since we all work over here, and Thanksgiving is not a holiday here.

This year we'll be doing on Saturday, and I HOPE to have Friday off, since Wednesday will be full and Thursday will be a day from hell.

Lady Freedom Returns

(14,120 posts)
16. I am calling it my warm up for my Christmas dinner.
Wed Nov 25, 2020, 03:25 PM
Nov 2020

Planning Chinese then too. It's becoming a tradition for me.

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