A friend who is a manager at a South Hill grocery store was about to say "Have a happy Thanksgiving."

But she stopped short. She did a quick calculation of the number of days remaining before the holiday and factored in what she knows about my shopping pattern. Then she seemed to answer her own unspoken question.

"I'll see you again before Thanksgiving," she said.

I agreed. She probably would.

So when I stop at her store again in the next few days, we can both say "Have a Happy Thanksgiving."

Of course, that will all but guarantee we will see one another yet again before the holiday. Isn't that how it always seems to work?

Admittedly, this isn't a huge problem. It's just a warm-up for our attempts to perfect the timing of holiday greetings next month.

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