If we are lucky and fortunate enough, Thanksgiving (and Thanksgiving weekend in its entirety, really) is the start to a truly magical end of the year.

Gathered around a table full of deliciousness and our favorite friends or family members while conversation, laughter, and the scent of amazing food fills the air. Drinks are drank, football or holiday specials are watched, and turkey comas are napped.

And in a perfect world, that is followed by a weekend spent putting up Christmas trees, decorations, lights, and hitting the pavement to search out the biggest, baddest, budget-friendly Black Friday deals. But for one Maine resident, it definitely wasn't a "perfect world," and Black Friday took a totally different turn and meaning.

By the way, it's me. Hi. I'm the Maine resident, it's me. I ruined Thanksgiving weekend.

Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash / Canva
Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash / Canva
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It honestly crushes me to have to leave my dog, Remy, behind for family gatherings, especially around the holidays. And don't get it twisted, I'm not that dumb. I know, at the end of the day, he has no clue that Thanksgiving Day is actually Thanksgiving Day and he's being left alone at my Mom's while the family gathers together.

It's just the guilt of leaving him behind. So, to soften the blow (clearly more for myself than him), since he's used to eating dry kibble and loves him some wet dog food as a treat, I decided last minute to run out on Thanksgiving morning and get him a few cans.

Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash
Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash
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And if you know, you know -- whether it's wet or dry dog food, you need to stick with the same brand, unless you're slowly weening your dog between two different brands. Because, more often than not, if you switch brands cold turkey, you're just asking to upset your dog's stomach.

Well, guess what this donkey (me, hi, I'm the donkey it's me) did without thinking. Yup.

Because instead of getting the wet version of the same dog food I feed Remy, I was all, "nO iT's ThAnKsGiViNg hE nEeDs To Be TrEaTeD wItH tUrKeY dOg FoOd, It'S wHaT's RiGhT" and put back the same-brand can of dog food in my hand to grab an off-brand "turkey and sweet potato" offering instead.

He housed the first two cans for breakfast, the last two cans for dinner after we got back from our family gathering, and I went to bed feeling like the best dog dad ever instead of what I actually was -- the biggest doo-doo (pun intended) headed dog dad ever.

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Townsquare Media
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Because when I woke up early Black Friday morning and groggily stumbled down the stairs of my Mom's house in complete darkness, it wasn't until I hit the bottom step that I was hit with the realization that my Friday wouldn't be filled with shopping Black Friday deals, but instead would be filled with (for those with weak stomachs, I'm going to do my best to be sensitive here) cleaning Brown Friday stains.

Remy, the poor little Bubs, had the most upset stomach ever overnight because his dad has a brain the size of a pebble, and he went to the bathroom everywhere. Literally everywhere -- the stairs (yes, the same ones I walked down in the darkness and had no idea), the wall, the living room floor, the kitchen floor, on top of and inside my sneakers, the laundry area -- everywhere.

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Townsquare Media
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After a rough morning, Remy was back to his normal, happy self by later in the evening, and he's back to 100% as we speak. And not only was I thankful it was a quick bout with an upset stomach, I was more thankful that my Mom somehow slept through the entirety of me cleaning dog poo off of every floor (and some walls) of her home.

And that she only had to toss two throw rugs away. (You can't see me but I'm legitimately the facepalm emoji right now.)

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