November 13 , 2008 Issue

Thanksgiving—football, face-stuffing, family…

Following a relatively painless election, I envision supporters of Sen. McCain and President-elect Obama (as well as backers of independent and third-party candidates who are all but invisible to the mainstream media) dining together at a big table, eschewing their differences for a fun-filled feast. I’m thankful that things didn’t get too ugly during the recent campaign, but then again, I went out of my way to avoid TV for the past month.

Beachcomber readers should be thankful that the previous paragraph marks the beginning and end of this column’s political content.

The traditional Thanksgiving feast consists of turkey and/or ham, dressing, etc. but I recall consuming a few Ramen-noodle-and-Pringles meals during my lean years. Growing up, Dad never let us down with his mashed potatoes, and Mom displayed mad skills for the rest of the spread. Some of the finest Thanksgiving dinners after I left home were eaten at U.S. Army dining facilities (“mess halls” for you old-timers).

One traditionalist I know boasts that he always has turkey for Thanksgiving—Wild Turkey, that is.

I still enjoy waking up to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV, though some of the half-wits they pick to host the thing make me grateful for the MUTE button on my remote control. I cherish the opportunity to watch John Hughes’ immortal classic Planes, Trains & Automobiles for the umpteenth time—never on broadcast TV, where Steve Martin’s hilarious f-bomb barrage at the airport rental car desk is unforgivably censored. And who can resist A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and its indelible images of buttered toast, popcorn and jellybeans served by Chef Snoopy?

Every year the President of the United States pardons a turkey, and I truly hope the new fella carries on this ridiculous ritual.

Football fans love Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving because it inspired the four-day weekend, something we should consider doing the other 51 weeks of the year. Retail employees love going to bed at some insanely early hour so they can go to work on “Black Friday” before the sun comes up.

Yuks aside, I am genuinely thankful that, in our troubling economic climate, I have a job, and a great one at that. A job that offers just the right balance between fun and high stress. I can pretty much set my own hours and work from the office, home or the neighborhood coffee shop. I can have an adult beverage for lunch, and nobody’s going to raise hell about it. And I get Thanksgiving Day off, too. Thanks, Boss.

- C.M.

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