Happy Thanksgiving

Every Thanksgiving.

 

Hard to muster much festive spirit when you're on the other side of the world and surrounded by people who, at best, have only vaguely heard of the thing you're supposed to be celebrating. Extremely limited finances and time zone logistics mean my holiday will consist of a turkey sandwich ($12 for 100g of turkey!), a lecture, and a movie on Thursday, followed by a Skype call home some time around dawn on Friday. Hardly exciting or heart-warming, but I'm used to it at this point.

 

Can’t find the liquor threads so I’ll ask here,
I’m a gin and tequila drinker. I have never favored the dark liquors like whisky, aside from some aged tequilas.

I wanted a bottle of something whisky-like for Thanksgiving and was talked into buying Blanton’s Bourbon. Did I do the right thing?

 

Blanton's is a solid choice. Nice thing about bourbon is you can get a nice bottle of something drinkable for a reasonable price, unlike Scotch where you probably have to get into the $50 a fifth range to get something good. I just picked up some McKenna's for $24 ($21 on sale) a handle, and it's good on ice or mixed with a little lime LaCroix. Benchmark isn't terrible either. Evan Williams Black Label is surprisingly smooth as well. Just stay away from the Old Crow and Old Grandpa and you'll be fine.

 

Bourbon and water or ice. Or straight. No mixer, right?

 

You have chosen... wisely

 

I like it with a big ice cube or just straight.

But I was also turned onto mixing bourbon with just a hit of the lime Lacroix with a few ice cubes at a recent wedding, and goddamn, it was smooth and tasty.

 

I used to love Thanksgiving. I’ve marked the day many ways since I moved from Minnesota, almost all good. The last few years I’ve done a quick trip to Minneapolis to spend the day with my family. Last year was so depressing I can’t even put into words how awful it was. I decided I could not go through that again and am sticking to my plan. If I could arrange it, I would wake up tomorrow and it would be sometime in January.

 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. My wife and kids and I have hosted it every year since moving back from Florida 10 years ago. This year will be a small gathering with just seven of us, but we've had years where 15 or so ate with us.

We're brining a turkey and will make mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, stuffing, rolls, sweet potatoes and probably something else. My MIL is a fantastic baker, and she's bringing pumpkin and pecan pies. I might need to loosen my jeans right now.

Today, Nov. 27, is a mixed bag for me, though. My dad would have been 76 today, but he died 19 years ago at 56. I've got a few years to go to be older than his early death.

 

We've about decided to just go eat turkey at Cracker Barrel. No craziness, no shopping, no dishes to wash. Bland and unexciting? Yeah, probably, but no idiot Trumpers talking nonsense either.

 

Had breakfast at Bob Evans and they had a nice looking Thanksgiving meal planned. Almost worth going.