Well Thanksgiving is almost here! This year I’m so excited that I just had to come down to the Rush Rush and pre-celebrate. And what do I get? An evening of watching So and Do Right do their thing! This is truly the A team. It’s the manager and the owner together again behind the counter doing what they do so well. And that is too make us comfy and serve us hot coffee. Should they ever forget I’m here to remind them with a few 100 or so of my fellow habitués who would quite willingly fill in as walking reminders of their role. It is a quiet evening and an almost balmy 68° at 7:30pm. Across the way is the family of what appears to be 3 sisters with their husband/boyfriends and the first child of the next generation. And there is Papa spoiling the new daughter and showing off his fartherly skills. He’s not home too often and this holiday is providing the perfect opportunity to both enjoy and show off the aforementioned skills. How do I know this? Well through my prodigious powers of observation of course! If you could you see the looks that Mother is shooting while sitting across the table while not wanting to interfere with this bonding moment. But the look, to this observer, says “My dear loving SOB of a husband, do you realize who your are leaving me with when you go back to work? Do you really have to spoil her?” It makes me wonder just when another child will be in the works. I’m certain it will be sooner than the gent I know who advised his wife upon her return from vacation that he had sold the house, as in her house, and was moving them to a small town in the middle of the desert but with great potential! Her looks when the story was being retold were absolutely priceless! Let’s hope that this is a lesser case of male confusion.

I, however, am still adjusting to bachelorhood and the Holidays in this role. This coming Thanksgiving son and I are off to his cousin’s aka as my niece for the family gathering and dinner. Delighted and grateful to be invited into her home to share in the festivities, we still had to lament our fates, of course. In this case we wouldn’t get the warm aromas of the grand dinner being cooked. Like a fool I opined that it couldn’t be all that hard to cook a bird and that I could easily do it. All one had to do would be to taste my spaghetti sauce to know that I was easily up to the task! Oh fool that I am since no sooner had I spoken when the gauntlet was thrown down and the request for a pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner was made. Well not wanting to let my male status slip in the eyes of young son I agreed to the idea. So now the question was where to purchase a big bird for two. Do they raise such a creature? The breast only option was raised but I demurred that is an option for my female relationships only. And pans and serving trays and serving tools and eggnog had to be inventoried and acquired. Oh yes, stuffing is needed as is carrots and mashed potatoes and cranberries and drinks and napkins and OMG! OMG! Is it tool late to just order a pre-cooked dinner! If I could just turn back the clock and call up K-flipper from my private service days all would be well. I know he’s still working up in Sonoma California so hmmmm? But I did take on this challenge and a bird has to be acquired. But how is the question. I first want to the local market and approached the big bird section carefully studying the choices. Then quietly but with the Chairman of the Board voice I enquired of one of the smirking ladies nearby of her opinion for the bird for son and I. Well with the story of pathos I was able to weave soon I had all sorts of helpers. There was quite a flock about me and I didn’t hear a word of sage advise, as I was monitoring hands and wedding rings and availability and height, weight etc. Being cornered so I brought out the Chairman’s voice and made a wedge in the crowd and headed for the door. That plan was such a failure that I slipped out the parking lot and up the road to the next store. Straight to the Meat Counter I went and pleaded my case to the fellow behind the case. I chose this particular worker as all of his fingers were present. The result was a fine 9lb bird just waiting to be served up for dinner. Without too much thought Son and Dad were able to figure how to stuff and we were on our way to our pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving.

It is going to be a great Thanksgiving down here in Arizona. The temperature has been in the high 70′s and is expected to be in the 80′s for the Day. I want to go back into the store to see the ladies and their finery. So many are in denial about this weather and are insisting on wearing sweaters and scarves since it is fall and Thanksgiving and that is what you wear at this time of the year. And ladies it’s at times like this that you get that vacant look from the male population while we wonder whether to compliment you on your nice and stylish warm clothing or ask about the weather!

Don’t eat too much and enjoy the day of gratitude!

Gump’s Brother

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