Holiday Memories: Parties, the Bird and the Other Bird
Thanksgiving. The Biggest Shopping Day of the Year. Someday, that’s what this cozy November holiday will become. With store hours creeping up from their Black Friday haven to ooze into Thursday morning opening hours. Which would be sad because I love Thanksgiving just as it is…time with family and great food. The carved-out opportunity to reflect on everyday gifts and express our gratitude for them. It doesn’t get any better than that.
But sometimes, we have to earn the opportunity.
Oh boy, do we have to earn it.
Our family’s Thanksgiving foibles and drama never happen ’round the turkey and stuffing. Crazy Aunt Harriet doesn’t expound inappropriately (mainly because I just made her up…). The turkey doesn’t get stuck in his roaster (it hasn’t for decades). And the football banter stays clean and sportsman-like (until the next day, that is, when Iowa plays Nebraska). Our great stories come from the Planes, Trains and Automobiles handbook, from getting to the holiday in the first place:
That’ll teach us to save 50%. The airfares out of a nearby city were so cheap, we couldn’t turn down the deal. But it was an early flight, so we booked a motel near the airport for the night before. What fun! A pre-vacation! Hotel waffles! I mean, sign us up. I think our “neighbors” in the room next door were so excited for us they threw a party. A loud all-nighter. And didn’t even bother to invite us. The nerve. They may as well have because we were awake most of the night enjoying the festivities from a paper-thin wall away. Phone calls to complain basically fell on deaf ears (you can’t hear a rowdy third floor party from reception) until I told my hubby, “Hold my beer and watch this!” I called the front desk and asked the clerk whether he was going to call the police or shall I; and just in time for guests to arrive for breakfast, a small army of police was patrolling the halls. Now that looks awesome on a Trip Advisor review…
Flight delays don’t just happen at O’Hare. They plague the great American Southwest, too. Not only were we going to miss our connection in Denver, our basketball-team sized family couldn’t get rebooked until 24 hours later, taking a good chunk out of our planned time with family. At least the airline was super-helpful (a HUGE shout-out to Audrey M., I want to hug you…) and the gate agent’s prowess at computer overrides impeccable. Say what? Yes. We finally get to the gate and the system wouldn’t let our kids on the plane. So the gate agent had to “hack” the computer in order to let them enjoy their cheap seats on the airplane. Fortunately the airline threw a few hundred dollars in vouchers our way, which we sucked down in burgers and room service and which allowed us a pricey Uber ride to the swanky mall in Lone Tree.
“The Ralphie,” 21st Century Style. No, none of our family got air sick (although we were slightly delayed boarding our flight because someone on the plane before us did…) Anyway, the five of us are functioning on (airplane) fumes after our crazy night of hotel partying and I’m updating our families by text on our new and vastly unimproved travel plans. I guess my fatigue reached even my fingers, because I meant to text a “sad face” emoji from my most frequently-used cache. One slight drift of a finger and that’s not what I sent. Not even close. Instead, it was the emoji version of Ralphie’s “Oh, Fudge!” from A Christmas Story. Why it was in my most-frequently-used, I don’t know because I don’t use that one. Ever. But on a day when I thought things couldn’t get any weirder, I happened to send my husband’s mom and my own parents the Bird. Here is our (paraphrased) thread for your reading enjoyment. Go ahead and laugh, it’s totally ok:
Me: So. Sorry. I never use that one. Dear God. This day is a disaster.
My parents: Kinda funny though.
Me: I don’t think T has found it that funny. I haven’t heard back from her!
My parents: She’s at late church.
My mom-in-law: Heidi, I am laughing. I at first thought it was a turkey!
Me: I don’t think you’re supposed to be texting in church! (actual turkey emoji)
Parents: Thank you for some levity today!
My mom-in-law: Well maybe it looked more like a plucked chicken…
Parents: Yes! That’s what we thought! Thank goodness for laughter.
Me: Turkey: (turkey emoji) Chicken: (chicken emoji)
You just can’t make this stuff up. But you can make stuffing. Oh my, I think that’s my favorite Thanksgiving dish. And we got to our destination in plenty of time to enjoy the holiday and the anticipation leading up to it. It was a good week, with plenty of stories to share and rehash. Even the one about the proverbial bird.
Yes, there will be days like this…
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmg3nlAPVK8#action=share
