Simon's First Thanksgiving

For me, Thanksgiving used to mean time off from work and drinking with friends who were back in town. Wednesday became Friday, and after a short workweek we’d storm the bars and get all rosy and stupid. Ah the good old days. The next morning I’d stumble out of bed around ten with a taste for turkey and football, after which I'd relapse into a coma on the couch as the game grinded out in the background.

But now.

But now there is none of that. And that is fine. I don’t miss it, really I don’t. I miss my paychecks when they were mine and not the baby’s, but not the revelry of my youth. These days the craziest I like to get is when my wife and I sneak to the kitchen and enjoy one, maybe two beers on a Friday night. Whoo! hoo! Shhhhh!

This Thanksgiving was spent with my Dad and stepmother. They’ve been in Texas for over twenty years so it had been a while since we’d sliced up a turkey together. And it was great.  We ate and laughed and made merry.   But what I’ll remember the most about this time—and I know how corny this would sound to younger and much cooler me—was my little family. The television remained off for most of the break, (The iron bowl instant classic notwithstanding. What a classic, I couldn’t believe the ending. And Bama finally lost! I’ve never seen—Oh, this isn’t about college football, sorry), and I missed all of this Amazon drone business.  But it was well worth it as I rolled around on the floor, read books (sort of, I read he swats the pages), and just enjoyed the downtime. I also got really used to sleeping in until after 7 for 5 straight days.

I did manage to get the Christmas lights up, with some minor setbacks. I climbed up the giant Crepe Myrtle tree, a string of colored lights in hand, when the ladder shot out and I was left dangling all Griswald style until I could climb down. You’re welcome neighbors.

I think Simon enjoyed his first Thanksgiving, he did a lot of squealing and we discovered that he loves Fig Newtons. I mean he really loves Fig Newtons. Just opening the cabinet causes his eyes to widen and he starts giggling like a Toronto Mayor at a flophouse. It’s fun to watch him try new things, shuddering at peas and geeking out with figs are just a couple of things that make my day.

So here's to change and trying new things.  Buty most of all, to Fig Newtons...