Thanks-meme-ing

1. Do you cook all or part of the meal? I love a big Thanksgiving meal, but I don't make one very often. Becca usually goes to her mom's, and I don't really do much for the holiday myself, because I got tired of being pulled all over. One time, Becca and I did get to have Thanksgiving alone, and it was awesome. We made a huge meal and ate it for days and days. Holy crap, leftover stuffing is especially awesome if you fry it.

2. How much do you spend buying groceries for the meal? I can't afford much this year, so there's that. One grocery store here had an incredible deal for turkeys yesterday: 39 cents a pound. Should've bought one.

3. Do you eat at home or go to someone else’s? Again, I don't go out of my way for Thanksgiving anymore. It was just too damn stressful.

4. Describe your perfect bite? Um... one with food?

5. White meat or dark? I do prefer the white meat. At least, as far as turkey is concerned. Yeah, I did.

6. Stuffing with giblets or without? Without. Just... yuck.

7. Anything you won’t eat at the Thanksgiving meal? I'm not a cranberry guy. My wife loves them (she makes real cranberries, not that canned stuff), and my mom loves them, too, but I'm just not into them at all.

8. Carve Mr. Gobble at the table or serve on a platter? Platter. I guess because my mom and dad always did it that way. I don't get the spectacle of watching a turkey get carved. I just want to eat it. My dad generally grills his turkey now. That sounds pretty good. Damn, I'm starting to get hungry.

9. Favorite pie? Pumpkin. Maybe with a little whipped cream. I'd kind of like to try that pumpkin cheesecake, but that looks pretty intense. I think I could only have a half-slice of that. Can't chow down like I used to.

10. Formal table or Chinet? I don't really care.

11. Your menu:
Turkey
Mashed Potatoes (I'm not into gravy)
Crescent Rolls (I like the flakiness)
Stuffing (I like Stove Top)
Steamed Green Beans (or Green Bean Casserole)
Coffee
Pumpkin Pie

My tastes are pretty simple, I guess.

12. Favorite leftover? Fried stuffing. I think it was Bubs who came up with that one, so thanks, Bubs! It's awesome!

13. Extended family, friends, both or just the immediate family for dinner? Again, I don't do the big Thanksgiving anymore.

14. After dinner, do you go to the latest movie or watch football on TV or just a turkey induced snooze? We used to go see movies, sometimes. I'm not a football fan, so sometimes we just put something on or talk.

15. Do you watch the Macy’s Parade? Sometimes. I wish someone carried the Disney Parade. I can't seem to find it.

16. Christmas decorations up before or after? It varies. If we don't do it kind of early, Becca gets really jaded, but she works in retail, where they've been ramping up for the "Christmas season" since freaking August. Her store's been playing the Christmas music for weeks, so I can understand. Personally, I'm kind of sick and tired of Christmas this year, too. It's already been too much, and it's like a constant reminder of being broke. Plus, Becca's been sick, so she's not really in the spirit. I don't think we're going to put any decorations up this year.

17. Black Friday shopping or sleep in? I'll get to sleep in, but Becca will have to be at work by 5 in the morning. I'd rather just stay at home instead of going to Walmart to get trampled, and I'm broke, anyway. Jeez, I want to throw people into things at the store on days when it isn't crowded, why would I want to dive into a crowd on Black Friday?

18. Any special Thanksgiving tradition? No, not really.

19. Favorite thing about Thanksgiving? The quiet. Living in a college town, it's a day when you know there's not going to be any parties or loud music until four in the morning. I dig that the most.

20. Favorite Thanksgiving memory? I don't really have a specific one. I've enjoyed lots of Thanksgivings in the past, of course, but nothing stands out as being better than all the rest. I used to like going to my stepmom's sister's and watching trashy movies (which was their tradition--to get the most gonzo movie they could find, like the year we watched Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer). I spent one Thanksgiving with my friend Alice and her family in high school--I offered to help clear the table, and her mom was so shocked to hear anyone offer help at all. And I liked the year Becca and I got to stay home and have our own Thanksgiving.

I don't know. Thanksgiving is not a big deal to me, and now that I've rid myself of a lot of the stress surrounding it, it's more enjoyable to me. I don't mind being alone and not having the giant meal, but if I get to have Thanksgiving dinner, I enjoy that, too. Take life as it comes, I guess.

Happy Slapsgiving, Everyone!