Goodnight, Travel Well

We picked up a humidifier last night because our noses were about to fall off. My God, I’ve never lived anywhere so dry — the combination of forced-air heat, cold weather and a complete lack of humidity outside (unlike, say, Florida) left us inches away from having morning nosebleeds rivaling those of lifelong cocaine addicts. I woke up every morning feeling like someone was taking very thin, cotton-covered icepicks and delicately placing them into my sinus cavities, occasionally hammering them in. I am now terrified of the humidity-induced petri dish I’ve brought into our bedroom, but it beats sleeping with a wet washcloth over my face to prevent from crumbling like a Skeksis in the sun.

I’m in charge of my first Thanksgiving — for uh, two — and it involves a ham in lieu of a turkey. I’m not sure how I feel about this, but since Adam doesn’t really dig turkey and I’m more about the sides anyway, I guess it makes more sense. But still! No turkey! HAM. It’s a miraculous Harrington’s ham, for sure, but still. A HAM. Even my vegetarian friend Erica is having a Tofurkey, which is turkey-like. We fail at Thanksgiving.

This may also be because I forgot that it was a holiday this week until basically this morning, when I realized I’d be best served to get on the stick and do something about it. For the record, traditional turkey accompaniments don’t go well with ham, and all I’ve got is mashed potatoes and asparagus wrapped in prosciutto (a Silver Palate recipe, by the way, that is SO GOOD and SO SIMPLE). And … I got nothin’. Today’s grocery store adventure should be grand — with no plan and throngs of turkey-buying folks who are more prepared than I, I expect it will take hours.

We’re traveling the week after to see Adam’s family, as is the tradition, but extenuating circumstances on his sister’s side prevent us from doing it on the actual holiday. And I am THRILLED. THRILLED. We’ve traveled every year for the last ten years, and let me tell you, flying the day before Thanksgiving is as miserable as CNN tells you it is and then some. The lines! The delays! The angry travelers! NOOOOO.

Speaking of holiday splitting, we have always spent the Thanksgiving holiday with Adam’s family, Christmas with mine. One of the many joys of a Jew-Gentile relationship. This came up in conversation with my 21-year-old hairdresser yesterday, who marveled, “Wow, a Jewish family who celebrates Thanksgiving! That’s unusual.”

I … what? I don’t even know what to say here. Last I checked, Thanksgiving wasn’t really a religious holiday, but I … oh I don’t know. Even if she has no knowledge of Judaism, did she miss the lesson in elementary school about the Pilgrims, however fictionalized?

At any rate, I hope you all have a fabulous Thanksgiving. Despite the mess our entire world is in, not to mention the shitstorm swirling around our personal circumstances, there is much to be thankful for, and today, I’m all weepy thinking about it. For starters, I have a small person kicking me in the ribs, and the enormity of what’s to come terrifies and excites me more than anything I’ve ever imagined and for some reason, it’s hitting me today harder than usual.

And with that, I hope you have a wonderful holiday, wherever it may be. I should also add that as I wrote this, Adam announced he’d like to do a turkey after all. So, uh, off to the grocery store I go. I’m sure no one else will be there for any last-minute items. Stay tuned for pictures of the 30-pound bird I was forced to buy, as it was all that’s left!

Happy Thanksgiving!

*The Killers

25 comments November 26th, 2008