I Didn't Forget Thanksgiving

     This morning, Mary had a few things to say about remembering Thanksgiving.  I think Martha Stewart fueled her fire, and to that I say "Mary, why are you paying that much attention to Martha Stewart?"  But I digress, and I see the point.  I suppose it does feel like we skip right over Thanksgiving, going right from Halloween decorations to Christmas decoration, and leaping right into Starbucks Red Cups.
     There was one year when Starbucks tried to do a soft launch of red cups, and really play up Thanksgiving first.  It didn't work.  However, they still have Thanksgiving Blend coffee that comes out in November.  It's a wonderful blend of Guatemalan and Sumatra coffee with spicy tones that bring out the flavor of pumpkin pie and sage-brushed turkey.  It's a damn fine cup of Thanksgiving coffee. 
     I imagine it's the lack of gifts and commercialization that makes Thanksgiving seem like a lesser holiday.  Personally, it's one of my favorites. If there were fireworks involved, it'd win hands down.  But even without fireworks, it's still a festival of food, drink, friends, football, and fun. 
     I have a special tradition for Thanksgiving.  First of all, I don't call it Thanksgiving--I call it Drunkfest.  As we get older, it gets abbreviated to D-fest.  It's less about actually getting plastered and more about maintaining a constant level of intoxication for four days.  For the last six years, my friends and I get together for the whole four days and eat and drink and eat and drink.  We watch the Michigan (GO BLUE!) game every year, and we play games.  We spend the weekend with our framily--our friends who are family.  Ah, I remember last year's ever so fondly.   Replete with Thanksgiving Hangover. 
     It's such a tradition for all of use now, it doesn't feel like something that needs to be explained.  But recently, I had to explain it to people.  The question that always comes up is "how do you explain it to your parents?"  I actually don't understand this question.  I'm not an 8-year-old off to a keg party, so really, I don't think I owe my parents an explanation.  Also, I just have the one and she's pretty easy going about the whole thing.  Six years ago I said "Ma, I'm spending Thanksgiving with my friends, so I can drink more."  That was pretty much the end of it.  Now, all our families just assume that's what's happening.  Also, when I'm done with the explanation, every one else is always jealous.   
     This year, like last year, D-fest is in Nofolk, VA.  I have my flight booked and the email chain has been going for quite some time.  The framily is all a-flutter with excitement.  We will make it a point for Martha Stewart to eat her words.  Of course that means we'd have to invite her over and show her how awesome our d-fest is, and by now she probably has a few invites to invites to juggle.  She'll just have to take our word for it.  We will make sure Thanksgiving stays on the holiday map.