I realize it's well past Thanksgiving. Normally I would've just let this one slide, but I figure I should at least finish the story since I left it as a kind of cliffhanger. If you need a refresher on what was happening, go here and here. Otherwise, just remember that I bet Billy he wouldn't eat the potatoes before dinner.
“Dinner is served!”
“Yah! So where are the potatoes? Did Billy get to them?”
“Nope, I never left the ki..” Ann trails off as she opens the dish with the potatoes to see a big scoop missing.”
“Billy! How'd you get in here?”
“I'll never tell!”
“I was here the whole time!”
“Evidently not. You lost. We can still eat though right?”
“Everyone grab a plate and sit down.”
“It all smells so good!”
They all sit down and take turns passing around the bowls and platters and filling their plates with food.
“We should all take a minute and go around the table and say what we're thankful for.”
“Nope.”
“Uh-Uh.”
“Yeah. It's food time, no more waiting!”
Scott digs in, and everyone else starts in too. It's silent for a little while as they really get into the meal.
“Thanks for cooking Ann.” Sara says between bites. “Everything really is delicious.”
“Well except for this stuffing.” Ann says, making a face. “I'm not sure If I messed it up, or it's just a horrible recipe.” Ann slides the rest of the stuffing off her plate back into the bowl.
“Oh good. If you're not eating it, I don't have to. I was going to feed it to the dog, but then I remembered we don't have a dog!”
“Well, sort of.” Sara says, nodding towards Billy, who's busy filling up his plate a third helping of turkey.
“You said it best. Everything tastes delicious! I'm eating Tabitha's share.”
“Well gee, ain't that sweet of you?”
“You know, I'm kind of glad my parents went to Vegas and we're all here for this holiday. This is fun spending it with you guys.”
“We should definitely do it again. Family be damned!”
“Maybe next year you'll even be better at guarding the potatoes.”
“I'll have to go into dinner-guarding training or something. We never really made an official bet though, so what did I lose?”
“Well I was trying to think of something good, but that meal left me satisfied enough that let's just leave it at you buying me a drink or two next time we go out.”
“Fair enough. How about something with vodka? It is made with potatoes after all.”
“Vodka works for me!”
Then they all finished their meal in merriment, spending the rest of the evening watching sports, eating dessert and having fun. If you're keeping score, it turns out Sara was the first to succumb and take a nap. She fell asleep shortly after dinner after lounging on the couch and Scott stole her drink. Tabitha thinks she was just trying to avoid helping to clean up.
Today's contributors are: Ann, Sara, Tabitha, Frank, Billy and Scott.
Subject: a 6th Floor Thanksgiving Story, part two
2:15-
“Mmm! Something smells good!” Sara says, as she walks into the apartment after having left for an after-brunch walk with Tabitha and Frank.
“Could it be Turkey?”
“That would be my guess. How's the game?”
“Brett Farve's destroying the lions.”
“Nice..by the smell...4 hours until dinner?”
“About that, yes. Good guess.”
“Thy nose never lies.”
“Either that, or because I told you dinner was at about 6:30 earlier.”
“No, it's the nose.”
“So we having mid-meal appetizers here?”
“Geeze Billy, don't you ever take a break?”
“Breaks are for the weak!”
“And the thin.”
“Hey now. That wasn't nice. I just put on my holiday weight preemptively!”
“Of course you did dear. I'll cook up those appetizers Tabitha bought.”
“You bought appetizers? With me?”
“You were preoccupied with trying to find a smaller turkey. I got us some pigs in a blanket, some jalapeno poppers, some fennel and olives, and the usual chips and dip.”
“Now that's what I'm talking about!”
“Pass the chips and veggies. They should tide us over until the pigs come out.”
"I thought you two were already sitting on the couch?"
"Wow Sara, you're really on today."
"Just a little revenge. They're always like that."
"These chips are good! What kind are they?"
"Potato."
"Nice! Good choice Tabitha!"
"Speaking of potato, what kind of potato are we eating with dinner?"
"I've got a nice garlic mashed potato recipe going over here. My aunt's recipe."
"Mmm...mashed potatoes."
"Does anyone know what the difference is between mashed and smashed potatoes? You seem them both in restaurants sometimes. Are they the same thing?"
"Maybe how violently they're prepared? Smashed potatoes are prepared by throwing them at walls and hitting them with hammers?"
"That seems unlikely. I always thought smashed potatoes seemed thicker, but I don't know why."
"I looked it up once. They are generally thicker. The main difference is that smashed potatoes aren't whipped. Once you use an electric mixer you start to get more of a whipped feel to them and then they become mashed potatoes instead."
"Maybe I should mix them by hand so they're smashed potatoes?"
"Whatever's faster."
"It doesn't matter what's faster, you're not getting them until dinner time either way."
"Wanna bet?"
"That's not a bet you want to take Billy."
“Oh yes it is!”
Others: “Dun Dun Dun!”
Will Billy manage to eat the potatoes right under Ann’s nose, or will Ann successfully defend the spuds until dinner?
Will dinner turn out alright, or will Ann horribly burn everyone so that we’re vomiting all night?
Who will be the first to fall to the tryptophan and take a nap?
To find out, stay tuned for another episode of “As the 6th Floor turns.”
Ann hangs up the phone, looking over to Billy and Scott with a rather bewildered expression.
“My parents aren't doing Thanksgiving. Their friends decided to go to Las Vegas last minute, and they invited my parents.”
“Woah, Thanksgiving in Vegas. Interesting.”
“I can't believe they're going to Vegas. My mother won't even play instant lotto.”
“Well Vegas is special. Besides, with all the Broadway show strikes, the best shot at getting a ticket is going to Vegas.”
Ann laughs, “That's true. My mother said she really wasn't looking forward to cooking anyway. They're going to go to buffets every night and have a grand Thanksgiving without me.”
“And get some quality alone time. Who knows, you could have another sibling in 9 months.”
Ann groans. “Scott! I don't need to hear about that.”
“You're right. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Does that mean the kid would have to be given away to Nevada?”
“Maybe. Forever an orphan growing up in a casino, learning the games, eventually falling in with the wrong crowd.”
“Until one day he decides to get even and stages an elaborate con on the casino bosses, taking it for millions of dollars.”
“And as the police are tracking him down, he unexpectedly finds his birth mother who helps him avoid the cops and they form a new bond of friendship.”
“Brilliant! Alert Spielberg! We've got his next movie!”
“Ummm...sure. I'll get right on that. But first I'm going to try and find Tabitha. Since we're all apparently going to be here for Thanksgiving, we should do it right. Turkey, Pie, Cranberry sauce..”
“Pumpkin pie!”
“A real Thanksgiving meal! This beats Frank's offer to buy everyone turkey cold cuts and a can of pumpkin filling.”
Ann is making a pot of tomato sauce for dinner, and Tabitha is nearby, studying for a test.
“Going home again this year Tabitha? Got a big meal planned?”
“Actually, I'm staying here. I know it's not that much money on Metro North, but I was just home last weekend and my mother rarely remembers that I'm a vegetarian and makes almost all the food with chicken broth or meat of some kind.”
“Bummer. I'm looking forward to going home. We're having deep fried turkey, and my father makes a delicious stuffing.”
“Deep fried turkey just sounds so disgusting. I'm just going to miss my uncle's apple pie. I'll have to have him make one for my birthday.”
“I think most of us are staying home. So you should have some company at least. Just don't let Scott try to cook anything.”
“I know better than that. I think I'll make a pumpkin pie.”
“Sounds terrific. I'm sure there won't be any left when I get back though.”
“Probably not with those two vultures staying.”
“Wow, you're right. I'm the only one leaving aren't I? Don't have too much fun without me.”
“I'll try to restrain myself. I'll probably end up doing some schoolwork anyway.”
“Oh poo. You can't do schoolwork on a holiday, that's just wrong.”
“If you stopped drilling me about thanksgiving plans and pies, maybe I could study now.”
“Oh? It's my fault is it?”
“Probably mine for trying to study out here. I figured it'd be semi-quiet since the guys and Sara went to the bar to watch the Islanders-Rangers game.”
“Well, it is quiet. I don't need to talk if you don't want me to.”
“Can I turn the tv off? It's just Ace of Cakes anyway, and Frank has this episode on DVD.”
“Frank has the Ace of Cakes DVD? That's kind of weird.”
“It was probably just an impulse buy. Him and Sara are not very good at saving money.”
“You know what? Forget it. I'm too hungry and the sauce smells too good to study. Let's watch Ace of Cakes!”
Sara arrives home after having dinner with some coworkers Friday night. The apartment is oddly empty, except for Frank, who is just watching cartoons and drinking a beer.
“Hey Frank. Where is everyone? You drinking alone tonight?”
“Oddly enough, Ann, Billy and Scott are all working, and Tabitha’s on a date.”
“Right right, she’s got that date with the lawyer tonight.”
“Still, drinking alone and watching cartoons isn’t your proudest moment.”
“At least I’m watching Family Guy, it could be worse. I could be watching ..I dunno, Fraggle Rock?”
“Hey! Don’t knock the Fraggles!”
“You’re right, the Fraggles are cool. I could be watching Dragon Ball Z or something. Better?”
“Yes. Okay, at least you’re not watching that. I guess, how about I join you and then you won’t be alone at least.”
“Grab a beer, pull up a chair, make yourself at home!”
“Luckily, I AM at home. I’ll sit on the couch though, more comfortable.”
Frank moves his feet from the couch, sitting in a more upright position and reaches for his beer.
“I’m empty. Better bring me a refill.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then it’ll be you that’s drinking alone and watching cartoons.”
“Good point.” Sara replies, walking over with two beers.
“This beer is pretty good, what is it? Why is there no label?”
“That would be Scott. The last time he drank too much he decided he liked the surprise of not knowing what kind of beer he was getting, and removed all the labels.”
“What’d he do with the labels? I hope he didn’t eat them.”
“I think he just threw them out. Why would he eat them? ”
“Why would he pull the labels off?”
“Touche.”
They sat in silence a while, watching the tv and drinking their beers.
“It’s a little later now, I guess Tabitha’s doing okay on her date, hasn’t bailed yet.”
“Depends on where they went. Tabitha’s not the type to duck out of a movie or dinner before the check has arrived.”
“She ducks out of movies, what about when we all went..”
“Aqua Teen Hunger Force? She said she makes exceptions for really really bad movies, and I don’t blame her decision on that one, I wish I had gone with her.”
“I’m surprised you guys went to see it was us anyway. By the way, what are you doing for thanksgiving? You sticking around?”
“Yeah, I was planning on it. Unless no one else is going to be here, I don’t want to be alone.”
“I’ll be here. John is going to be away and he's the only one in my family that doesn't relentless implore me to give up poker and get a 'real job'. The last time I was home, my mother handed me the phone and said 'it's for you'. It was a job interview she had set up for me!"
"Ouch. That sucks. I'll be here too. We'll have to make a point to have some turkey and rolls on Thursday."
"Pumpkin Pie also. It'd help if Tabitha or Ann were staying, they're the ones that really cook."
"I know. I'm pretty sure they're both going home to their families though."
"Bummer dude."
“Bummer dude? Are you a Ninja Turtle or something?”
“Now there's a cartoon we could watch next!”
“Billy has some of them on DVD somewhere doesn't he? I'll go grab them. I always had kind of a crush on Raphael.”
Frank bursts out laughing. “Oh, I'm never letting you live that one down!”
Sara glares at Frank and retrieves the DVDs, and goes to the fridge to get another round.
“Uh, Frank...We're out of beer.”
“Out..but there was so many..” Frank trails off as he sees the many empty bottles littering the coffee table. “Oh..I guess that kind of makes sense.”
Today's contributors are:Ann, Sara, Tabitha, Frank, Billy and Scott.
Subject:Welcome to November
“I think I'm on a sugar high.”
“Aww.Sugar highs rock.It’s a Halloween tradition!”
'They do at that.However, now that it's November, you know what I'm going to ask.”
“Yeah yeah.You and your 'what do you like about this month' blog entries.”
“Oh come on, they're not that bad are they?”
“As long as I don't have to write them, I guess I'm okay with it.Could be worse.”
“I'll even start!”
“Family.By the end of November it's the holiday season and I love seeing my family, particularly my cousins, and hanging out and eating and drinking.”
“You and your non-dysfunctional family.I always look forward to November, and the release of Jones Soda's Holiday pack.Turkey and Gravy Soda!”
“Ugh! That stuff is so disgusting.What was it, brussel sprouts soda last year?I want to throw up just thinking about it.
“I like Daylight Savings time, we push the clocks back Sunday morning.It never quite feels like winter and the holidays without it getting nice and dark early.”
“It’s rather depressing when it’s already pitch-black when you leave work though.Makes me feel like I missed out on the day.”
“Yet another drawback to those conventional 9-5 jobs.”
“I have a weakness for leftover Halloween candy.And it all goes on sale in early November too.Leaves me with plenty of sugar right up until chocolate turkeys.”
“Hmm. What do I like about November?Certainly not midterms..I guess I enjoy the cooking.There are all sorts of fun things to bake in November,Turkeys, Mince Meat Tarts, All sorts of pies…”
Billy, who had been gnawing on a leftover chicken leg, perks up at the mention of pie.“Who’s baking a pie?”
“No one. Tabitha was just saying that baking is what she enjoys about November.So what do you like about November Billy? Do we even need to ask?”
“Thanksgiving!It’s the Mecca of eating.”
“Billy, that makes no sense.Mecca’s a place, Thanksgiving is a day.”
“Fine.It’s like the First Class of eating.”
“Your analogies need some work.If Thanksgiving is First Class, what’s coach?”
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