Happy Thanksgiving: When A Turkey Survives

Happy Turkey Day everyone. This is without a doubt my favorite holiday of the year. A whole day of cooking, drinking, smelling food, drinking, parades, football, drinking, eating, football, drinking, and drinking while watching football. The air is fall crisp and it's the last big celebration before the dead of winter barrels down upon us.

As my family and I have gotten older the Thanksgiving traditions have changed slightly. We live in different parts and rarely all get together now but I'm looking forward to seeing most and enjoying the things I listed above with them (mostly football and drinking!). The NFL has a slate of 3 games tomorrow for your viewing pleasure. Now the games on this day are not always entertaining but it fits into the ambience of the holiday.

Patriots @ Lions: Naturally I think this is a great game because I have a rooting interest. The Lions lost Matt Stafford which is horribly unfortunate. Unlike most of the country I am rooting for the Pats and unlike most of the country I want this to be a blowout.

Saints @ Cowboys: Just think of every Cowboy fan you know. How many of them are reasonable, level-headed people? The Saints have been so quiet this season I fear for the city of New Orleans. Could another disaster be on the way? I like the Saints in this game, I think they are prime for one of their stretches of brilliant tactical offensive execution.

Bengals @ Jets: Lot of vitriol at the Jets for "getting lucky" but if the Lions don't much up their clock management, Chancey Stuckey holds onto the damn ball, or the Texans pass defense doesn't do its impression of the Hindenburg then the Jets have no shot to pull those wins out of their asses. Fact of life is the Jets are 8-2. I don't like that fact any more than you do but it is what it is. The Bengals are an absolute chemical train wreck. Jets take this one in a laugher this time.

We now come to one thought I had about a Thanksgiving tradition. The President did his usual pardoning of a turkey at the White House today. Pardoning 'Apple' and 'Cider' from certain doom. I wonder how these birds feel about themselves afterwards. Are they overwrought with guilt over being sparred while so many of their kind were hacked up and stuffed with bread product? Is there sheer joy at getting a second chance at life? Perhaps they are planning an uprising against humanity? I just imagine Apple walking out towards the edge of a field on his farm and peering deep into the distance of a sunsetting sky and trying to make sense of it all.

pic and turkey story via