Thanksgiving Break: The Highlight Reel

Either too much happened over the week I was out of Murray...or most of it was too mundane to go into much detail. Regardless, it was a great break and I feel very rested. So, to save wordiness and just get to the good stuff, I present the Thanksgiving 2004 Highlight Reel.

Drinking with Grandpa

Monday midmorning, I took some McDonald's sandwiches over to Grandpa!'s house and we settled around the kitchen table and had a lovely lunch and some great conversation. Somehow we got on the topic of whiskeys and the other "beverages" that we enjoy. Grandpa! had me retrieve this ancient bottle of Beam (I suppose this bottle was created before the time of Jim?) from the closet. It was adorned with Remington artwork and had been given to him sometime in the 1970s. So, we drank Beam and sprite...he polished down several, I choked down my one and then went home, feeling ill. I joke about having been...drank under the table by the elderly...well, it's finally actually happened.

Shopping in St. Louis

Tuesday morning, I ventured out to the Westfield Shopping Center out on I-270 to do some of my Christmas shopping. Located in Des Peres, MO, one of the nicest/wealthiest suburbs, this is now my preferred mall, as it has a Sephora, a beauty products superstore. I picked up a few items to try and had fun playing with all the testers and spraying myself with samples from the giant wall of perfume. While at that mall, I also picked up some gifts for my lady friends and had a really awesome vanilla frozen drink from the Nordstrom coffee shop. Dare I call that vanilla freeze the best I've had? It had a very strong vanilla flavor and was as smooth as could be...not a hint of bitterness nor a chunk of ingredient was present.

Southpaws Sports Bar

Another place I'm growing increasingly fond of...it features all the components I feel are needed for a great sports bar. One: there are televisions every where...good ones at that. They are high definition, flat screen-no small tvs. In addition to the requesite 2-3 wall-sized screens, flat screen tvs literally line the walls (in a line, 10 feet off the ground) of this place. Two: the drink selection is fantastic. If you can think of it, they can make it. Three: the bartenders are friendly and attractive. But, they aren't too friendly, which is great because there are just times when you want to belly up to the bar, watch the game, and not have to make stupid small talk. However, it's also great when you're out with girlfriends and need something handsome and friendly to talk to, have take your picture, bring you things, etc. Four: the food is good. I never go to bars expecting to get a four course meal...sometimes you just need something to soak up the beverages a bit. They have this really awesome shrimp tail in garlic sauce appetizer which really makes me happy. Wash it down with Diet Coke and it's the perfect light meal. Speaking of non-alcoholic beverages, this brings me to...Five: the booze alternatives aren't watered down. The sodas are as crisp and refreshing as fountain sodas can be. Six: the plastic cups non-alcoholic beverages come in are plastic and yours to keep. I now have a full set of four, so look for these cups the next time you are over.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Turkey, ham, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, green bean casserole, mushroom poppers, rolls, gelatinous cranberries, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, chocolate pie...ample leftovers to send to Grandpa!, me, etc. It's good to have variety and good to have plenty of leftovers for Grandpa! to have in his freezer (since he doesn't cook much these days) and for me to take back for lunches. I've been eating my leftovers for lunch and breakfast these days...

Christmas with the Kranks

It's no Christmas Vacation...but really, that particular movie is the gold standard for a reason. It had some good physical comedy, some good lines, Dan Aykroyd, and a feel-good ending. As far as Christmas movies for this season, use the money you could be wasting on Polar Express to see this instead. I'm pretty sure you'll have a better time watching this movie.