amyc / November 24, 2003 11:46 AM

I used to go to the Lions game every year with my dad, but now that the folks spend November-April in Florida, I don't go back to Michigan for the holidays anymore. The new tradition: Jim's mom comes up for Thanksgiving weekend every year. We have a big vegetarian feast on Friday, then wander around town for a couple days, doing stuff. Thanksgiving Day proper is still up in the air for us.

Andrew / November 24, 2003 11:53 AM

We head out to Columbus O. for Thanksgiving with Cinnamon's family, then usually head over to Dover to visit my grandparents on Friday. If there's a tradition, it's stopping at Heini's Cheese Lodge for some Amish cheese on the way back to Columbus.

Benjy / November 24, 2003 12:01 PM

I am thankful to be living back in Chicago near my family again so that I no longer have to deal with the Atlanta-Chicago travel for Thanksgiving. Nothing like dealing with the two busiest airports in the world on the busiest travel days of the year!

lacey / November 24, 2003 12:02 PM

I wish there were some cheese-related things to do in Tennessee. Alas, only cows and country music and Baha'i conferences.

Hot Lips / November 24, 2003 1:28 PM

In my family we always play Spin The Bottle after dessert.

What, doesn't yours?

Ali / November 24, 2003 1:30 PM

Heini's Cheese Chalet has the best horseradish cheese on the planet! I wish I had relatives close enough to go there as a Thanksgiving tradition...

Andrew / November 24, 2003 1:57 PM

Ali, I could pick some up for you...

Brenda / November 24, 2003 2:07 PM

Between Netflix, several knitting works-in-progress and a brand-spankin' new Xena First Season DVD, I'm good to go. No turkey required.

Alice / November 24, 2003 2:22 PM

I spend Thanksgiving Day at my parents' house, and dinner usually consists of just my immediate family. The day usually begins with me watching the Macey's parade and cutting a loaf of bread into cubes for the stuffing.

Michelle / November 24, 2003 2:39 PM

My family has a relatively new tradition of heading over to an honest-to-God buffalo ranch in Indiana for the weekend. Don't worry, we won't be travelling on any major roads to slow you down. Just the backroads to bizarre buffalo-land...

Carly / November 24, 2003 3:08 PM

I'm still trying to decide if I want to get my party on the night before. What are your pre-Thanksgiving plans?

I'll be driving home to my parents house in the burbs for turkey and WHITE RICE. Mom's decided to forgo the mashed potatoes. I thought about talking her out of it, but then realized I didn't care.

We might plan pinnocle (a family tradition) if my brother decides to stick around.

miss ellen / November 24, 2003 3:17 PM

down to the 'rents on thursday; over to cousins for dinner. probably spend the night in beverly after the turkey-o-rama.

might catch a late movie w/friend in town; or, spend the rest of the night playing tripoly. always fun when the games come out!

daruma / November 24, 2003 3:32 PM

New tradition starts this year...since we are going to a restaurant and no one has to stay home to cook, we're going to the riverboat to play ROULETTE!!! Wish me luck!

Joseph J. Finn / November 24, 2003 4:13 PM

Good luck, daruma, and follow the advice of the great sensei Shaft: Always bet on black.

j3s / November 24, 2003 4:21 PM

I passed on a trip to Italy to spend Thursday with my Grandma. Cheap wine and cheeseball in rural Indiana! However, I'll be at the Empty Bottle Wednesday night seeing the talented Kate Simko, alongside Reinhard Voigt and Michael Mayer, two German guys from the Kompakt label who know how to rock it.

Ramsin / November 24, 2003 5:14 PM

Pretty standard Thanksgiving fare, except my mom always makes an Assyrian speciality--Kooba d'Hamouth, the greatest culinary invention in the history of man--specially for me and my dad.

Miss Weeza / November 24, 2003 5:32 PM

My mom lives around the corner, so every year we have a big Thanksgiving tryptophan-fest for all the people we know who can't go home, don't want to go home, or would just rather stick around and party with us. Last year I missed it 'cause I was traipsing around Thailand, so this year's going to be extra-good.

Orphans' Thanksgiving, we call it, although it feels like family to us.

shechemist / November 24, 2003 5:46 PM

this holiday season is all about Meeting The Family. Thanksgiving the Man and I are spending it with my aunts, uncles and cousins who are all in the 'burbs or in the U.P.

Christmas is going to be spent meeting his family in rural New Mexico.

pass the wild turkey and xanax please.

Ali / November 25, 2003 9:35 AM

Andrew-
If it wouldn't be a pain in the ass for you, I will be forever grateful for some Heini's. I used to go to college nearby and I still have dreams of their cheese room.

Pete / November 25, 2003 10:48 AM

Both my family and my in-laws live around here, so I always stay put for Thanksgiving. It's actually one of my favorites, as it's the one holiday which lacks both heavy religious overtones and blatant commercialism. Now, if we can just end the "tradition" of seeing the chronically pathetic Detroit Lions every year...

Paul / November 25, 2003 11:49 AM

While the big family thing is fun once a year, and I really do love cooking for large groups, this year is a guy's Thanksgiving.

Beer, football and the biggest damn bird that will fit in my oven. No women, no kids, no damn whimpy green bean casserole. My turkey is shellacked with bourbon and my sweet potatoes are spiked with thai peppers.

Shylo / November 25, 2003 2:47 PM

I'm cooking my first turkey - a mislabeled 14-lb kosher bird we scored for $5 - for the boyfriend, a few pals, and his parents. We also bought a case of wine. Good times.

Andrew / November 26, 2003 9:51 AM

One T'giving tradition I *don't* look forward to: sitting in traffic.

Jonathan / November 26, 2003 10:21 AM

Being originally from Pittsburgh, this is the first year that I am not travelling home to visit the family. I owe this to the new family that I've acquired through my new wife. We just got married in the fall, and we are having a bunch of folks over for Thanksgiving dinner. It should be great.

Phineas / November 26, 2003 11:51 AM

I have one small, personal Thanksgiving tradition. At least once during the day, I have to listen to William S. Burroughs 'A Thanksgiving Prayer'.

If you look at my site tomorrow, you can too. It's a tradition!

bwatson / November 27, 2003 12:49 AM

I'm a college student from St. Louis, MO who is "home" for the weekend spending the holiday with ma' and pa'. As the only vegetarian in the family I will be navigating my way through the various meats (they even manage to put meat in the stuffing, which leaves potatoes, if Gourmet magazine still includes a mash potatoe recipe), and trying to smile for the various relatives and friends that come over for the holiday. It wasn't long ago that I remember my great aunt taking her teeth out at the table to clean them in her water glass but, unfortunetely, she's no longer with us. Might be a tame, boring, storyless Thanksgiving afterall.

DebM / November 28, 2003 9:53 PM

Paul, got any of those manly man turkey leftovers? I slept through Thanksgiving...one of those "don't wanna go home" for Thanksgiving people here,... sweet potatoes spiked with thai peppers and bourbon shellacked turkey sounds like heaven to me...

paul / November 30, 2003 8:17 PM

Sorry Deb, wiped 'em all out in a few days, but I got another turkey I'm doing later this week. One of the joys of T-day is the cheap turkeys available afterwards.

Cinnamon / November 30, 2003 10:36 PM

Mayhaps someone should do a creative turkey recipe for One Good Meal. Any ideas?