Obie, did you think I was going to hang myself for littering?
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s the one holiday that is about gratitude, the one holiday that hasn’t been contaminated with rampant consumerism (although I imagine turkey farmers do pretty well this time of year). It’s all about friends and family and cooking up an indulgent dinner in the gloomy tail of autumn. For the last four years as an expatriate living in countries in which the fourth Thursday in November is just another work day I’ve managed to celebrate Thanksgiving. Usually it involved a group of hastily assembled Brits who were slightly confused as to why we were eating turkey in November.
But this year, I screwed it up. I’m still getting used to the Southern Hemisphere seasonal reversal and as November ticked away the days got longer rather than shorter, sunnier rather than cloudier and warmer rather than colder. I knew that Thanksgiving was coming up, I mean I can read a calendar, but I procrastinated my way into a hole. I didn’t make plans. So, A Free Man’s Thanksgiving will be notably lacking in turkey, stuffing, pumpkin, football and fellowship this year.
But one of the endearing things about Thanksgiving is that it is in large part a state of mind. I’ve got a lot to be thankful for, I’ve got a lot of gratitude. I’ll spend the day being grateful for all the wonderful things in my life rather than flagellating myself for procrastination.
And I’ve got Arlo Guthrie. And I’ve got the masacree in four part harmony. My Dad subjected me and my sister to Guthrie’s twenty minute Thanksgiving epic every year for as long as I can remember. That is a Thanksgiving tradition that I can handle. So, to amend for my laziness, this year I’ll play Boy Z “Alice’s Restaurant”, make up a batch of turkey curry and make a Thanksgiving resolution to get my shit together next year. To my American readers - have a fantastic Thanksgiving. And remember, if you want to end war and stuff you’ve got to sing loud:
You can get anything you want, at Alice’s Restaurant
You can get anything you want, at Alice’s Restaurant
Walk right in it’s around the back
Just a half a mile from the railroad track
You can get anything you want, at Alice’s Restaurant.
Maybe if you sing it with me in four part harmony and with feeling I’ll be able to hear it from Down Under.
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Image Credits:
Get Arlo Guthrie’s classic album “Alice’s Restaurant” from 
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Happy Thanksgiving. eat lots and enjoy time with family.
27 Nov 2008 at 6:32 am
Hooray! You posted Alice again!!!! I LOVE Alice
Oh and Happy Thanksgiving.
We all have much to be grateful for.
27 Nov 2008 at 6:48 am
Nice post. (I wandered over from nursemyra’s)
Happy Thanksgiving.
27 Nov 2008 at 7:40 am
You have to come out sometime, with your family invited of course, to one of our monthly expat gatherings. (We’re meeting at The Stag next Wednesday at 6pm…I have a section reserved.) Although there are people there from all over the world, we do have a decent amount of Americans, and hubs and I got invited to a Thanksgiving do with a few other Amer-Aussie couples, which I’m quite pleased about.
You are right and I never really thought about it. Not only is Thanksgiving non-commercial, it is also the holiday when most of us make a true effort to get to see our extended family (’cept when you happen to be 10,000 miles away from them), as evidence by the Sunday after being the busiest day for air travel.
One last thing. See the blog below:
http://expatsinadelaide.blogspot.com/
I had thought to add your blog, but thought perhaps I should ask first. Let me know if you’d like to add it…so far its all Yanks, but hopefully it will branch out a bit.
Happy Thanksgiving…and don’t forget to watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving with your little one;)
Suzer
27 Nov 2008 at 8:09 am
dude! i saw him do this with Pete Seeger when I was nine or something. i put the karaoke version on my Ipod (i know — they make that?) and it was complete hilarity at about midnight with all of us and the drunken uncles most of all.
PS: re: Cash, Willie, Bonnie: that WAS the good stuff, played on cassette, so we didn’t have to hear the crap on the radio.
happy expat Thanksgiving!
27 Nov 2008 at 9:06 am
bugger—i think my big long comment disappeared?
27 Nov 2008 at 9:13 am
No, Suzer, it got picked up by my Spam filter. Sorted now.
27 Nov 2008 at 9:19 am
Happy T. Day to you and yours as well. No amends needed. Especially when thanks, gratitude, a willingness to change and Alice’s Restaurant are in the air.
27 Nov 2008 at 9:25 am
I agree, it’s my favorite holiday too, for all the same reasons.
(but I’m thankful for Arlo Guthrie all year long.)
Happy Thanksgiving!
27 Nov 2008 at 9:25 am
Ah probably the link…good stuff. Have added your blog, thanks.
27 Nov 2008 at 9:26 am
Happy holidays, Free Man.
27 Nov 2008 at 11:01 am
Your dad is (was?) awesome to play that for you. I’ll have a bite of my cornbread/sausage/pecan stuffing in your honor tomorrow.
27 Nov 2008 at 12:18 pm
I’ll make sure to consume enough turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie for us both.
Hope you have a wonderful, thankful Thanksgiving.
27 Nov 2008 at 1:04 pm
…excepting Alice. I will absolutely play that song for my younglings tomorrow. How wonderful you are for the memory.
27 Nov 2008 at 3:32 pm
I want me some of that cornbread/sausage/pecan stuffing that’s on offer at HereinFranklin’s place
27 Nov 2008 at 4:29 pm
happy, errr, thanksgiving, err, whatever that is. Do you watch groundhog day repeatedly or something? And I hope you give thanks for the wonderful life you have!
27 Nov 2008 at 6:01 pm
Its 7am here in Philly and I’m under the covers reading blogs on my phone and smelling the neighbors turkey. And singing alices restaurant to my cat…
27 Nov 2008 at 9:27 pm
Happy Thanksgiving from the East Coast of the U.S. The Macy’s parade is on as I type this. Soon, Santa. Then, New York City will get gussied up for the holiday like a cheap dime store whore. I wouldn’t have it any other way!
28 Nov 2008 at 12:02 am
Happy Thanksgiving. Hope your Turkey day down under is wonderful.
All the best,
28 Nov 2008 at 1:52 am
hooray for alice’s restaurant and turkey curry!
28 Nov 2008 at 3:25 am
Happy Thanksgiving! Sorry you nearly forgot. Hope the day turns out well regardless, and there’s always next year.
28 Nov 2008 at 7:26 am
Here, Here! Happy Thanksgiving.
28 Nov 2008 at 9:38 am
Happy Thanksgiving to you, too.
Sorry you missed the boat this year. About 12:35 this afternoon, I was wishing I had abstained at least a little bit. Blue jeans get awfully tight on Thanksgiving…
28 Nov 2008 at 1:50 pm
No matter what you stuff in your face, if you go to bed on Thanksgiving night with a full belly and didn’t kill or maim any family members it was a good good day.
29 Nov 2008 at 10:32 am
Thanksgiving feels even more important to me now that I´m over here and far away. I called my parents on Thanksgiving and was talking to my dad and he asked me about our turkey and I said we were doing ours on Saturday (since I had to work on Thursday) and he says, “oh right, they do it on the Saturday over there” and I said, “Uh, no, they don´t do it at all over here, I do.” And then he says, “right, right. That´s a shame. Thanksgiving is the best holiday”. And it really is.
07 Dec 2008 at 2:40 am