Quiet

Hopefully this day will fly by. It seems that just about everyone in this department has taken the day off. I thought about it but didn't want to burn a vacation day. I'm out a 1 anyway and that should give me ample time for the Thanksgiving preparations.
I have a mental list in my head of things that need to be done. The mega Turkey I purchased has thawed, the to go with items have been purchased so I think I'm good to go. My husband has eagerly agreed to help peel potatoes (huge help). I'm convinced he grew up in a home void of a potato peeler. Proof can be seen in his use of one, so I'll just put him on cutting detail. There are no instant potatoes on Thanksgiving day.
I listened to Turkey cooking horror stories on the radio yesterday and had a few chuckles. I will probably jinx myself now but I've never had an issue. The first key in staying out of trouble is to purchase your Turkey ahead of time. Buying a Turkey the day before may cause issues. Those guys are frozen solid. Ours took 1 week in the fridge to thaw. I don't see the need to stress yourself out by trying to thaw a Turkey in one day. You want to make sure you coordinate your Turkey (which will take up most of your oven space) with the other items you need to cook. For the past several years I've had the Turkey done at least an hour before and had it carved and kept moist and warm in a nesco. My family doesn't care about a Turkey being brought to the table and carved in front of everyone, they just want to eat. Martha Stewart doesn't exist in our family gatherings. The Turkey is not on a special platter and decorated to the hilt. Don't get me wrong, there are serving dishes and the good plates are hauled out. There have been people caught sneaking the crunchy part of the stuffing and french fried onions off the top of the casserole dishes they were cooked in.
The eating seems to take only about 1/2 hour or so and then comes the hard part. The flurry of packing everything up and doing the dishes. The dishwasher comes in handy but we can't seem to fit everything in. I try to keep it somewhat organized and usually ask that I be able to pack leftovers away prior to having dirty dishes brought in and stacked everywhere. This is about the time I will glance at my kitchen floor and wonder how the heck it can get so messed up in such a little time. Then I'll look around at the rest of my house and wonder how it could get so messed up. You spend a lot of time cleaning and preparing for the gathering and spend just as much time cleaning up afterwards. But the extra work is well worth spending time with family. Afterwards I feel thankful that I have a job that allows the day after Thanksgiving off.