As regular VodkaPundit readers know, it’s been a difficult few weeks on the home front, but when managing editor Paula Bolyard asked me to write a Thanksgiving piece, I jumped at the chance.
Then I sat here half the morning staring at my keyboard and trying to be thankful instead of thinking about burying one of my closest friends last week.
But after the service, at the celebration of life, there were dear friends, some not seen in far too long. There were hugs and smiles and stories and, yes, many drinks hoisted.
I was thankful for all that.
More than I can tell, I’m thankful for my wife of 20 years, Melissa. She is an awe-inspiring combination of tough and caring, and she pulls it off, seemingly without effort — especially when the stuff hits the fan like it did last week. She remains for me the definition of femininity. And I’m thankful for my sons, ages 16 and 12, who behaved during a time of great stress as the gentlemen I hope and pray they’ll grow up to be.
I’m thankful for you, dear reader. The internet can be a rough and tumble place, and I’ve played a small part for 30 years — 20 of them as VodkaPundit — helping make it that way. But the outpouring of support you gave me last week… it was humbling.
Thank you so much.
If it isn’t too gauche to say, I’m even more thankful for our VIP supporters. You folks keep the lights on around this joint, even when the social media giants are doing their best to squash us. I’m so thankful that I was able to take a silly hobby and turn it into a career — and you’re a big reason that’s still possible.
Thank you so very much.
There are two more things that, if I failed to show proper thanks for them, would be in the poorest of taste.
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It’s our turn to host the family Thanksgiving dinner, and the thought of my in-laws, one of my brothers-in-law, and my best friends Matt & Ali all sharing this day with Melissa and the kids and me fills my heart.
But never mind all that. Seriously, I see them a lot.
(I kid, I kid.)
The first thing is, when we host, I get to make the gravy. Maybe my gravy is a bit traditional, even basic. But it is so rich and flavorful and it has that consistency that professional TV commercial producers wish they could achieve when they film the money shot of pouring some lame store-bought gravy.
The second thing? When Melissa makes the mashed potatoes, she adds half a pound of duck fat. If it were possible over the internet to make you understand how creamy and fluffy that makes the potatoes, we’d end up with an extra 30 or 40 thousand guests tomorrow. Not even my liquor stash can handle that many people.
You can never be too thankful for mashed potatoes and gravy, but my waistline is thankful we do this only once a year.
We all show thanks in our own way, both gracious and (in my case) slightly petty about the gravy and the mashed potatoes.
The important thing is that we’ve been doing it together here at PJ Media for 17 years already, if you can believe such a thing. And if you’d like to show a little extra thanks by becoming a VIP supporter, we have a THANKFUL promo code good for 40% off.
If not, I’m so glad you’re here right now — and I’ll be back on Friday.
In the meantime, you can follow me on Twitter all Thanksgiving day for some fun food & wine & cocktail pics.
Happy Thanksgiving.
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