Jack’s guest post is is a little late today – –

My being late is all because of that peculiar American institution called ‘Thanksgiving!’ What were you colonists thinking?

Everyone with a car gets in it and drives for hours to visit parents, children, and siblings and overeat. We packed our dog and his bed, plus lots of cookware and ingredients for the meal (salmon patties, since you ask), and set off in heavy rain. It continued to rain all through the 3 and 1/2 hour journey down I-81 and I-40 to Knoxville. We arrived tired and stressed, and only to realize we’d forgotten to pack the dog’s food!

Wendy had done the drive down and was now heavily into negotiating with her mom on ‘essential’ tasks ahead of the big day, so I (who hate driving in the rain and dark) was dispatched to find an emergency supply of dog food.

From now until Sunday are the busiest traffic days of the year, but off I went like the hunter gatherer of yore, driving down the wrong side of the road at the wrong time of night. Oh crivens jings! Amazon was letting out its evening shift.

What used to be a quiet rural road isn’t any more, since a gigantic Amazon office block and warehouse was built near Wendy’s parents’ home. (Yes, we have tried to get them to move. But since they have given up driving, they don’t really notice the trucks these days.)

Blinded by headlights and peering through the rain, I followed the instructions to reach a gas station and shop. They didn’t have dog food, but they did have cans of beef stew; having no desire to drive any further, I introduced Bruce to the delights of Dinty Moore Beef Stew. (Bruce thinks visiting Grandma and Grampa is wonderful – all these new culinary delights!)

Meanwhile, this morning, Wendy fired up her pressure cooker canner which she brought, of course, and went into hyper mode ahead of the big family day later and preparing as much as possible ahead of time.

Tomorrow we’ll head home, and then on Friday morning we’re driving to North Carolina to spend the weekend with friends and recover from the stresses of the family gathering. There is something quasi-spiritual about overeating with friends who have each brought something to the table.

But that traffic…. Bah Humbug.

Come back next Wednesday for more from Jack