Modern Vespa

For those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving, what are your plans for the holiday?

I'll be headed over to good friends for Thanksgiving proper (this Thursday) for a holiday smorgasbord and hours of football. About 35 people gathering in a good friend's backyard next to a large fire pit.

Then Saturday, I'll be headed up to Canyon Lake to another friends's house to help deep-fry two turkeys and feast while watching another day's worth of football.

Plan on riding to both.

What are your plans?

Camping near Big Bend with my household and my brother's family. We seem to prefer the family gathering part without the all-you-can-eat part of the holiday. Think it gives us more focus on each other and less distraction. They just might get tired of hearing me talk about the Vespa this year, but what are holidays for if you can't get mildly irritated at relatives, right?

Thanksgiving day with friends who cook, and maybe the Phoenix Car show. Then probably to Prescott for a few days.

Going to my brother's house where everyone will bring something to eat or drink. We've been assigned wine and appetizers this year.

We'll catch up, play some games and generally have an easy enjoyable day.

Funny, it feels like Thanksgiving was weeks ago....

Visiting friends as we do each thanksgiving. Happy holiday to you all!

Doing that awesome single thing, taking myself to Springfield IL and Hibachi Grill for a really good meal, no cooking or dishes on my part. Only kid still living in the area is going with his gal pal to her family, so I'm having a fun paid day off (again). But what I really want is that blue Vespa that is sitting, sad and unsold down at Moto Europa.. it's a '15 and the price keeps dropping and she's so pretty... no, I don't need 4 bikes, no, there really is nothing wrong with mine, I just feel sorry for that poor little unloved and unwanted scoot who just really wants to be out playing..... it's a addiction thing.

There is currently about 4-5 inches of new snow on the ground here and with T-Day temperatures predicted in the teens, the scooters will remain safe and warm in the garage to show off to our guests.

Not a lot of deviation from previous holidays here. My sister & husband, both daughters, my wife and myself. Has gotten smaller as the last of the parents passed away a few years ago, so there will be toasts and remembrances of them around the table.

Food wise, there will be two smaller turkeys. Why two? Ever since I moved away from a gas grill to a Green Egg, I smoked a turkey the first thanksgiving I had the Egg. It was a huge hit and devoured first. So in order to have leftovers and gravy, my wife does a turkey in the traditional oven manner.

So if there are any MV'ers in the area, stop on in!

Hey you upstairs! Pipe down.

Not sure if I'll get any riding in tomorrow, the weather looks like it might encourage that. As for the traditional meal with extended family, this year will be the first with my in-laws in assisted living. They were going through some serious issues last year over the holidays, so this year should be much calmer. We will have them in for the day, with our son taking them home in the evening. We used to have as many of Mrs Wmak's family that would show up, as well as one or both of our kids and their spouses, but this year the bro in law's ex is hosting some of their kids and our older son and his fam are coming right after Christmas. Several traditions will fall by the wayside while maintaining others. Mrs Wmak is the oldest of three, all in their 60's, so we have inherited the role of patri/matriarch vis-a-vis the holiday celebration. I'm smoking a couple of locally sourced pork butts for the main dish, we'll also have a small turkey or turkey breast, collards, sweet potatoes, cornbread, pinto beans, spinach salad, apples, pears, clementines, and pecans. Sister-in-law is bringing the pumpkin pastry, and possibly a pecan pastry as well. I wish each and every one of you a happy, restful, and, if possible, scootable holiday!

Nearest family is 12+ hours away. For the last several years, we have done Thanksgiving with friends, alternating at their house and ours. They are doing the turkey, we (and by "we," I mean: my wife) is doing other sides and cupcake.

I have been promised leftovers - I just need one turkey sandwich and a bit of mashed potatoes for later.

It is supposed to be another cool, occasionally drizzly day tomorrow, so no scooter or boat outing. Still, much to be thankful for.

We're visiting Cowboys country and will be stuffing ourselves to the gills and watching Da' Boys trounce the Redskins. Being almost 900 miles from our scoots means no riding for us.

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!

Where in Texas are you headed Gal?

I really miss the huge family gatherings. All the Grandparents have passed causing the In Laws and Out Laws to break away to their respective families.

I am thankful to have my family home for the Holidays. We will tell stories,
make fun of each other, have a few libations, and eat to much.

Best to all you scooteristaz - Gobble Gobble!

BC
Frost Bite Falls, Minnesota

Pick up my Sister inlaw from the Airport last night. My wife will take her out on a tour of Sacramento until I'm done with work. Then we will pack up and head down to Fresno (Where we both are from and our families are).

This year instead of running around to my parents and other family, we are all gathering at my inlaws. We might wind up rolling around visiting other family members but as of now...just chilling in one spot and gorging myself.

Heading to my youngest brother place in Sacramento. He and his wife are hosting Thanksgiving this year. There will be around 30 of us gathered. We will mostly be goofing off. I'll run my Jensen steam engines for the little ones to enjoy. Then play some touch football before stuffing ourselves with a great meal. Friday will be a family breakfast before heading back home and meeting up with my mom and sister at the Harvest Festival where my wife will buy more Christmas decorations.

Hey Guzzi watch out for my boy Colt McCoy!!

We can compare notes tomorrow evening...

Everyone enjoy the day and reflect on what you are thankful for.

Bob

DFW area-Benbrook.

30 people here who include my MIL with advanced Alzheimers and won't remember she was here but also to include those who can appreciate how neat it is to have family who are close and far can congregate. My kids come in from TX, AL and TN, the other family are in KY. Most of my KS people other than many cousins,etc., are all gone.
Long gone are those years when we alternated between KS and KY for holidays.

My son, the pilot, who lives in Texas asked off a year ago via a paper form. His manager, in bitching mode, told the employee group, " "F" Thanksgiving", in his opinion, cause he wanted more people to "want to work".
Grinch is real?

We eat tell lies and generally have a good time. My only obnoxious BIL died, so no racists left to attend nor bad humor types remain, which improves the landscape greatly for me.
Weather permitting we'll do Kawasaki Mule rides and tractor rides back into our woods roads.
Might see a bear, deer, grouse or turkeys back in there.
Gobble gobble...

Thanksgiving will be at our house as usual, attended by Mrs. mpfrank, one brother, two daughters, two sons-in-law, one granddaughter, and the mother of one of the SsIL.

Since there is some veganism in the family, not to mention gluten and dairy issues, the menu get complicated. But we're a creative bunch and there will be plenty of yumminess for everyone.

For my part I am cooking a turkey sous vide overnight and finishing it in the Big Steel Keg to make it smoky and crispy.

Thanksgiving day is usually when our ski mountain opens. i plan to snowboard all day and then dinner at home with my wife and son.

With our daughter spending four months working in San Francisco, my wife decided that we would have our family Thanksgiving there.

So we flew in a week ago and have spent time in Carmel and Napa.

The Napa part was to give our daughter a break from us, but Tuesday was my birthday, so we met up with good friend Suellen for a scooter ride around Napa Valley. What a special birthday treat for me.

Today or son and his girlfriend flew in from Chicago and we are spending time with them while they are here/

Thanksgiving will be in the daughter's small apartment in Nob Hill with food either prepared or purchased from one of the local grocery stores.

It has been a nice visit so far and looks to only get better with everyone now here.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone on MV!

Including the Canadians.

Bill

More "glutton" than "Gluten" issues at my house but we have enough millenials and health nuts to make for a widely varied table of foods.
Ages range from not born yet up to a soon to be 95.
My puter had a screen this morning where some guy wrote an Atlantic magazine article about how he only wants to live to age 75, my soon to be age- how morbid can you get? Maybe he plans to eat himself to death?
Back to scooters- which it's too cold to ride one.

Aligning my glove box and tighten up some screws.

Surely you can round up a turkey or two.

I'll PM you cooking instructions.

Nah! A hen chicken for one.

I will be all alone but with my family and MV friends virtually.

And I will be thinking of Judy. Whenever I lose someone as dear I usually plant something in my garden. I bought some creeping phlox as colorful as I always thought of her: rare blue, violet, and pink. It is evergreen and whenever I tend to it I will think of all the joy that she brought into my life.

Cioppino dinner at my brother's house. I hosted last year. Aside from that, I plan to treat today pretty much as every day: I make sure I'm properly attired; I avoid ending sentences with prepositions (see how I did that?); And I do my best to stay out of jail.

Mark

Yes. Staying out of jail is good.

Thanksgiving notwithstanding.

Thanksgiving lunch buffet at Alpine Village (a kitschy German-themed dance-hall/bar/specialty-imports grocery/restaurant/mini-mall that's been in Torrance, CA for 50 years now).

It was pretty good, and the waitstaff support was excellent for a buffet.

I hope everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving as well

Still thankful for all my blessings BUT my Redskins got beat and my brother in law dropped a whole container of gravy on the carpet in our spare bedroom while fetching his coat. Guess that's what the holidays are all about! Never thought I'd be steam cleaning carpet today....

Hope everyone had a great day.

Bob

Fellow Redskins fan here. Since I was 11. Not a happy outcome for us today.

Hail to the Redskins
Hail victory
Hail to the Redskins
To fight for old DC!

But the question is... Why the hell was brother in law doing carrying a container of gravy while he was fetching his coat?

Thanksgiving this year was a bit different. Ham instead of turkey this year, friends at the table instead of in-laws, and conversation at the fireplace with a retired MaryKnoll priest provided a good perspective on all that I have to be thankful for.

And of course, a short ride in the 16F day on the Vespa to start things off...

Hey Jet- we will still make the playoffs. I just have a feeling... hope I'm right! I've been a 'Skins fan for 47 years through thick and thin.

Regarding the gravy, yours is the question of the year! What the hell was he doing with gravy in the bedroom? I think he was gathering leftovers to take home and accidentally carried it with him. I haven't been in that room yet today to see how it turned out.

I also have two dartboards in the basement. One real and the other electronic that uses plastic tip darts. I took away the darts because my other brother in law and my two nephews think that playing darts requires throwing them as hard as you can at the board. Think of the damage..... This year I took the actual darts and hid them to discourage playing. What did he do? He brought his OWN DARTBOARD and removed mine and they started playing.... My wife said to me "you better move the NEW tv that's next to the dartboards". No need I said, "I took the darts away" ... nope. He took one of mine down, put up his own and they started throwing. I had to go down there and remove the TV...... The holidays aren't fun anymore......

Bob

Pizza!

This just arrived to keep the Gaggia and Vespa company. Test pies were very promising.

una buona giornata!