OT: To Thanksgiving or not to Thanksgiving

[ElmerJFudd]

I love Thanksgiving - everything about it. Everyone cooking and bringing something. Seeing the gang (I"ve got 3 siblings, all with kids). We"ve got a few grandparents still alive. And I love a good meal with all sorts of things to choose from - Turkey, to lasagna, and most every kind of pie.

 

I"m in the greater NYC area. Numbers are up, we have folks in the neighborhood fighting off the Covid-19, a few of the schools have just closed again, and my friend at Hackensack hospital tells me they had 50/60 cases and just opened another floor in the Covid wing.

 

It would mean a lot to see each other - especially for the elderly and for the kids. The Mrs. has pulmonary issues - it"s understandable she"s worried and she says no. I"m not one to leave her home on Thanksgiving. So I guess we are out - just told my brother.

 

How"s your Thanksgiving plans shaping up? Anyone dealing with similar? Feeling pretty crappy about the situation honestly.

[ProfD]

I hope this thread does not become political regarding personal responsibility.

 

That being written, I believe Thanksgiving 2020 will be less festive for many. As a buddy of mine wrote, holidays canceled this year.

[KuruPrionz]

I know a small family of close and longstanding friends (over 20 years). They are very cautious folks and the gathering will be quite small.

I am an "orphan" up here with siblings in California and Utah.

 

I am also very cautious. That said, Washington state began spiking and now we have returned to much stricter restrictions.

One good thing to come of that is the company I work for accelerated their plan to set up their workers to work from home.

Today is my first work at home day. The laptop I use will be needed by somebody else tomorrow night and then I can take custody of it until further notice.

 

I am also cautious and for the most part, safe. We played 5-6 outdoor gigs since May - well distanced and respectful.

 

Given your situation, I would also stay home. It would make me sad but I would be alive to live joyfully later. Cheers, Kuru

[ElmerJFudd]

There"s nothing political about human beings sharing the human experience.

[area51recording]

We're (my wife and I) are taking a hard pass. Other than foraging for groceries we haven't been out of the house since March, and we're not about to blow it now. Both of us are cancer survivors in our 60's, I'm on blood thinners, she's got asthma and there's no way in Hell turkey and dressing is worth the risk.....

[ElmerJFudd]

Thanks for sharing... it"s good for the soul.

[El Lobo]

No. No Thanksgiving this year. My daughter and her husband and their 2 kids, my grandchildren, live in Berkeley, just across the SF Bay from me. I haven't seen them in person in months. Our counties just got new restrictions because of covid surge. Public health people are recommending no Thanksgiving gatherings. My daughter is a doctorate in public health and an infectious disease epidemiologist. We talked about it on the phone. No Thanksgiving, not worth the risks. My granddaughter has compromised immune system and I'm at high risk for this virus to kill me (age, diabetic, poor kidney function, etc.) As someone said above, turkey and dressing aren't worth dying over.

[MAJUSCULE]

Ask again next year.

[Docbop]

No thanksgiving not in these times. Zoom is turning off it's time limit for the day, there are phones, and other ways to communicate with friends and family so no need to risk it. If you can't express yourself using one of those methods your were just in it for the food.

[Polkahero]

Not allowed in this state right now. Only two different households at gatherings allowed right now. Not much to give thanks about this year anyway, worst year for me ever in numerous ways.

[Doerfler]

holidays canceled this year

 

No. No Thanksgiving this year.

 

Not allowed in this state right now.

 

seems like we have a theme here. Stay home, stay safe.

[Adan]

Thanksgiving is huge for my wife's family, so much so that people travel long distances, often by plane, to be wherever is the chosen spot for the year. Needless to say, ain't gonna happen.

 

Always look on the bright side of life! Thanksgiving is not a dead bird, it's a state of mind.

[ElmerJFudd]

thanks, guys.

[SamuelBLupowitz]

Yeah, I'm starting to see the writing is on the wall, unfortunately. My wife has been trying to ease me into the realization for a few weeks but I was in denial, hoping we'd get to have a scaled back but somewhat normal holiday season. My brother and his partner already put the kibosh on traveling earlier this week, but I'm not looking forward to the conversation with my parents.

[re Pete]

Why push it when the finish line is in view?

[BluMunk]

Nothing for me either. We had been toying with the idea of visiting my mom (an hour and a half away, so local), and trying to do something outside, but that was wishful thinking back when it was warm. And before cases started spiking.

 

Now the plan for my wife and I is to wear pajamas all day and cook something together. She's vegetarian, so I won't be doing a turkey or anything like that for just the two of us. We're talking about maybe making home made pasta. Not really thanksgiving food, but something we could have fun with together.

[CEB]

Same as last year. No changes for me. Just me, my wife, our 2 single kids and my Dad... unless my daughter does something with her boyfriend. He is currently out of state in law school.

[EscapeRocks]

Thanksgiving as usual for me. Family (mom dad brother sister, their kids, my kid, etc...)

[EscapeRocks]

Not allowed in this state right now. Only two different households at gatherings allowed right now. Not much to give thanks about this year anyway, worst year for me ever in numerous ways.

 

who,in the absolute fuck, is going to enforce who of your family you have in your private home?

[SamuelBLupowitz]

Not allowed in this state right now. Only two different households at gatherings allowed right now. Not much to give thanks about this year anyway, worst year for me ever in numerous ways.

 

who,in the absolute fuck, is going to enforce who of your family you have in your private home?

I don't think it's about whether it's going to be enforced, because that would be impractical and unlikely. I think it's just the sad reality of what it takes to reduce transmission risk and adhere to health and safety guidelines right now.

[Bill H.]

Last big family gathering was on my sister's farm late last summer - a couple of dozen spread out mostly outside. Covid cases were low back then, but daily new cases are over 10 times higher now. So it's a no-go because of that, and because we would all be inside. It's also illegal - but I don't think that's affecting anyone's decision on it.

 

My wife passed away 16 years ago and none of my kids live close, so it's probably going to be just me and Zoom next Thursday. I'm ok with it right now, but will probably be more emotional about it next week.

 

Also missing this time is a gig on Thanksgiving Eve - which with my DJ hat on is always one of the biggest nights of the year. So everything will feel off...

[zxcvbnm098]

I had purchased a plane ticket to get my mother-in-law down from NoCal to us in SoCal back in August; just cancelled the flight last night. She was nervous about bering in airports and on the plane, and it didn't seem worth it.

 

Just wife and kids now. One still lives at home, one up the road in college but she and her roommates all working towards careers in medicine, so have been practicing smart distance and masks since the beginning of pandemic.

 

Side note: We've never been big turkey fans, so for the last few years we get a half breast as a side dish and have lobster as the main with all the traditional fixings.

Historically accurate - lobster was served at the first thanksgiving, and the pilgrims were introduced to it by the native Americans. So much better, and my kids don't ever want to go back to the big bird. YMMV...

[mate stubb]

Had planned to have a quiet holiday at home with my daughter and son in law. Then I found out my brother in law has unexpectedly sold his farm. He's been living there alone since my sister died in 2018, and so we are taking a road trip instead to see the place one last time before he moves out. There will be 6 of us, and we all live like hermits so I don't worry too much about it.

 

Shout out to my sister - their home has spectacular gardens that had bus loads of garden tour visitors each year. They worked on it for 20 years. Here is the view from the back deck:

[Adan]

Not allowed in this state right now. Only two different households at gatherings allowed right now. Not much to give thanks about this year anyway, worst year for me ever in numerous ways.

 

who,in the absolute fuck, is going to enforce who of your family you have in your private home?

I don't think it's about whether it's going to be enforced, because that would be impractical and unlikely. I think it's just the sad reality of what it takes to reduce transmission risk and adhere to health and safety guidelines right now.

 

 

What public officials should be saying instead is, understand the risks and use common sense. A gathering of people who you normally see anyway and who don't have to travel by plane is probably reasonable.

 

Half my family would have to get on an airplane. And we can't imagine doing Thanksgiving without our 96-year old matriarch. But that would be nuts. If she got sick we'd each of us spend the rest or our lives feeling personally responsible. For us, it's a total no-brainer.

[ElmerJFudd]

Not allowed in this state right now. Only two different households at gatherings allowed right now. Not much to give thanks about this year anyway, worst year for me ever in numerous ways.

 

who,in the absolute fuck, is going to enforce who of your family you have in your private home?

 

My brother is in a rural area, houses are far apart, he's up on a mountain overlooking a lake. Chances are all would be fine, Thanksgiving as usual with the 20 of us. Those of us traveling are more likely to bring it to them than us to bring it home. If anyone isn't feeling well, please don't come. Totally reasonable scenario, but I can't blame the Mrs. for being concerned. She'd be heading straight for the hospital if she got covid, flu or pneumonia. It happens, as I can attest from my New Years Eve. party circa year 2000 - flu, most of us got it over the next 3 days. It is what it is. I'll have to deal.

[Adan]

 

My brother is in a rural area, houses are far apart, he's up on a mountain overlooking a lake. Chances are all would be fine, Thanksgiving as usual with the 20 of us. Those of us traveling are more likely to bring it to them than us to bring it home. If anyone isn't feeling well, please don't come. Totally reasonable scenario, but I can't blame the Mrs. for being concerned. She'd be heading straight for the hospital if she got covid, flu or pneumonia. It happens, as I can attest from my New Years Eve. party circa year 2000 - flu, most of us got it over the next 3 days. It is what it is. I'll have to deal.

 

You're doing the right thing. Your wife is vulnerable, and cold weather will force you all indoors together. Bad combination. Thanksgiving should be about familial feelings. The exercise everyone should go through is to imagine how they will feel if someone vulnerable in their family gets sick.

 

As we all know, there are still a large number of people who believe the virus is not real. Those people are going to do what they're going to do. If you're among the larger group of people who think the virus is real, then the couple weeks following Thanksgiving will be an especially important time to minimize your exposure.

[MAJUSCULE]

https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/3065867/1

[Dave Bryce]

Maybe we need a Thanksgiving KC hang...?

 

dB

[Stokely]

I wonder if they had similar discussions in Britain in the 1940s when they were being bombed (?) The difference then was, if you got blown up you can't then go around and blow other people up by your very presence.

 

We are in the midst of a once-in-several-generations pandemic and the idea of people getting together and doing the exact thing that spreads this is....not good.

 

Especially as someone said, we have the finish line in sight. if the goal is to cause as much death and sickness as possible in one last effort before vaccines get here, we are doing great. I watched a video of my band playing in a crowded indoor nightclub full of middle-aged people. Needless to say they had a fill-in for me. I see block parties every weekend in my neighborhood with cars lined up down the street (for football probably). It's pretty mind-boggling.

 

I'm just as worried about the lingering issues some people are getting as I am about death, as a relatively heathy 53-year-old. But my brother has seen previously-healthy 50-somethings in his ICU rounds, and we haven't gotten the worst of it yet here in FLA.

 

This sucks for everyone. But we are collectively making it suck worse, for longer, and that pisses me off. Not to mention I'm worried to death about my brother and others I know that work in health care. Other people's ignorance and even hostility are putting them all at risk.

[ProfD]

Maybe we need a Thanksgiving KC hang...?

Right, in the form of a Thanksgiving Day thread.

 

Those who like to cook can post pics of their culinary creations or whatever they are going to consume...food, beer, wine, Notty Head, etc.