Holidays & The City: Thanksgiving 2007

This horrific glop of pre-made turkey-stuffing-mess (below) was the majority of what my Thanksgiving dinner consisted of this year. Sadly, I spent the day holed up in my tiny apartment sipping hot tea, blowing my nose and coughing. That's right folks, my only holiday guest this year was a nasty case of bronchitis.

What is normally my favorite day of the year, Thanksgiving has now turned in to quite a depressing holiday. Not only was I unable to fly home, but I was too ill to join my local friends for a festive, home-cooked meal.

I've been sick since Monday, and had to take two days from work (tomorrow will make three). You'd think with all of the daytime trash TV, Lifetime movies and cooking shows, that I'd be a happy camper. Isn't this what people dream about doing all day while they're stuck behind a computer screen at work? Honestly, after the first day of being homebound, I started to get an itchy case of cabin fever. Being immobilized in your apartment sucks!

I awoke this morning and decided that a trip to my local Whole Foods to fetch a pre-made "Thanksgiving-dinner-for-one" could be good for me. Despite my slight wheezing and shortness of breath, I figured that a brisk walk and some fresh air could potentially be beneficial...especially since this would be my one and only outing for the day.

The city was totally dead. I was able to jay-walk across every street and not try and figure out how to maneuver which way the person walking ahead of me was going. Whole Foods was just as empty and I must have strolled up and down every aisle two or three times, completely unsatisfied with everything I saw. I remember bumping in to a woman's cart, glancing down at what she was shopping for, and seeing a clear take-away container filled with just enough turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce for one person. Damn, that made me so depressed. I knew that I needed to get the hell out of that Twilight Zone-esque store a.s.a.p! Since I hate turkey and that pureed sweet potato crap, I grabbed a container of stuffing, paid the cashier and dashed home.

After attempting to moisten the stuffing with butter and water, I heated up a bowl and was anxious to take my first bite. My day had officially hit rock bottom! The stuffing was so over-seasoned and dry, I couldn't finish it. Dammit!

For those of you who were able to enjoy the warmth of a home-cooked meal with friends and family today, please be thankful. I suppose if you weren't grateful before reading my post, you sure as hell are now. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

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Until we eat again,

Lindsay, The Lunch Belle