Let's eat the turkey in a big, brown shoe

Man, I like Thanksgiving. We're down to three more work days until turkey and football! It's my favorite holiday. It's the only holiday that completely revolves around America's two favorite pastimes: eating and lazily watching sports.

There's no gifts to worry about. You work hard the first part of the week and then you get rewarded with an elongated weekend that allows you to travel. God, the turkey, the mashed taters, the string beans, stuffing...and the pie, oh my lordy, the pie!

Here's what's also cool about this year. The Cowboys and Lions are both good. It's sad to see the Lions suck it up every Turkey-Day when it's really their tradition. They are the original franchise to have the annual game, not the 'Boys. Both home teams could win. And then for my family, that's the big weekend to finish up with going up to Oklahoma for the OU-OSU game. True, this year lacks some punch with the ugly loss at Texas Texas on Saturday, but nonethless it's Bedlam and good, clean fun.

But most importantly, and don't forget this one, it's a time for family. All of us are so busy building our lives, our careers, our hobbies, or sitting around enjoying what we've built that it's easy to forget those who you grew up with and depended on when you were younger. My most missed memory was Thanksgiving 2002. It was the last time my mom's entire side of the family got together. It was the last time I hung out with all my cousins, saw all my uncles at once and spent quality time with them. It was the last Turkey Bowl our family played together. And now my grandparents' house has been sold and they have retired.

At least there's the memory. So I encourage all of you who are working this week to check your datebook and make sure you have a family feast planned this Thursday followed by a touch football game and dozing in front of the boob tube. Feel good by flooding back memories and creating some new ones. God bless food, football and family.