A long-standing tradition in the Hays family has been to have a Practice Thanksgiving. Lest we should get to the actual Thanksgiving Day and realize that we made some horrible mistake with the dishes we’ve been preparing for years, we find it a pragmatic and sensible idea to do an audition. To an outsider it may seem as though we’re just trying to double up on the mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, but I assure you, Practice Thanksgiving has real value. This year, the family schedule was so busy that the Hays family gathered in Kenton for Practice Thanksgiving this past weekend. My heart was breaking over here in Turkey, while they were about to begin eating their turkey. Ha ha ha!
Skype to the rescue! It was about 10:30pm here when they were sitting down to feast. I was in my jammies, sipping tea at the dining room table and my sister Skyped me. My mom and dad were the first ones to pop on the screen! Then my mom walked the laptop around the room and my joy soared higher and higher, and I became more animated – almost to the point of tears – as each new relative floated past on my iPad screen; my boys! my sisters! my nieces! my nephews! my…ex and his wife!? WTF?
New Hays family rule, when I’m about to act like a blubbering fool on Skype, at least hold up a sign: “YOUR EX IS HERE!” Or, make some kind of jerky head motion with a subtle finger point. Or, put a bag over his head. Something. 😀
