Thanksgiving brought plenty of stories, surprises, and a few mishaps this year.
With the sun setting at what feels like 4 p.m. these days, traveling already felt a little odd, but things got even more interesting while Bobby was driving Caitlin's dad’s truck, a much bigger vehicle than Bobby’s used to. Parking it is a challenge on a normal day, but halfway through the drive a warning popped up saying a tire was rapidly losing air. Not ideal in the middle of nowhere on Thanksgiving night. With the pressure dropping, they pulled into the one gas station in Westville, Oklahoma, just in time. Bobby knows how to change a tire, but with his broken foot in a boot, and Caitlin pregnant, Thanksgiving night wasn’t exactly the moment to test those skills. So they called AAA and, against all odds, a technician arrived in 20 minutes and saved the day. Turns out a huge nail was the culprit. Aside from the tire adventure, the rest of the holiday was normal, unless you count Arkansas hiring a new football coach as a Thanksgiving highlight. The Razorbacks had just been drummed by Missouri, but hope springs eternal with the new hire. After Thanksgiving, Bobby and Caitlin caught Brett Eldredge’s Glow Christmas Tour at the Ryman, which was spectacular. Navigating the venue in a walking boot wasn’t easy, but aisle seats helped. Still, it sparked a debate about handicap placards and whether Bobby should temporarily qualify for one, an argument made mostly in good humor and a lot of hobbling.
Thanksgiving itself sparked another debate: whether the holiday sits too close to Christmas. Amy argued it should stay exactly where it is. Bobby, Eddie, and Lunchbox championed moving it to September or even May. The only thing everyone could agree on? Seeing family twice in such a short window can be rough on the budget. There were also some lighter and stranger moments. A guest at Amy's Thanksgiving with her boyfriend's family insisted he had met Bobby at BrickTop’s in Franklin, sitting at the bar with a group of guys having brunch. Every detail of that story screamed “wrong guy,” considering Bobby doesn’t brunch with groups of dudes or hang out at bars. Likely just another instance of someone confusing him for a generic glasses-wearing white guy or for Johnny Knoxville, which he’s apparently been mistaken for three times recently.
Lunchbox spent his holiday in North Carolina and was devastated when his mother-in-law forgot to make or buy rolls, his favorite part of the meal. No rolls, plus an eight-hour post-holiday drive home, made for a rough trip. Eddie cut his finger cooking in the kitchen, but was lucky his sister is an ER nurse who could patch him up with surgical glue right in the kitchen. At least his turkey turned out perfect, which he confirmed by monitoring everyone’s reactions as they ate it.
And finally, in true “sad holiday” fashion, Bobby didn’t get any fried okra this year. No one picked it up, no one made it, and he didn’t press too hard because his foot kept him out of the kitchen. Just another minor misfortune added to the family stories of a very real, very memorable Thanksgiving.