The week started in a secret courtyard in New Orleans, Louisiana. Obviously.
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To pull off this reimagining last week, I had to get up really early. 5am Wednesday, 5am Thursday, 4am Friday, and 4:30am Saturday. In fairness, I’ve become used to it. I’ve got a lot I want to do, and it was no different just because it was Thanksgiving Week.
I spent Monday night in New Orleans with my son and his granddaddy. I spent Tuesday night just outside of Hattiesburg with a whole slew of family. After an afternoon of teaching, I spent Wednesday night down on the coast, alone with my son’s cat. I spent Thanksgiving morning on the coast with roughly forty golfers, Thanksgiving afternoon with my North Carolina family via FaceTime, and Thanksgiving night with my Mississippi family outside of Hattiesburg. Exhausted and back on the coast after Black Friday at the golf course, I went to bed at 6:30pm. Saturday, refreshed and rejuvenated after what felt like a lifetime of sleep, everything was back to normal.
I did enjoy my roughly six hours of turkey, traditional family, football, and nap time, but in true abk fashion, it was the nontraditional food and activities that really stole my heart. I’ve never really liked holidays. As you all know, I like action, and traditionally on holidays, the action slows to a snail’s pace.
I don’t personally care much for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, but I do love Monday Night Basketball in New Orleans. I don’t personally care much for Black Friday shopping, but I do love the Thanksgiving Day Shootout now in its second year that I put on at our golf course. I don’t personally care much for sitting around doing nothing, but I do love autumn leaf watching. I don’t personally care much for turkey, but I do love oysters, sushi, and Chicago style hot dogs.
However, along the abk journey, I’ve tried to learn to be respectful of the traditions that are important to the people I care about while still experiencing the new things that I find interesting and fulfilling. It requires lots of compromise, lots of driving, and lots of getting up very early. (And the occasional alone night with my son’s cat.) But I’m getting better at it every year.
Which is how I found my way inside a secret courtyard in New Orleans last Monday night.
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I knew it was going to be a memorable meal when the host asked, Do you want to sit inside or in the secret courtyard? I had eaten here once before, and I had no idea there was any courtyard, let alone a secret one. It was 75 degrees outside, so it was a no brainer.
Also, happy hour in The Big Easy on any night is like a holiday in and of itself. $5 glasses of red wine. Insane deals on oysters. Since it was a holiday week, a decision did not need to be made. Bring six of those. A plate of those. Some of those. We will graze like cattle.
Good grief it was good! Grandaddy offered me a beer at the game about an hour later, and I had to decline else I spontaneously combust.
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It makes me happy that these new, exciting, and interesting traditions are gaining some traction. It makes me happy that other people, not just me, are enjoying these new ideas and activities. I finally feel like I understand myself, and I’m building a community that I understand and that understands me.
On that note, it’s time to see if the 3rd Annual abk Golf and Friends Holiday Hunger HackerFest will make an appearance this year.
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Have a great week.-Benj
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