A McAlister Thanksgiving

Trafton B.

November 20, 2010 - 1:06 PM

In the words of our friend, Leslie, "It's these moments that I'm going to remember after we all graduate." Cheesy? Absolutely. We playfully mock her tackiness on a regular basis. However trite it may seem, its truth is undeniable. The holiday season has officially commenced and I'll be the first to give thanks to University Housing for placing me in McAlister-Walton Residence Hall where I was fortunate enough to meet the greatest group of freshman friends I could have ever asked for.

Last night, after a long day of GIS in Salem with Emma, we drove over to Leslie, Tracy and Lydia's house on Friendly Street to celebrate our second McAlister Thanksgiving.

We had much to be thankful for, the first of which being a table full of delicious food - mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, green bean casserole, roasted carrots and stuffing. I wish I could remember who prepared what dishes to give credit where it's due. Then again everything was equally delicious so in the end it really doesn't matter.

In typical gender-stereotyped fashion, my house (the only house of guys) was in charge of bringing the meat dish, so we picked up a few Safeway rotisserie chickens, a step above the turkey burgers we brought last year. Winston brought back a few jugs of fresh apple cider from E.Z. Orchards in Salem, and just when you thought it was over Emma brings out apple pie and Boo reveals two plates of homemade sticky rolls. Unreal.

Needless to say everyone loosened his or her belt by a minimum of one notch before the night was over. We shared a collective food coma as we played Catch Phrase and Family in the living room. Katelin's Mr. Clean was the victor of the group, although my Georgio Armani held up longer than I expected. I realized that the majority of my readers have no clue about what I'm talking about. I'd try to explain the concept of Family, but it's more trouble than it's worth. If you're really curious, I'm sure Leslie would be more than delighted to teach you. She's kind of a fun and games aficionada.

We rose our glasses to the #1 Ducks Football team and the not so #1 Ducks Basketball team. And, of course, we toasted to McAlister. As we all travel home, be it to Chicago, Jackson, Forest Grove or Vancouver (Washington, not British Columbia), may we all enjoy a wonderful weekend of filled with food and family, and may we give thanks for the family of friends we have waiting for us back in Eugene.

Happy Thanksgiving!