Before I do that, however, I want to say Thank You to everyone who took the time to call, email, send a private message, hit the tip jar, or post a comment wishing me the best. I had a wonderful day and it truly means a lot to know that so many people are thinking about me. I raised a glass of the good stuff and gave a silent toast to all of you.
I also got to talk to quite a bit of the family yesterday--Cyndi & David escaped to Gatlinburg like a couple of newlyweds, but managed to call and wake my ass up at 8:00 am. Well, actually, it was my roommate powerwashing the patio and driveway that did it, but the phone ringing was the tipping point that forced me to get out of bed. I also heard from my niece Allison, and it was great to talk to her. Later in the day I heard from the drunken contingent down in Alabama--My mom, my sister Amy, Reverend Dave, and his wife Angie were absolutely lit up by the time we chatted, so it was quite an enjoyable session of passing the phone around. I think I even heard the phrase "First one to puke has to drive!" uttered in the background. Gotta love family get-togethers. I tried to call my dad a couple of times, but I got the whole 'all circuits are busy' message both times. I didn't think that would happen with cell-phones, but apparently it does. That's ok, I just talked to him the other day, on his 67th birthday, and I can catch up with him this weekend. And although I didn't get to talk to her, I heard through the grapevine that my sister Nancy, down in Houston, and her husband Mark finally moved back into their house a few days ago after suffering that devastating fire the weekend before Christmas last year. It's been a very long year for them, so I was happy to hear that they got to spend the holiday in their home.
As far as Thanksgiving in Las Vegas is concerned, even though I couldn't be with the family, I still had a great time. My roommates and I had about ten friends over for the day, and more food than you could possibly imagine. Just off the top of my head, here's what made it to the buffet line at Casa de Mikey:
- A free-range turkey (Besides the price tag, I couldn't tell the difference between it and one living out the string on Death Row, so, buyer beware...)
- A Honey-Baked Ham
- Green Bean Casserole
- Mashed Potatoes
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Corn Casserole
- Cornbread Stuffing
- Gravy
- Candied Carrots
- Asparagus
- Deviled Eggs
- Baked Ziti
- Italian Meatballs
- Clam Dip and Crackers
- Dinner Rolls & real butter
- Assorted soft drinks and mixer bottles of booze
- About 8 bottles of wine
- Three or four varieties of pie
- A big old hookah-bong with some kind herb
Oh hell yeah, it was a feast for the ages! By the time we sat down to eat, I was good and ready to get my grub on, having had nothing but four cups of coffee and a handful of cashews all day until that point. I almost filled up on the clam dip because it was so damn good, but I left a bit of room to try everything else.
I started the day in the kitchen making the deviled eggs--it was a lot more work than I anticipated, but damn, did they ever turn out great! I made two varieties--one plain with crumbled bacon, and the other ones were made with sun-dried tomatoes and basil. I have to say, I really outdig myself with those--they were a huge hit, and turned out much better than I expected. The bacon ones were good, but I didn't like the texture--the bacon got kinda soft by the time we ate them. Maybe next time I'll put a little bacon grease in the recipe and a little less Miracle Whip, and use the fake crunchy bacon bits instead. I also got roped into making the homemade gravy and the stuffing, in addition to making the candied carrots. The gravy tasted excellent, but I farked up the roux a little bit, and it had a few lumps in it. Ugh. Oh well, everyone liked it, nobody complained, and I guess I was my own worst critic. But I think it turned out pretty well, especially considering that I hadn't really made homemade gravy or a roux in over three years.
While I was in the kitchen slaving away over the hot stove, my roommates were setting up the party outdoors on the patio. It was such a beautiful day out here that we decided to eat outside. So they hooked up a small 17-in tv to watch the games and set up a couple of tables. We prepared the fire pit, lit up the tiki torches, and even set up a poker table. When everyone showed up, it felt like that scene in Goodfellas when they were in 'jail' making their dinner, you know, stirring the sauce, slicing the garlic, busting each others balls with the heavy New Jersey mob accent--we had a couple of wiseguys right out of Central Casting join us, so it was pretty fun to listen to the banter.
We ate until we couldn't eat anymore, took a break, watched a little football, and then hit round two. I was so full, and a little buzzed, that I decided to take a short nap before going into work last night. The other guys organized a No-Limit poker tournament to keep themselves entertained while Butch the dog nosed around all afternoon begging for scraps. I'd say it was a pretty damn successful Thanksgiving.
Here are a few photos... (remember, clicky for full-sized goodness!)
Let's start with a few drinks, shall we? This was the setup in the living room bar, but doesn't take into account any of the rum from my personal stash, the vodka in the freezer, or all the wine in the fridge. Nobody went thirsty.
The final table at the First Annual Rueben's House Thanksgiving No Limit Invitational
We can't have a bunch of dudes get together for a party without burning something. Luckily it was just wood this time, not any of the edibles. The over/under date for when those benches get chopped up and set ablaze because we run out of proper firewood is currently looking like sometime around mid-January.
A brief glimpse into the aftermath:
And here is the full scale of the destruction in the kitchen:
If you look closely, you'll see Rachel Ray's ugly-ass mug on that box of Triscuit crackers on the table. I defiled it later.
Nothing says "Thanksgiving" quite like a pot of gravy, a deep-dish apple pie, and a bottle of Johnny Walker Black.
It was a great time, and it turned out much better than I expected. Unfortunately, I couldn't stick around and help with the cleanup, as I had to go to work. Yep, we were slammin' busy, but it was a fun evening. And when the graveyard shift cocktail waitresses showed up at 1:00 am, they were decked out in those outrageously hot Naughty Santa's Helper outfits. It made it tough to concentrate on my game, so who knows what I was paying out at the Pai Gow table last night. My players could've been robbing me blind... Even the lipstick lesbian on my crew was excited about the new uniforms, and she gave me a knowing wink and a high-five as I tapped her out, and sang her own version of that favorite Christmas carol... Do you see what I see???
Forget the friggin' elves! If I were Santa Claus, I'd surround myself with a handful of cocktail waitresses in their holiday outfits. Of course, if that happened, Christmas would be a few weeks late every year, and everything that got built would probably end up on the Island of Misfit Toys. Maybe that's why I'm not Santa--I'm too easily distracted by heaving bosoms engulfed in red and white holiday fur.
Anyhow.... that's my story of Thanksgiving in Vegas. I hope everyone has a wonderful day shopping, decorating, or just watching some great college football. I'm gonna get a little sleep, eat a few leftovers, and then head back to the casino tonight for some more sightseeing. I might also deal a game or two, but that's no longer the priority...
Mikey
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