November 27, 2025

Kansas City, MO

Thanksgiving Day

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Thanksgiving will be at Rochelle and IV’s today at 14:00. My day started with retrieving Grace from a friend’s house where she spent the night at 07:30. It is -1C (30F) this morning as I head to the streetcar. Unfortunately, the streetcar is on holiday hours and doesn’t start until 07:00. So, I walked the whole way to the house.

Still managed to get there to allow enough time to have my morning cigar before heading out to pick up Grace. Retrieved Grace and was back at the house just after it had gone 07:30. Then it was off to the apartment to make Nonna’s morning coffee. Remembering to bring a new tin of coffee!

Rochelle, IV, Grace, Oliver and George were doing to 9th Annual 5K Turkey Trot run this morning, followed by Jell-O shots at a friend of Rochelle’s House. While they were out, I took the pies from our fridge over to the house in the jeep. I brought the Jeep back to the apartment as it is cold out there and walking even to and from the streetcar didn’t seem necessary.

Again, some more rearranging of packing. The goal is to check both the carry-on size suitcase and the large suitcase to Santiago. This translates to being able to fit all our medications in my backpack. For a two-week period, it shouldn’t be a problem. Last minute load of laundry so when we come back, we have everything here clean.

Just before it had gone eleven, we headed to the house and Thanksgiving dinner. The dinner is scheduled for 14:00. A last-minute check for hors d’oeuvres showed that the Swiss cheese for the salami, cheese and pickle tray had already been consumed. There was more than a sufficient amount of salami of different types purchased the other day, so there was plenty salami left.

I went to the store and got more Swiss cheese. Stopping, at the request of Grace and Oliver, at Starbucks for drinks and a sandwich for Oliver. The market was packed but I only had three packages of cheese, and I was able to breeze through the checkout process quickly. I ordered the Starbucks before I left the market. It is a short five-minute walk to Starbucks. There were doubts that Starbucks would have the order ready that quickly, but it might cut down on the wait time.

Optimism probably best describes my thoughts about how busy Starbucks might be at 11:15 on Thanksgiving Day. The Starbucks was fully staffed, and they were working really hard, however, it still took thirty minutes for them to fill my order. I arrived back at the house before it had gone noon.

It was cold outside but wanting to get out of the way and not commandeered for any tasks, a cigar on the front porch was in order. Dinner was being pulled together, the turkey was in the oven and on time, Oliver’s turkey in the smoker was cooking away, the hors d’oeuvres were making their way to the table.

The Smiths arrived just before 14:00, Justin, Alicia, Maddie, Matt, Jackie and Gloria. Added to the eight of us makes us a dinner of fourteen. There was sufficient food for double that amount. Justin made enough mashed potatoes to feed three times as many.

I helped in carving the turkeys. We sat down and enjoyed filling our bellies. Oliver’s turkey was very good. Not everyone was a fan of smoked meat, but still it was properly cooked. His Mac-n-cheese was good but got a little dried out waiting in the oven to be served. It maybe could have had a little more tang to it. Perhaps adding some parmesan cheese would make a difference.

After dinner we sat in the living room and watched, wait for it, football. Not much else to do so a nap seemed appropriate for me. Just after it has gone 17:30 Rochelle’s mother’s side of the family showed up for dessert and eventually was walk to the plaza to see the lighting of the Christmas tree, not to mention the whole plaza. The two pumpkin pies and two apple pies and other various desserts were consumed.

Just before it had gone 20:00 they all stood on the steps of the porch and posed for a photo. Then they took off for the plaza. Nonna and I walked to the streetcar and came home. It was a long day for the elderly of the tribe.

The day begins with a check-out and pick-up at 10:00 tomorrow morning. Our flight to Houston is at 15:00. Black Friday the traffic should be light to the airport, although there are a could shopping areas just off the freeway to the airport. We are planning to arrive “early”, maybe noon. We need to double check on our clear membership if there is time and want to make sure there are no passport issues.

Then we are off. The last load is in the dryer. Everything, or almost everything, is packed and sorted. The morning will tell. It is just about to go 21:00 which means it is bedtime. Will write next from Santiago Chile – country number 76 for me. Every step counts.  

Buonanotte e ciao,

Enrico e Maria