This week on the Memphis Flyer podcast, Chris McCoy and Abigail Morici talk Thanksgiving food, and our annual Black Friday Local Gift Guide. Happy Thanksgiving!
Tag: Thanksgiving
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Say ‘Thank You’
Dear friend, I am writing to you from my native city and home, Memphis, Tennessee. It is an easy Sunday morning complete with blue skies and sunshine. The temperature is a balmy 70 degrees. Will it remain easy? Not sure. As I write, the U.S. presidential election is two days away. To stay hopeful in this season of rampant misinformation and uncivilized politics, my steady focus is on “thanks-giving.” Despite the rising cost of food and the outcome of the election, I trust that Americans who believe in democracy will still rise up this November to prepare joyful fellowships of feasting for family, friends, and the unhoused. No matter who wins on November 5th, I am believing that no one will steal or kill our spirt of gratitude for what remains good, generous, and kind. Remember the marching activists during the American Civil Rights Movement? They sang, “Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around!” This must be our battle cry. In our homes and on the job, we must vow to be active expressions of gratefulness, even if we stand alone doing so.
When I was a small child, I saw the power of gratitude modeled in the life of my godmother, Lucile Brazil Thompson, a valued employee at the local Buckman Laboratories. Whenever I gave Mama ’Cile a gift, she would mail a thank you note that was stamped and addressed to me. It was exciting to receive her travel postcards and thank-you notes because mail in my name made me feel grown and her words of gratitude made me feel appreciated. I loved to share gifts with Mama ’Cile because ultimately, I received the gift of a thank you note.
Before I could spell well or write cursive letters, my mother Earline Duncan made me compose handwritten thank you cards when I received personal gifts. As a small child, I enjoyed receiving the cards, but I did not enjoy writing them. I would cry loudly, “Mama! I wanna use the telephone.”
A quick call on one of those big black rotary phones did not suit my godmother’s standard of decorum and a phone call was not Earline Duncan’s favorite expression of gratitude, either. My mother would scold me and say, “When somebody takes precious time to buy you a gift, you should take precious time to write them a note.” I would grumble and push through the task, making sure to write complete sentences in my large block letters.
Composing personalized thank-you notes with gel pens and USPS Black Heritage Stamps is now a lifelong habit for me. No gift exchange is complete on my part until I have formally expressed my gratitude with a card and postage stamp. She is dead now but to my mother’s point, when a person spends money or time to offer me a kindness, I think it is good manners to reciprocate the sacrifice and serve them joy with a written acknowledgement that is more engaging and lasting than a quick text, phone call, or silence.
In the tradition of Mama ’Cile and Earline Duncan, I encourage people to purchase greeting cards and postage before they need them. Keep a stash of stationery and stamps on deck especially during the winter holidays when there is a constant surge of giving and receiving gifts. In this way, you will be poised to make your thankful expressions promptly. The challenge to stop your routine and go buy stamps or cards will not exist.
This idea of gratitude brings me back to the election. By the time you receive this missive from me, America will have a new president. And most likely, you will be planning your Thanksgiving gathering or attending one. Despite the election outcome, think about the good in life that remains and allow thoughts of gratitude to fill your heart with hope.
Gratitude, like love, requires action. Therefore, make expressions of “thanks-giving” a constant part of your days. Refuse silence, discouragement, and giving-up. Acknowledge your blessings in thoughts, words, and deeds. Gratitude elevates the mood. It is a winning attitude. Say thank you.
Alice Faye Duncan writes for children. She is the author of fourteen books including I Gotta Sing and Yellow Dog Blues. She will sign books Saturday, November 30th, at the Butterific Bakery & Café. Her website alicefayeduncan.com.
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Thanksgiving
In 2007, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez were at the top of their game. The two directors had come up from the indie underworld at the same time in the early ’90s. Tarantino’s Kill Bill films were critical and commercial successes, and Rodriguez was doing both mainstream blockbusters with Spy Kids and cutting-edge animation with Sin City. They teamed up to make a tribute to the shameless, cheap exploitation films of the drive-in era. Grindhouse was a double feature condensed into a single movie by leaving the middle reel out of each film. Rodriguez’s contribution was Planet Terror, a hyper-violent zombie sci-fi flick starring Rose McGowan as a go-go dancer with a machine gun leg; Tarantino’s was Death Proof, a car chase movie starring Kurt Russell as a murderous stuntman driving a sinister black hot rod.
Tarantino and Rodriguez invited their film bro buddies to make trailers for movies that could never get made which ran before and between the two features. Rob Zombie did one for “Werewolf Women of the S.S.”; Edgar Wright did a hilarious voice-over riff called “Don’t.” But strangely, three of the trailers for films that “could never get made” actually ended up getting made. Rodriguez made “Machete” around legendary Mexican-American stuntman Danny Trejo, and it spawned two successful feature films. (I’m still waiting for Rodriguez to complete the trilogy with Machete in Space.) Then there was the self-explanatory Hobo with a Shotgun from Canadian filmmaker Jason Eisener, who got his slot in Grindhouse by winning a South by Southwest Film Festival contest. And now, there’s Thanksgiving by Hostel director Eli Roth.
The original trailer had to be cut down a bit to avoid the entire film being slapped with a NC-17 rating. Roth’s feature just squeaks under the bar for an R rating, but it is every bit as demented and shameless as the trailer. As the name suggests, Roth’s film is smack dab in the middle of the slasher horror tradition of Black Christmas and Halloween. Like John Carpenter, who Roth is clearly channeling here, the jump scares and arterial spray are flying cover for unsparing social satire.
Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts, is like Halloween in Salem — the epicenter of holiday vibe. That’s why it feels so off that RightMart owner Thomas Wright (Rick Hoffman) has decided to open his big box store on Thanksgiving, while he enjoys a greeting-card-worthy Thanksgiving dinner with his family. One of the hallmarks of the grindhouse slasher pics is that almost everyone you meet is an insufferable jerk, so it’s more satisfying when they inevitably get killed. Thomas’ daughter Jessica (Nell Verlaque) is the least unsympathetically portrayed character in the film, but still, she’s the one who inadvertently starts a riot on Thanksgiving when she lets her obnoxious friends into the RightMart before it officially opens at 6 p.m.
For Roth, the FightMart riot is his Omaha Beach in Saving Private Ryan. Fully feral American consumers tear each other to pieces over discount waffle irons. The security cameras make the rioting shoppers look like rats in a maze driven crazy by some kind of perverse psychological experiment. It’s the first of a series of blistering images Roth conjures using the familiar tropes of Thanksgiving.
A year later, the Wright family business has settled a bunch of lawsuits, and Jessica and her friends are the subject of harassment on social media. Then, a new, much more threatening harasser appears, using the pilgrim name John Carver. I had never really thought of how terrifying the traditional Plymouth Rock pilgrim outfits were until Roth showed me one dismembering people with an axe. Sheriff Eric Newlon (Patrick Dempsey) asks Jessica to help find the killer before he finds them. But there is no shortage of suspects who carry grudges from the FightMart riot, so Jessica’s amateur detectives have their work cut out for them.
The ironic part of Thanksgiving is that it started as a joke about a low-budget exploitation film that was too weird to be made, and now, 16 years later, it’s become a really good low-budget exploitation film. Roth hits that elusive sweet spot between stupid and smart. It’s gross, it’s in shockingly bad taste, it indicts its audience simply by existing, and yet, you can’t look away. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Thanksgiving
Now playing
Multiple locations
Ok, sure, it’s still a little early to be busting out the Christmas and holiday events, but we could all use a drink these days. I mean, it’s not even Thanksgiving yet! But something I think we can all get behind in this rollercoaster of a year is more cocktails. And the ones soon to be on tap at retro diner The Liquor Store just so happen to be of the Christmas variety.
Melissa Hom
The ‘Bad Santa’ cocktail’s mulled red wine and Christmas spices will have you feeling both naughty and nice.
Starting on Black Friday, November 27th, the Miracle pop-up bar will be setting up shop at The Liquor Store. Miracle is a New York-based global pop-up concept that “partners with bars and restaurants around the world to offer masterfully crafted Christmas cocktails in cheery holiday-themed settings.” Indeed, diners have been warned to expect over-the-top Christmas themed décor all around the restaurant, with contributions from local Memphis artist Lindsay Julian (founder of She. Builds. Things.)
Miracle’s cocktail offerings will be served alongside the restaurant’s regular menu, and The Liquor Store will have expanded hours to accommodate guests seeking some Christmas Spirit(s). A few specialty drinks include the Fruitcake Flip (brandy, rum, amaretto, fruitcake, cherry bitters, whole egg), Bad Santa (mulled red wine, port, orange liqueur, Christmas spices), and Christmas Carol Barrel (tequila, coffee liqueur, dry curaçao, spiced chocolate). Cocktails are priced between $6 and $15 and are served in kitschy glassware. A few rounds of these, and you’re sure to have visions of sugar-plum fairies dancing in your head, too.
Melissa Hom
The ‘Fruitcake Flip’ mixes sweet amaretto, fruitcake, and cherry bitters with brandy, rum, and a whole egg for good measure.
There are a few changes to Miracle’s usual format, with COVID-19 in mind. All cocktails will be available in a to-go format, while dine-in reservations are restricted to one hour and parties of six or fewer. Wednesday nights, however, offer a quick in-and-out experience; if guests are uncomfortable dining in, they can reserve a 15-minute time slot to take photos alongside the Christmas decorations and pick up their orders (with a minimum spend of $40). Holiday themed Cocktail Kingdom custom glassware will also be available for purchase, with a chunk of proceeds heading towards the James Beard Foundation’s Open for Good campaign, which helps independent bars and restaurants affected by the pandemic.
The Liquor Store is also adding expanded hours through dinner service Wednesday-Saturday nights, to give diners more of a chance to check out the restaurant’s holiday makeover.
Miracle at The Liquor Store (2655 Broad Ave.) runs from November 27th-January 2nd.
MEMsgiving
Reddit user B1gR1g wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving with the most Memphis cornucopia of all time.
More MEMsgiving
Holly Whitfield, the culture sage behind the I Love Memphis blog, asked her many Twitter followers last week for what Memphis things they were thankful. A love fest ensued.
@ALEXBARDOS — Cash Saver fried chicken.
@JFTutko — @NBCBluffCityLaw actually filming here.
@Agricenter_Intl — We are thankful for our local farmers and for a good harvest!
@MFD99official (Memphis Fire Services Director Gina Sweat) — Thankful for the awesome Fire & EMS Responders @MEM_Fire.
@Hitonecafe — Very thankful that we’ve only had to replace 4 toilets this year! Which is well below the average of 9.
Memphis International Airport
Memphis International Airport (MEM) is expecting more than 170,000 passengers during the Thanksgiving holiday travel season, a figure up 5 percent over last year.
The airport’s travel season began on Friday, November 22nd with nearly 9,990 passengers. Officials expect Thanksgiving travelers will continue to stream through MEM until Monday, December 2nd. With most aircraft expected to be close to 100 percent capacity, MEM is expecting this will be the busiest Thanksgiving travel period since 2007.
Expected peak days (passengers):
Friday, November 22 (9,900)
Wednesday, November 27 (9,400)
Sunday, December 1 (11,300)
Other busy days will include:
Saturday, November 30 (8,500)
Monday, December 2 (8,900)
Airport officials said the early morning hours between 4 a.m. And 7 a.m. will have the heaviest traffic but the airport will be busy all day. Airlines, airport vendors, and Transportation Security Adminstration will adjust their staffing and schedules to accommodate the increased traffic.
Memphis International Airport
Travel insurance company InsureMyTrip ranked the 75 biggest airports in America from least stressful (#1: Honolulu’s Daniel K Inouye International) to the most stressful (#75 Chicago Midway International). MEM ranked 53rd overall between Kansas City International and San Francisco International.
AAA predicts air travel will increase 4.6 percent over last year with with 4.45 million Americans expected to fly. About 40,000 Tennesseans are expect to fly this Thanksgiving, according to AAA, an increase of 3.8 percent over last year.
AAA’s flight booking data from the last three years shows that flying the Monday before the Thanksgiving travel rush has the lowest average ticket price ($486) prior to the holiday and is a lighter travel day than later in the week. Travelers can also save by traveling on Thanksgiving Day, which has the week’s lowest average price per ticket ($454).
Here are some tips from MEM for Thanksgiving passengers:
Arrive early
MEM is recommending that travelers arrive at the airport at least two hours before their departure time to ensure that they have plenty of time to park, check luggage and go through the security checkpoint.
[pullquote-1] Passengers should check frequently with their airlines to monitor schedule changes. Airlines handle all aspects of ticketing, baggage and scheduling.
Know what you can cannot bring through security
In order to expedite security screening time, passengers should double-check carry-on bags and review the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA’s) list of prohibited items.
Memphis International Airport
A TSA display of some of the items seized by airport security (2017).
Parking
MEM’s economy, long-term and short-term parking areas may periodically reach capacity during the week.
Additional signage will be added, and additional parking staff will help direct drivers to available parking spots.
MEM is prepared to activate two overflow parking areas should the existing garages reach capacity. See the attached map for the locations of the yellow and blue overflow lots.
For convenience, passengers parking in the overflow lots are encouraged to drop off other passengers and luggage at the curb before parking.
Drivers who are waiting to pick up arriving passengers can save time by utilizing one of the more than 200 spaces in the airport’s cell phone lot, which is equipped with a flight information board and free Wi-Fi.
TDOT
More than 1.3 million Tennesseans will hit the road this Thanksgiving holiday in what AAA is projecting to be the second-highest Thanksgiving travel volume since the auto group began tracking in 2000.
More than 55 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more away from their homes over the next few days, according to AAA’s annual report. The figure is up by 1.6 million travelers over last year and just shy of the record set in 2005.
“Millions of thankful Americans are starting the holiday season off right with a Thanksgiving getaway,” said Paula Twidale, vice president of AAA Travel. “Strong economic fundamentals are motivating Americans to venture out this holiday in near-record numbers. Consumer spending remains strong, thanks to increasing wages, disposable income, and household wealth, and travel remains one of their top priorities for the holiday season.”
In all, 49.3 million Americans will make their trips on the roads, according to AAA. In Tennessee, 1.2 million travelers will hit the road this year. With that, AAA said roads will be the worst on Wednesday.
“With record levels of travelers and persistent population growth in the country’s major metropolitan areas, drivers must prepare for major delays,” said Trevor Reed, transportation analyst at INRIX, a traffic data company. “Although travel times will peak on Wednesday afternoon nationally, travelers should expect much heavier than normal congestion throughout the week.”
AAA
Fuel prices
While fuel prices have been up and down lately, they are now slightly cheaper than the national average at the same time last year. As of Tuesday morning, Tennessee regular gas prices were about $2.30, the same as they were a year ago. Average prices in Shelby County and Memphis were $2.34 on Tuesday.
Tennessee is one of this week’s cheapest gas markets, AAA said. The nation’s top 10 least expensive markets are: Louisiana ($2.21), Mississippi ($2.22), Texas ($2.25), Missouri ($2.25), Alabama ($2.27), Oklahoma ($2.28), South Carolina ($2.28), Arkansas ($2.29), Tennessee ($2.30), and Virginia ($2.31).
AAA
No lane closure, but added law enforcement
For the busy travel holiday, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has halted all lane closures on interstates and state highways.
“This is the most traveled holiday of the year,” said TDOT Commissioner Clay Bright. “Halting road work during this busy time will provide maximum capacity on our highways and help alleviate congestion, especially during the predicted peak travel days of Wednesday and Sunday. TDOT’s regional HELP Trucks will also be working throughout the holiday weekend to assist with incidents that may occur along the interstates.”
If you’re driving I-40, watch for Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers stationed at least every 20 miles. The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security and TDOT have partnered with law enforcement across the state for the I-40 Challenge, with the goal of having zero fatalities on the 455 miles of I-40 in Tennessee. Troopers will be out on I-40 and expect increased law enforcement on all highways.
Report: Thanksgiving Day Dinner Costs Up 1 Cent Over Last Year
Thanksgiving dinner will cost one penny more this year than it did last year, according to an annual survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).
The agriculture advocacy group tapped more than 250 volunteer shoppers for the survey. They reported prices at grocery stores in 38 states for this year’s survey. AFBF has conducted the survey since 1986.
This year, the average American Thanksgiving Day dinner for 10 will cost $48.91, or less than $5 per person, according to the AFBF survey. This dinner includes a 16-pound turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10 with plenty for leftovers, the survey says.
[pdf-1] “The average cost of this year’s Thanksgiving dinner is essentially unchanged from last year, after three years of decline since 2015,” said AFBF chief economist Dr. John Newton. “Americans continue to enjoy the most affordable food supply in the world, but most don’t realize only 8 cents of every dollar consumers spend on food goes to farmers.”
There were some price changes this year on individual items. Prices increased on dinner rolls, sweet potatoes, and milk. Prices decreased on turkey, cubed bread stuffing, and canned pumpkin pie mix.
American Farm Bureau Federation
The price for Thanksgiving dinner is down by 1 cent this year.
“Celebrating Thanksgiving is a family tradition for millions of Americans, but the rising costs of meat, dairy, and fresh produce can be a big concern,” said Ann Berry, professor and family economics expert with University of Tennessee Extension. “Seeing such a small increase [on Thanksgiving staples] is a big encouragement to many people. Budgeting for the big Thanksgiving meal can be burdensome, but prices holding steady will help many through the holiday.”
To make Thanksgiving celebrations more affordable, Berry suggested asking friends and family to bring an item and limit the number of dishes served.
Project Pat plays Minglewood Hall on Wednesday, November 25th.
Welcome to this holiday edition of my Weekend Roundup. There is A LOT going on in the way of live music this week, starting with a stacked show at Minglewood Hall on Wednesday, November 25th. Because of the holiday, I’ve decided to include a couple extra days, so there is no excuse for not being at one, a few, or almost all of these shows.
Wednesday, November 25th.
Lyfe is Dope Volume 6 featuring Project Pat and Lord T & Eloise, 8 p.m. at Minglewood Hall, $25-35.
Weekend Roundup 43: Thanksgiving Edition (8)
Nick Black, 8 p.m. at Lafayette’s.
Skiptown, 10 p.m. at the Buccaneer, $5.
Thursday, November 26th.
Super T, 9 p.m. at the Hi-Tone Cafe, $10.
Ghost Town Blues Band, 10 p.m. at Lafayette’s.
Weekend Roundup 43: Thanksgiving Edition (9)
Sheiks, Naan Violence, 10 p.m. at Bar DKDC, $5.
Weekend Roundup 43: Thanksgiving Edition (7)
Friday, November 27th.
Gone to the Dogs Fest 2, 8 p.m. at the Hi-Tone Cafe, $10.
North Mississippi Allstars with Jim Lauderdale and The South Memphis Allstars, 7 p.m. at Minglewood Hall, $20-$22.
Weekend Roundup 43: Thanksgiving Edition (5)
Nobunny, Liquid Teens, 9 p.m. at Murphy’s, $5.
Weekend Roundup 43: Thanksgiving Edition (4)
Devil Train, 10 p.m. at the Buccaneer, $5.
Richard James, 9 p.m. at the Cove $5.
Saturday, November 28th.
Gone to the Dogs Fest 2, 8 p.m. at the Hi-Tone Cafe, $10.
Dustin Lynch, 8 p.m. at the New Daisy, $23.50-25.00.
Weekend Roundup 43: Thanksgiving Edition (3)
Brennan Villines CD Release, 8 p.m. at Playhouse on the Square, $10.
Graham Winchester Band, 10 p.m. at the Buccaneer, $5.
The Broadcast, 10 p.m. at Lafayette’s.
Sunday, November 29th.
Altown Skatepark Benefit featuring Ex-Cult, Manateees, and Rough Exchange, 6 p.m. at the Buccaneer, $5.
Weekend Roundup 43: Thanksgiving Edition (2)
Exit Glaciers w/ The Painters & The Odyssey Orchestra, 9 p.m. $10.
Weekend Roundup 43: Thanksgiving Edition