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Retailers engaged in War On ThanksgivingFollow

#1 Nov 06 2013 at 12:22 PM Rating: Good
Our dish towel died. It wasn't even really a dish towel; I think it was an old bathroom towel. But it's been used and washed and used so much the fibers remain stiff no matter how much TLC we give it, and I've decided to retire it to the cats.

I decided this was the perfect excuse to participate in that great American silliness, overdecorating for specific holidays. Thanksgiving is the next one up, so you'd think I could find a dish towel that matches it.

The following conversation is almost verbatim at Marshall's, the closest big box store to my office.

Me to clerk: Hi, I was looking for some Thanksgiving dish towels. I only see Christmas ones out.

Clerk: Have you checked the clearance section?

Me: Clearance...? But Thanksgiving is still three weeks away.

Clerk: Well, we roll it into the "harvest" seasonal stuff. Once we take out the Harvest things, they go to clearance.

So I checked the clearance section. There was no Thanksgiving themed stuff. There wasn't really much of anything "harvest" at all, although I did find some awesome red maple leaf place mats that looked like they would be more at home in a Canada Day display.

I find this war on Thanksgiving, intentional or not, to be part of the overreaction retailers have to getting a jump on Christmas displays. They go straight from Halloween to Christmas, entirely omitting the major holiday of November. The only people who seem to really care are the grocery stores.
#2 Nov 06 2013 at 12:29 PM Rating: Good
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They're not especially for thanksgiving but here are tea towels for every month.
#3 Nov 06 2013 at 12:34 PM Rating: Decent
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Well thats mostly because Thanksgiving isn't about buying more ****. Its about being thankful for what you already have. Christmas is for buying more ****.

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#4 Nov 06 2013 at 12:37 PM Rating: Excellent
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Thanksgiving is all about waking up early, to prepare a meal for relatives you'd rather not see. It's a whole day of slaving in the kitchen while enduring your in-laws' underhanded jabs as how you fail at everything while other people watch football. Once you get the meal served you throw down a quick slice of turkey and cut out early to wait in line for the big box store to open at 6pm. Then you go catch the craft store at 9pm, and then head to the mall so you can be in line when they open at midnight. Finally about 3am you get home and clean up the mess everyone left behind, do the dishes, pack turkey into bags to freeze, throw the presents into in closet, etc. Finally about 4am you go to bed and wake up at 7am once the kids start banging on the Xbox. You spend the rest of the weekend yelling at people because you didn't get any sleep and drinking lots of stale coffee.

It's no wonder they skip it for Christmas. Smiley: wink

Edited, Nov 6th 2013 10:38am by someproteinguy
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#5 Nov 06 2013 at 12:41 PM Rating: Good
I love Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday. When I was a kid, and still got spoiled silly at Christmas, that was my favorite. Now that I'm all grown up and **** I enjoy Thanksgiving more. It's so nice to have a few days with the family, a large meal, left overs, games, laughs, maybe going to see a movie (not so much since my brother had kids).

My last year in Tennessee, we had family come down from Michigan for Thanskgiving, and it was great. Then for the next 2 years I spent Thanksgiving depressed and alone in our apartment. Now that we're back on the mainland, I plan to go to Tennessee for Thanksgiving this year, and some family is coming down from Michigan again. A great time will be had. :) I can't wait.
#6 Nov 06 2013 at 12:43 PM Rating: Excellent
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Most people own more than one towel. I'm just saying.
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#7 Nov 06 2013 at 12:44 PM Rating: Good
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We have this store - Reny's for you New Englanders, that sells all sorts of towels, placemats etc for dirt cheap. This is hard for me to admit but have three sets of placemats for my table. A spring/summer set, a fall set and a winter (x-mas colory) set. I also have various table clothes to fill in and change up the table.

Maybe table coverings are my feminine indulgence??
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#8 Nov 06 2013 at 12:46 PM Rating: Excellent
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Jophiel wrote:
Most people own more than one towel. I'm just saying.
Since we've been empty nesters and moved into the new house and the new groove, my husband and I found that we've been sharing one shower towel all week long.

We only have to wash towels monthly.


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#9 Nov 06 2013 at 12:48 PM Rating: Good
His Excellency Aethien wrote:
They're not especially for thanksgiving but here are tea towels for every month.


Those are cool but they're also in Dutch. Smiley: confused

.... I might get them just to see the reaction on my mother-in-law's face. Smiley: laugh

As for "more than one towel" - the bath towels are entirely distinct from the kitchen "dry your hands" towel. The old one was a nice cherry red and matched the red and black decor.

Edited, Nov 6th 2013 1:49pm by Catwho
#10 Nov 06 2013 at 12:49 PM Rating: Excellent
Jophiel wrote:
Most people own more than one towel. I'm just saying.


We own 2 dish towels, but only because you can't buy just one. We're all about siimplicity these days. We own 2 plates, one pot, one skillet. It keeps the kitchen cleaner.
#11 Nov 06 2013 at 1:13 PM Rating: Excellent
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Belkira wrote:
Jophiel wrote:
Most people own more than one towel. I'm just saying.


We own 2 dish towels, but only because you can't buy just one. We're all about siimplicity these days. We own 2 plates, one pot, one skillet. It keeps the kitchen cleaner.

Does that have anything to do with your propensity for relocating your homestead across thousands of miles of open water every couple years?



Edited, Nov 6th 2013 8:13pm by Elinda
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#12 Nov 06 2013 at 2:18 PM Rating: Good
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Catwho wrote:
His Excellency Aethien wrote:
They're not especially for thanksgiving but here are tea towels for every month.


Those are cool but they're also in Dutch. Smiley: confused

.... I might get them just to see the reaction on my mother-in-law's face. Smiley: laugh
That's what google translate is for. I rather like these knitted ones as well. If only they weren't so awfully expensive.
#13 Nov 06 2013 at 2:21 PM Rating: Excellent
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Belkira wrote:
We own 2 dish towels, but only because you can't buy just one. We're all about siimplicity these days. We own 2 plates, one pot, one skillet. It keeps the kitchen cleaner.

Given your hobo lifestyle, I assume you keep your meager possessions in a bindle made from your one towel and a handy stick.
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#14 Nov 06 2013 at 2:37 PM Rating: Excellent
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Jophiel wrote:
Most people own more than one towel. I'm just saying.

The all got used cleaning the car.
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#15 Nov 06 2013 at 3:08 PM Rating: Excellent
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someproteinguy wrote:
Thanksgiving is all about waking up early, to prepare a meal for relatives you'd rather not see.
I always thought it was about not feeling guilty for adding four sticks of butter and a cup of heavy cream to eight pounds of potatoes.
#16 Nov 06 2013 at 3:15 PM Rating: Excellent
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This thread reminds me that I need to email the turkey farm and reserve a couple of birds.
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#17 Nov 06 2013 at 3:41 PM Rating: Good
Timelordwho wrote:
Jophiel wrote:
Most people own more than one towel. I'm just saying.

The all got used cleaning the car.


no no no I paid someone else to clean the car, get your teasing straight Smiley: oyvey
#18 Nov 06 2013 at 3:43 PM Rating: Excellent
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Catwho wrote:
Timelordwho wrote:
Jophiel wrote:
Most people own more than one towel. I'm just saying.

The all got used cleaning the car.


no no no I paid someone else to clean the car, get your teasing straight Smiley: oyvey
Rich people...

Smiley: disappointed
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#19 Nov 06 2013 at 5:18 PM Rating: Good
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Elinda wrote:
Jophiel wrote:
Most people own more than one towel. I'm just saying.
Since we've been empty nesters and moved into the new house and the new groove, my husband and I found that we've been sharing one shower towel all week long.

We only have to wash towels monthly.


You don't find that the towel stinks of must by the end of the week?
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#20 Nov 06 2013 at 6:22 PM Rating: Good
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someproteinguy wrote:
Thanksgiving is all about waking up early, to prepare a meal for relatives you'd rather not see. It's a whole day of slaving in the kitchen while enduring your in-laws' underhanded jabs as how you fail at everything while other people watch football. Once you get the meal served you throw down a quick slice of turkey and cut out early to wait in line for the big box store to open at 6pm. Then you go catch the craft store at 9pm, and then head to the mall so you can be in line when they open at midnight. Finally about 3am you get home and clean up the mess everyone left behind, do the dishes, pack turkey into bags to freeze, throw the presents into in closet, etc. Finally about 4am you go to bed and wake up at 7am once the kids start banging on the Xbox. You spend the rest of the weekend yelling at people because you didn't get any sleep and drinking lots of stale coffee.


Sheesh! I'm thinking yer doing it wrong. You've got years ahead of you to become this jaded about holidays, so maybe pace yourself?
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#21 Nov 06 2013 at 6:38 PM Rating: Excellent
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I like Thanksgiving. It's what it says right on the box: Eat a bunch of grub, hang out with family. Flea's family never did anything for it so she feels no compunction to cook a big meal but I take up the reins and get a turkey and the fixin's. I cheat on the stuffing but cook my own bird, make my own mashed potatoes, find some other side and last year gave making my own gravy a whirl. The woman's daughter at the lunch counter I go to a few times a week makes pies so I'll get one of those from her.

Then the weekend after, it's time to strip all the meat off the bird and throw the carcass into a big pot to simmer for the next 14-20 hours into broth. By the time I'm done, every ounce of flavor has been transferred from the bird to the broth and it makes for some kick-*** soups over the winter.

Edited, Nov 6th 2013 6:39pm by Jophiel
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#22 Nov 06 2013 at 9:00 PM Rating: Good
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Could have simplified everything and just gotten a brown towel.
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#23 Nov 06 2013 at 9:23 PM Rating: Decent
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Jophiel wrote:
I cheat on the stuffing but cook my own bird, make my own mashed potatoes, find some other side and last year gave making my own gravy a whirl.


I cheat on the stuffing as well. I've tried a few recipes for stuffing, even making my own bread bits, seasoning mixtures, etc. For some reason it just never comes out as tasty as that sweet sweet pre-processed stuff that comes in the bag and you just add your own broth/celery/onions to. It's like there's some magical spices they have that I don't. Can't figure it out.

Gravy is one of those things that people sweat over, but if you do it right is the easiest darn thing in the world. Key bit (which far far too many people get wrong) is to add the broth to the roux, thinning as you go. The mistake people make is putting the broth/butter(or fat) together first and then adding flour to that to thicken it into gravy. Backwards. Totally backwards. You get clumps. It's slow. It's a pain in the butt. Do it the other way around and it's so easy even a cave man can do it.

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Then the weekend after, it's time to strip all the meat off the bird and throw the carcass into a big pot to simmer for the next 14-20 hours into broth. By the time I'm done, every ounce of flavor has been transferred from the bird to the broth and it makes for some kick-*** soups over the winter.


This (although 14-20 hours might be a bit much. I'm thinking you've got about all the flavor you're going to get after about 4-5 hours). But anyway... Turkey soup for days/weeks/months! Great trick is to toss any left over stuffing into the soup as well for a cheap/easy dumpling type of effect. Yummy!
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#24 Nov 06 2013 at 9:27 PM Rating: Excellent
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Nah, you need to go well longer than 4-5 hours. It's barely getting started then, much less to get the flavor out of the bones. 14-20 might be "over doing" but that's because I'll sometimes let it go overnight at a low simmer.
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#25 Nov 08 2013 at 6:31 AM Rating: Excellent
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You people need to learn to make corn bread. There is no substitute for homemade corn bread stuffing.
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#26 Nov 08 2013 at 6:50 AM Rating: Excellent
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I would think no stuffing would be better than bought stuffing. Nasty stuff.

Oh, and Thanksgiving was last month. Somehow, despite it happening every year, you guys always manage to run a month late on this.

Edited, Nov 8th 2013 8:52am by Uglysasquatch
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