Not wanting my friends to miss out on what was sure to be a new holiday classic, I organized a small afternoon screening party - a pre-Thanksgiving party, if you will. Everyone was asked to bring some kind of Fall-themed finger food to contribute to the merriment. Malbec flowed freely, washing down the turkey sliders, butternut squash pizza, cauliflower-potato tacos, two types of fall soup, and some delicious pumpkin bars. And while the food was delicious - and mostly in keeping with my "Reclaim Me" philosophy of healthy eating - and the company delightful, the true star of the party was the homicidal turkey. How could he be anything but?
The movie is rife with one-liners, puns, and two, no make that three, terrible jokes about the Jon Benet Ramsey case. It's so unapologetically cheesy and cliched that it is absolutely hilarious. Now, you may think having a party just to watch what could possibly be the worst movie ever made is a lame idea. But you would be wrong. The idea is unique - I've never even heard of a Thanksgiving movie where the turkey strikes back before this one - and the opportunities for conversation as bountiful as the ever popular "Horn of Plenty." After all, the plot is neither complex nor deep so you can talk over the entire movie and not really miss anything.
Most importantly, this party marked a pretty important step in my work towards "Reclaiming Me." I promised myself when I was no longer working the crazy nights and weekends my old job had me working, I would be more social, spend more time with friends. Throwing parties used to be something I loved to do. Since moving to Indianapolis, I really haven't done much partying of any kind and certainly haven't hosted anything of consequence. I have been slowly, but surely, reemerging as a social being. This party, as hokey and ridiculous as it may seem, was an excellent step in the right direction. I think it is often all too easy to forget just how important time with friends - new and old - really is. We get caught up in the daily minutia of life and forget to take some time for the relationships in our lives. So with Thanksgiving right around the corner, I encourage you all to make the effort to reach out to those people who have picked us up when we were down, laughed with us over stupid jokes and too much wine, commiserated with us when we couldn't walk after a particularly brutal personal training session, and been but a phone call, an email, a Facebook post, or a short walk away whenever we needed them.
Take a minute to be grateful for your friends.
I know I am eternally grateful for mine.
