Top 10 Best Thanksgiving Episodes (Ever.)

Happy Thanksgiving, Bloggie Friends!

Being a lover of television, I decided to put together a list of my the Top 10 Best Thanksgiving Episodes.

These are OBVIOUSLY the best episodes out of EVERY TELEVISION SHOW ON THE EARTH, because I have seen them ALL. Obviously.

Just so we're clear.

10. Grey's Anatomy, “Thanks for the Memories”
Izzie assists Burke with the meal in the kitchen as if it were a surgery, George goes hunting with his dad and brothers (with disastrous results), and Meredith and Christina hide from the holiday by working in the hospital. Ah, Thanksgiving! But this is pretty much typical for the insane staff of Seattle Grace. Oh well- we love them anyway! Most of the time...



9. Alias, "Color Blind"
Okay, so at first glance this may not be the most obvious choice, considering Sydney is trapped in an insane asylum in Bucharest for much of the episode. And then she finds out who killed her fiance. And then SD-6 suspects they have a mole. BUT the episode does end with Thanksgiving dinner, a proposal, and Sydney even brings some leftovers to her estranged dad at work. It's sad but adorable, so of course I had to include it. Besides, Thanksgiving episodes could all use more spies and espionage, amiright?

8. The New Girl, "Thanksgiving"
I know, I'm even surprising myself by naming such a new episode on this list. But I find the show so endearing and hilarious that I just had to include it. This episode follows traditional Thanksgiving television tropes fairly closely- problems with cooking, wacky hijinx, new people invited over for dinner, etc.- but puts a fresh spin on each of them. I love Jess, I love the boys, and I love to see them welcoming Justin Long's Paul (as well as the kazoo he carries around with him). Plus, they put a TURKEY in the DRYER. Come on.

7. How I Met Your Mother, "Slapsgiving"
What can I say? This is a CLASSIC, not just among HIMYM fans, but for television fans. The Slap Bet is practically famous in its own right, so an episode that incorporates it into the plot so brilliantly must be mentioned. Seeing Marshall slap Barney's face off at the end of the episode? Major win. (*salutes* "Major Win!")

6. The OC, "The Homecoming"
I think this is a classic Thanksgiving episode. I do. I love that so many random bits of family and friends up at one house altogether. I love that Seth has lady drama for the first time in his life when BOTH Summer and Anna show up at his house. There is football, traditional Thanksgiving food, and time with family. But there is also a trip to Chino, Julie Cooper acting ridiculous, a Thanksgiving BLIND DATE, and the aforementioned lady drama. My love for this show is undying and eternal.

5. Friends, "The One Where Underdog Got Away"
Not everyone loves the early seasons of Friends, but I absolutely do. This episode is a great introduction to the yearly tradition of great Thanksgiving episodes on this show, and I think it holds up almost 20 (GAH!) years later. Here we learn about Chandler's distaste for all Pilgrim holidays, get to see Monica masterfully prepare four kinds of potatoes, and share in Rachel's excitement for a ski trip with her family. Of course, one Macy's Day Parade float gets away and everyone's Thanksgiving is ruined. At least they're all together, and as Chandler says over their meal of grilled cheese sandwiches, "I'm very thankful that all of your Thanksgivings sucked."

4. Cougar Town, "Here Comes My Girl"
I've already spilled enough virtual ink on the fact that this show isn't what you think it is, so let's just all move on, shall we? The simple premise for this episode is that Jules' son Travis brings his girlfriend over for Thanksgiving, so naturally things get supremely weird, which naturally means hilarious. Add in an over-the-top basketball game the guys play with some neighbor kids and Laurie changing clothes every few minutes (to top Katy Perry's costume changes at the MTV awards, OF COURSE) and you have a winner of an episode.

3. Friday Night Lights, "Thanksgiving"
The only episode on this list that is also a season finale, "Thanksgiving" is none-the-less an incredibly gripping episode, so meaningful, so weighty, so Texas. This episode finds the Taylors preparing to have plenty of company over for Thanksgiving dinner, because what sane person would not want to spend the holiday with the Taylors? For some reason, though, that company includes Buddy Garrity, who plans to come and fry his own turkey. As poor Tami laments to Coach, "Buddy Garrity is coming to MY house and bringing a turkey AND a fryer? When I'm MAKIN' dinner? Does that make any sense?" (You gotta love Tami!) Through it all, Coach Taylor has his eyes focused on a huge hometown rivalry game. During a Thursday practice an assistant coach reminds him, "It's Thanksgiving." "No, it's practice." Tell him, Coach!

I really wish I could find a video of the end of the episode where Tami comes home to find her family decorating the house for Christmas (true to Texas form) the day after Thanksgiving, as well as the accompanying montage. Because it's beautiful, as most everything on Friday Night Lights is. But alas, the internet has let me down, so instead just come borrow the DVDs from me!

2. Friends, "The One Where Ross Got High"
For my money (although really I only have like twelve dollars), this is the BEST Thanksgiving episode of the series, hands down. As much as I love The Ones With Chandler in a Box, All the Football, and All The Thanksgivings (not to mention Brad Pitt's episode), you just cannot beat one thing: Rachel's traditional English trifle. "It’s got all of these layers. First there’s a layer of ladyfingers, then a layer of jam, then custard, which I made from scratch, then raspberries, more ladyfingers, then beef sauteed with peas and onions, then a little more custard, and then bananas, and then I just put some whipped cream on top!"

Add in Phoebe's bizarre crush on Mr. Gellar, Joey's tutorial on how to look happy and make yummy noises, and Ross's exclamation that Rachel's trifle "tastes like feet" and you have a gem of an episode. And if all that weren't enough, we get a rapid-fire outpouring of information to top everything off, including the confession that comprises the title of the episode. All of these exclamations and realizations lead to a hilarious monologue by Mrs. Gellar, addressing everyone's outbursts, including: "Rachel, no you weren’t supposed to put beef in the trifle. It did not taste good."

1. Gilmore Girls, "A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving"
Said in my best Stefon voice... Television's best Thanksgiving episode is "A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving." This episode has everything: not one, two, or three, but FOUR Thanksgiving dinners, Tofurkey, Cat Kirk and Human Kirk, deep-fried turkey (and mashed potatoes) (and pickles) (and a napkin), Grey Gardens, headless chocolate turkeys, and Joseph Stalin jokes.

Seriously though, this is an amazing episode, not only for the series but also as far as Thanksgiving episodes go as a whole. The basic plot comes down to Lorelai and Rory over-committing to Thanksgiving dinners and strategically planning how they are going to make it to all of them. Hijinx ensue! It has a brilliant mix of family time, interesting (and slightly off-kilter) Thanksgiving dinners, and classic Gilmore wit. I'm so happy it's part of my Thanksgiving tradition!



"You know what this means, don't you? We didn't have to skip the rolls."

Why I can only listen to the BBC for 5 minutes at a time.

For the World, I'm G'minger Doolin. (Get your own NPR name and please, do share.)

Type About All The Things!

On the menu for the rest of this month: a 5K, two birthday parties, a trip to Houston for Thanksgiving, getting a new boss. NOT on the menu: getting a massage, seeing a Broadway show, going to the beach, meeting Kyle Chandler and/or Greg Grunberg. (But anything's possible, right?) (Believe in your dreams, kids!)

Gosh, y'all. Why do I love Pinterest so muuuuuuuch? And why do I so rarely actually do anything that Pinterest gives me ideas for???

A bunch of people gathered in New York to protest the fact that Bradley Cooper (Will Tippin!!!) was named People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive over Ryan Gosling. I find this absolutely hilarious (and right on the money, if we're being honest.)

Last night I had plans to Do Things and Run Errands and Go Places and instead I watched "Mean Girls" and "America's Next Top Model." Because that's just the stuff that needs to take priority every once in a while, you know? "Don't let the hataz stop you from doin' ya thang!"

I love love love LOVE Christmas. I cannot wait to get out my decorations and listen to Christmas music non-stop! But... it's not Christmastime yet. It's Thanksgiving. And for me, celebrating now would take away some of the joy and specialness that comes with the actual Christmas season. It's a bit like peeking at your presents before it's time to open them- kind of ruins it! So for now, I will keep Christmas packed away, and know that the wonder and glory and sparkles of Christmas are still yet to come.

Most Boring Story Ever: After a recent morning shower, my hot water would not turn off all the way. I called my apartment manager, but it didn't get fixed until the NEXT day, meaning my apartment was niiiiiiiiiice and steamy all that day while I was at work. But now it's fixed (as mentioned previously- guess there should have been a spoiler alert up there) and my apartment is no longer a steam room. THE END.

Now that it gets dark all crazy early, my drive home from work is nothing more than a series of turning my brights on and off, on and off.

New Fall TV Show Round-up:

"Suburgatory" - One of the main reasons I keep up with this show is the extremely charming and Juno meets Veronica Mars-esque lead character Tessa Altman, played by Jane Levy, who feels like a younger version of Emma Stone. (Enough references for you?) Plus having Ana Gasteyer, Alan Tyduk, Jeremy Sisto, AND Cheryl Hines round out your cast certainly doesn't hurt.

"The New Girl" is adorable. It makes me laugh, and I want every episode to be at least twice as long. Three cheers for hyper-adorable Zooey and her hilarious roommates!
"Hart of Dixie" - I'm sticking with this one because it is mindless fun, cute and frothy and mild. I have hopes that it will get better- more compelling, richer character development, funnier jokes that I don't see coming a mile away, and the toning down of certain ridiculous characters named after fruit. I have these high hopes because: 1) Summer Roberts 2) Jason Street 3) Josh Schwartz (creator of "The OC" and "Chuck")
"Up All Night" - Meh. This is a good show to have on in the background while I curl my hair in the morning, but it's really nothing special. I think it's surprisingly sitcom-y, and I have a hard time liking Christina Applegate's character. Don't even get me started on Maya Rudolph's.... I should probably just go ahead and delete it from my DVR, but at the same time: WILL ARNETT!
"Unforgettable" - I'm not usually a police procedural-type person, but this premise (detective who has a super enhanced memory), solid storylines, and likeable lead character have me getting excited for each new episode that pops up on my DVR.


On a related note: COMMUNITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Song I'm listening to Right Now:



Okay bye.

I'm Full

I'm full as in thankful.

Whenever I feel creatively fried I tend to pull out my old journals and hope for something that will inspire a post or two. Today I pulled out the journals from 2006-2007. A lot can change in five years.

Five years ago this week I pulled into the city of Phoenix with my parents. My dad was driving the rental truck and my mom and I (in my silver Elantra) had spent the majority of New Mexico and Arizona listening to a book on CD about the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. I think I will always remember a lot of details from that book when I remember driving to the desert.

As I look back I can't help but be thankful for the odd and winding road that brought me where I am today: sitting at a kitchen table in Arizona, writing for a living, and planning for the trip my husband and I will take to Mexico for another clinic this weekend.

How did this happen?

Today I'm thankful for:

-A breakup that caused me to finally hear You say, "It's time to move on."

-Carey, whose own brave steps encouraged me to follow her lead!

-Parents who not only encouraged my dreams, but literally helped me to move them across the country.

-A job that allowed creative freedom and challenged me to develop all sorts of skills.

-Uncomfortable first steps that led to great relationships in unexpected places.

-Days of loneliness that taught me there was only One place to turn.

-Strict studies at BSF that brought wonderful friendships.

-Rejection that taught me to question whether I believed that God really loved me and if His love was enough.

-Broken cell phones, dead car batteries, fender benders, and broken appliances that reminded me that stuff doesn't matter.

-Challenging work experiences that forced me to confront situations rather than run from them.

-Texas connections in the middle of Arizona.

-A no letter regarding an internship in Uganda.

-Two months in a really uncomfortable housing situation.

-Things that I wanted and asked for that never came to fruition.

-Trials that drove co-workers and friends even closer together.

-Visitors who flew in just to remind me they cared.

-Countless bouquets, plants, letters, packages, and phone calls so that home never felt too far away.

-Failure.

-Experiences I wouldn't have chosen.

-Countless "firsts"! (auditioning for local theatre, on-line dating, moving everything into storage, writing a musical, running a 10k, eating Indian, Thai, and Ethiopian food, travels...)

-E-harmony.

-That nothing happened in my timing.

-Blog friendships!

-The lesson to get out of the car even when I felt like driving home.

-Opportunities to try new things.

-The huge addition to my family.

-Lots and lots of tears.

-Lots and lots of love.

-The gracious provision of a Heavenly Father who writes the best life stories!

May your thanks be full this month and year!

Concerning Hobbits (and Creepers)

I had an impromptu movie date this evening with my friend Lauren. We went to see "In Time," and now I have the strange compulsion to run everywhere I go, and drive really fast and cool-like. Aaaaand also to hang out with people that look like Justin Timberlake and/or Cillian Murphy.

Tips for Running Faster
1. Turn to look at creepy guy you just passed, in case you have to describe him to someone. (A sketch artist, perhaps.)
2. See that he has also turned back to look at you.
3. Run faster.

You know, I see this picture


















...and all I can think is: WHY AM I NOT AT THAT TABLE?!

My costume for a Halloween party last Sunday night was Holly Golightly from "Breakfast at Tiffany's." On Monday I dropped everything for an impormptu viewing of "12 Angry Men" at a friend's house. Thursday night I got to see "The Sound of Music" on the big screen thanks to our new theater downtown. Yes: I DO need more old movies in my life, as a matter of fact, thankyouverymuchforasking.

On my way home from "Sound of Music" I got pulled over for one of my headlights being out. I seriously had no idea, and was grateful I only got a warning. I panicked a bit, though, when I realized I would have to figure out how to fix this before it got dark again. No time to put it off for THIS procrastinator! Luckily sometimes people are just AWESOME, though, and a friend helped so much that I never had to worry or try to figure out or even go to Walmart or ANYTHING. So thank you, Lord. For awesome people.

Guys, I'm really worried about Lindsey Lohan. I mean, sometimes I look at pictures of what she used to look like, then see her crazy, whacked out, rotted teeth self now and I think, "LiLo, what HAPPENED to you?" It's just SO sad. I think she's really going to die. And it's so sad.

If you've seen me at all in the last week or so, the odds are good that I've been wearing these boots.























These are my new 'I don't need a job*, I don't need my parents**, I've got great boots***' boots!

*Yes I do.
**Yes I do times every number ever.
***TRUTH.