Thanksgiving That It's Over

I've always felt the word "surfeit" to be descriptive of many Thanksgivings, this one being no exception. Continuous eating and drinking, interrupted only by trips to the mall to buy stuff I don't need. There's no more room in the stomach or the house: the groaning board meets the groaning garage.

surfeit: 1) an overabundant supply; EXCESS. 2) an intemperate or immoderate indulgence in something (as food or drink). 3) disgust caused by excess: SATIETY. --Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary

Looking at all the meanings--overabundance, indulgence, disgust--it's amazing how a simple word captures the essence of the Thanksgiving experience. Bonus wordplay: the second syllable "-feit" sounds very close to "fat" (my old English teacher told me that was an example of "assonance" --similarity in sounds--which itself is a delicious-sounding word).

As partial penance I got up at 4 a.m. this morning to roast a 20-pound turkey as part of a Thanksgiving lunch for disadvantaged families on the Peninsula. After carving the bird, making the gravy, and topping off the basket with three pies, we dropped off same at the local Episcopal church. Then off to San Jose International Airport to deposit a visiting San Diegan.

I can't wait to get back to work tomorrow.