Do You Work Thanksgiving Eve?

An old friend of mine says that today is the day the “drinking season” kicks off.  That’s probably true for a lot of people.  Parties, holiday get togethers and family stuff fill your calendar.  I am headed to Michigan today for the holiday.  In early December, I am going to New Orleans to be there for the opening of the new pavilion at the National World War Two Museum.  If you have some time over the holidays, definitely plan a visit there.

Do people work on Thanksgiving eve anymore?  Mark Birch asked the question on Twitter.  In my first job with 3M, I always worked Thanksgiving eve.  I’d plan my day so my last sales call was near where my friends and I would be meeting.  One year, I wound up calling on LaSalle Auto Body and then made my last sales call at Muldoon’s Saloon.  The Friday after Thanksgiving was generally pretty light, but as a rookie sales rep I didn’t have a lot of vacation time so I worked.

When I traded, the day before and after Thanksgiving always had shorter trading days.  On the years where we didn’t travel for Thanksgiving, which was rare, I always went to work.  Lots of traders didn’t, and you could always get a little extra edge that day.  The first guy that ever backed me, Roger Carlsson, told me his best day ever was the day after Thanksgiving early in is career.  He traded options, and on that particular day no one else showed up for work so he made all the markets.  A lot of people today remote work. They use apps like Desktime to find a spot closer to home without going into an office.   What are you doing today?

At the same time, if people are working from home my guess is they are doing more cooking than working.  We always make my grandfather’s time honored dressing.  It is continuity for me.  This year we made it gluten free, since my kids have a problem with gluten.  It tastes pretty good.

It’s simple.  Fry some pork sausage in a pan.  Chop some onion and celery and brown it in the grease.  Mix all that with some bread stuffing.  Season with parsley, poultry stuffing, sage, garlic, salt, pepper and then put your own twist on it.  Sometimes we add water chestnuts, or mushrooms.  Sometimes raisins or a nut.  Pour a bunch of chicken stock into it to make it wet and mix it all up.

Then roast it at 325-350 and turn it in the pan every 40 minutes or so until it’s as crisp as you like.

What are you making?