Assignment 14 - Victor Allison

Thanksgiving is a holiday that brings out the best in people. While the pilgrims of old fled to the woods of New England to feast with their native counterparts, for the past few years my own humble family has made a 12 hour trek from Lexington all the way to Carmel, New York for only a few days of mild revelry. There, we reunite with my mother's sister Sarah as well as her husband, David Holbrooke, one of the coolest uncles I could ask for. Standing at 6'8" and claiming to once have played basketball with President Barack Obama, the son of ambassador Richard Holbrooke runs a film festival in Telluride, Colorado called Mountainfilm. The occupants of the house that the group of us cook, eat, and just hang around in for the days before and after thanksgiving belongs to my uncle's mother and stepfather, so nobody I really am related to. Uncle David's brother, wife and 6 year old son also joined us this year. In addition to entertaining the child, Philip and I are very close to our cousins Kitty (Katherine) and Wiley (like the coyote), who spend their days skiing and rock climbing in Telluride. This year, the four of us made 5 pies, ate them all, played copious pool and ping pong, and bantered with various other guests, my relations with whom remain tenuous, including a boy from Germany whom I beat 3 times in chess (I greatly enjoy the game of chess, but cannot boast many wins in my lifetime). The 25 of us spent thanksgiving crammed around 3 tables smacked together, taking ample servings of wisdom, friendship, and turkey.