I was joyfully watching the Yankees lose last night, and as I started to walk up stairs for another soda during a mid-inning break, I heard something that caught my attention -- music from an advertisement, familiar music, and words that were being sung, words I knew and had heard many times before -- "its beginning to look alot like Christmas." I froze and just stared at the screen. You have got to be kidding I thought, its only the second of November. But no, there it was, according to a national store (one that will remain unnamed), the Christmas season has begun.

Then I remembered something I had just passed off earlier -- when I was out buying that massive stock of Halloween candy for the massive horde of trick-or-treaters, there was an entire section in the store (which will also remain unnamed here) that was filled with Christmas decorations. So I want to ask -- what the heck ever happened to Thanksgiving?

In my family Thanksgiving has always been a big deal and alot of fun. It was always a time for the family to get together and enjoy turkey and football and each other. Up here in Alaska where family is less accessible (unless you were born and raised here and your family is also in Alaska -- there are some of you out there), I have taken the tradition and expanded it. I do four turkeys, each in a different way, and all the fixings for 20-24 people -- I'll have to do an entry sometime with all of my recipes that I've developed over the years -- sort of a southern bent with an Alaskan touch (think snow crab in the corbread stuffing and King crab in the mashed potatoes -- oh yeah!). The deep fried cajun spiced turkey is my favorite, or maybe the turducken, but everybody else loves the beer-soaked turkey (really, you soak it in beer over night, it soaks up the beer like a sponge, comes out incredibly moist and tasty, and the beer gravy . . . mmm, mmm).

But, no it is not "beginning to feel alot like Christmas" right now. I don't want to "have myself a merry little Christmas" just yet. I was just starting to think about this year's Thanksgiving menu, actually. I don't want to sing "Hark the Herald Angels" in Church until at least the first Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Okay, so my lights are up on my house already -- I admit it -- but their just white lights, and its that "city of lights" thing, and this is Alaska and its gonna snow soon -- I've done the lights in December before in the snow and sub 10 degree temperature -- never again. I like to think of them as Thanksgiving lights in November.

I know, I know, the economy has been tough on retailers this year, they are really hoping for a good Christmas season, and so they're starting early -- really early, way too early for me. But, I understand, and I'll forgive you. Just don't expect me to be singing along to Christmas songs or shopping for gifts until after Thanksgiving, after the feast and the fun and the football, and after the Great Alaska Shootout. Its tradition.