Turkeys, Tenderloin & Tiny Hands
Thanksgiving came up so quickly after our move that we barely feel like we’ve been in New Hampshire. This year, we’re headed to Kirksville, MO, for Turkey Day celebrations. With Amity’s new contract, we couldn’t take much time off, so it’s going to be a quick trip. Knowing us, we’ll find a way to cram too much into our schedule and leave ourselves with not enough time! Time for some turkey in the Midwest, y’all!
Mile: 54,247
Quote of the Blog:
Song of the Blog: Lawence Welk - SNL
Since there aren’t any major airports in New Hampshire and we’re a little over an hour from Boston, we booked our flights out of Logan International Airport. Neither of us had ever been to Boston before. However, our flights were so early in the morning that I can’t even claim I’ve been to Boston—it was still dark, and we didn’t see much of anything.
The flights themselves were smooth, but things got interesting when we landed in Kansas City to pick up our rental car. We went with Avis Rentals, and so did half the airport. The line was over an hour long. Once we finally got our paperwork and headed to the car lot, we discovered they hadn’t given us all the details we needed, so we went back inside. They assigned us a parking spot, but when we got there, the spot was empty. Back inside we went, and this time they assigned us a truck.
As we walked out to the truck, Amity noticed a woman speed-walking past us. She joked, “That lady’s going to take the truck,” and laughed—only for us to watch in shock as the woman got in the truck we’d been assigned and drove off. For the third time, we returned to the rental desk. A staff member eventually came out, jotted down some details on his hand, and handed us a different car. Let’s hope it’s really ours, and we don’t get pulled over for stealing!
The drive up to Kirksville was quick and easy. We had enough time to unpack at Amity’s mom’s house before heading to her dad’s place to hang out with him and Karen. Being back in Missouri feels simple and warm. Life is predictable here, and we love the excitement and affection from Amity’s family when we visit. We spent the evening catching up with Amity’s parents and Rick, who stopped by later.
At Mike’s house, we met some of his “pet cats”—feral cats he’s been feeding. What started with one tabby named Husk has turned into a bit of a situation. Mike doesn’t mind, though; he loves feeding his kitties! It’s both hilarious and endearing. The night ended with us debating the weight of the turkey Mike planned to cook. After much deliberation, we determined it’s somewhere between 11 and 16 pounds.
The next day was Thanksgiving. Dinner was at Julie’s house with the whole family. I had to squeeze in a little work that morning, and then Amity and I tackled our final 12-mile training run before our last half-marathon of the year. Running in Kirksville is already challenging with all the hills, but the brisk 20-degree weather made it even tougher. We got it done but needed extra time in hot showers to warm up.
Dinner at Julie and Jeff’s was lovely. Andy and the kids—Asa, Kelsey, and Seger—joined us, but there was a big presence missing. We all deeply felt Autumn’s absence, making the celebration bittersweet. Andy, however, brought some much-needed levity. Before dinner, he quietly gifted Amity some tiny toy hands, referencing an SNL skit she and Autumn loved. During dinner, Amity discreetly used the tiny hands to ask for a roll. When one of the kids handed her one, she reached out with the toy hands, and everyone burst into laughter. Dinner was delicious, and we wrapped up the night playing board games with the kids, even if Atticus kept finding creative ways to break the rules!
On Friday, we spent most of the day sorting through clothes we have stored at Julie’s. After 20 months of endless summer, our New Hampshire winter will require sweaters, scarves, and, most importantly, ski gear! Later, we headed to Mike’s house to watch the Chiefs play. Amity’s dad is the epitome of a passionate Midwest sports fan. Even with just one loss all season, he was hilariously frustrated at their performance. Fortunately, the Chiefs won—on the last play!
Saturday, our last full day in Kirksville, we did some last-minute gift shopping before heading to Mike’s to help him smoke a turkey and cook tenderloin. We love teasing him about past cooking mishaps, but this time, he nailed it. After dinner, we tried to catch up with Andy and the kids at a downtown Christmas event, but we’d gotten the time wrong and missed them. We turned the night around by heading to Woody’s, our favorite Kirksville bar. There, we caught up with Jen, Dan, and a few other friends. To our surprise, one of Amity’s high school friends, Jordan, who now lives in Colorado, walked in too. It was great reconnecting!
Back at Amity’s mom’s house that night, we were surprised with an early Christmas gift exchange with Amity’s mom and stepdad. It was such a special and unexpected way to end the trip. This year has been incredibly hard for everyone, but moments like these remind us how lucky we are to have such a supportive and loving family. At the end of the day, we all just miss Autumn. Her absence is felt deeply, but weekends like this, filled with family, make it a little easier.
As much as we hate saying goodbye to Amity’s family, our time in Missouri has come to an end. We’re heading back to New England for a holiday half-marathon and, hopefully, a chance to finally explore Peterborough. Happy Thanksgiving, and here’s to a wonderful holiday season ahead. Live rad!