Sunday, December 01, 2002

Thanksgiving became a living testament

Thanksgiving became a living testament to the shift from the possible to the compulsory, from “by any means necessary” to “by all means available.” I endured critical gastric distension until I was incapacitated.  The next night we had a family menorah lighting (mom and sis and me plus two spouses) for the first time in 20 years, and cooked up those tasty multi-veg latkes for which I am justly so famous throughout the area code - they’re authentic no matter what they’re made out of as long as they’re fried in oil, so I use taters, parsnips and carrots, and I squeeze the liquid out of the raw grated veggies through cheesecloth and let it settle, pour off the liquid and get a bunch of pure vegetable starch to dump back into the mix to thicken it… plus there was taking mom to the airport and, as we dropped her off, noticing that my cousin Billy was waiting at the cab stand for a ride back to his house, where we were scheduled for a party two hours later, so we gave him a lift and then killed a few hours in the east bay browsing bookstores and listening to steel drum bands and downing a few holiday brews at the Triple Rock with Evi and Scott and Dr. Andy from up the hill… it was there at the Rock that Evi described a visit to the local supermarket, which is really not that super but it’s pretty cosmopolitan, being in the heart of the multiethnic Richmond district of this bizarre town… Evi’s checker was named Victor, and he appeared to be hispanic.  He was having a great time yesterday, checking out the shoppers and offering them help to their cars… Evi and Scott were buying ordinary staple-type items, nothing explicitally semitic, but Victor had their number.  He wished them a cheerful “Happy Channukah,” and then went on to advise them that he was glad to be “keepin’ it real with [his] Channukah brothers.” I’m feeling more real already.  Thanks, Victor - I’ll save a nice starchy latke for you when you’re off work.  It’s as real as it gets.