Don’t let my smoked turkey thaw

 Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is my least favorite airport.  Today, I am traveling through Atlanta and the dread is mounting.  Of course, I may have an uneventful flight … I hope so, since I am carrying a frozen turkey.  I called the Louisville, Kentucky airport and TSA supposedly said I could bring my frozen turkey as long as I did not have any frozen liquids packed around the bird.  We will see.

Back to Atlanta … it’s not my least favorite airport because it is huge and always busy.  It even does not bother me that my flight typically lands at one end of the airport and my connecting flight is at the other end and I only have thirty minutes to get from gate to gates [Okay, I have to admit I don't like it].  I am not particularly fond of the flight delays either, but what I like the least is the incompetent manner in which the airport seems to be operated. 

1. the staff is at best apathetic, at worst [I don't use that type of language]
2. there seems to be no planning for capacity [during peak hours it seems to make sense to have all the security lines open instead of half]
3. sitting in the plane forever waiting to take off or for a gate to open is no fun

Interesting Thanksgiving dining experiences

As Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, I am recalling some past dining experiences … bad experiences.  I have rated my worst dining experience from the horrible to just plain bad.

1. Chinese food in Columbia, SC.  I don’t remember the name of this place, but it was terrible.  I am not opposed to eating Chinese food on Thanksgiving, provided it is good Chinese food, but this stuff was terrible.  It seemed like a cross between Chinese and soul food.  The first sign of something wrong was the smell.  It did not smell like Chinese.  I think that they were cooking Chinese collards.  I like collards, but not Chinese collards.  I have one positive thing to say … I did not get sick.
2. Another really bad dining experience was Philadelphia.  This was poor planning on our part.  I thought it would be neat to visit Philly one Thanksgiving, not even thinking about dinner.  Bad idea.  After driving around for seemed like forever, we finally found a cafeteria style restaurant.  We thought, “Wow, finally a place to eat.  This place must be good or the only place open … look at the long line.”  We soon learned that there was a long line because it was the only place open.  The most filling mediocre food you will ever fine, especially if you like dry turkey, tasteless stuffing, soggy green bean, and totally forgetful.
3. Probably, more of a disaster than interesting, but we prepared a really nice traditional Thanksgiving dinner for my parents who were visiting us in Lexington, Kentucky.  We had the turkey, stuffing, gravy, vegetables, homemade cranberry relish, breads, and a couple of desserts.  Sometime in the late afternoon we enjoyed a delicious dinner.  For those of you who do not like leftover turkey, we had none … I accidentally broke a glass over the turkey.  Thank goodness for KFC!
4. While not the horror story of my other dining experience, it definitely was interesting … Thanksgiving dinner on Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii.  Duke’s Waikiki is located on Waikiki Beach and was serving both a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner and their regular menu.    Thinking that we would be different, we decided to order Hawaiian food off the menu.  So my Thanksgiving dinner included fish, rice, vegetables, and poi.  Tasty, but not Thanksgiving dinner.  Then again, why risk eating something that they don’t cook all the time.

In closing, I have had far more awesome dining experiences.