My Thanksgiving day poem:
Thanksgiving comes but once a year,
Thank. Fucking. God.
The end.
PS. This post was longer but I took out all the stuff about toilet water so that it was more relatable to the mainstream public. Unless you’re also celebrating Thanksgiving in a house that was just flooded with two inches toilet water. Then you’re probably my husband. I have another poem for you. It’s called “I never want to hear you complain about my parent’s occassional lack of running water again.”
Comment of the day: I wish you’d fucking stop plagiarizing Emily Dickinson. No wonder you don’t have one of them “Blogging with Integrity” badges on your sidebar. ~ Marinka
{ 96 comments… read them below or add one }
Love it! Thank you so much for making my holiday tolerable. Happy Turkey Day! And try not to drink too much…
Sarah´s last blog ..A Must Eat!
huhhhh, try not to drink too much?
my advice: try to drink too much, then you have an excuse to leave.
Shanna´s last blog ..The bragging rights idealist: Part 1
*sniffle* That was so moving sighhh
Procomicdiva´s last blog ..Are You Offended?
Amen! and Happy Thanksgiving!
Maya´s last blog ..Happy Thanksgiving
I need to get that on a t-shirt
Rob´s last blog ..Lending a Helping Hand… Covered in Crisco
The most genius thing you’ve ever written. Just brilliant.
So I take it you’re imploring Thanksgiving to only come once a year?
That’s cool – I eat way too much on Thanksgiving anyway. Well, from Thanksgiving to after Mardi Gras. Some time after Mardi Gras. Like probably to the beginning of November.
Um, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!
But it is my favorite holiday!
Jaime´s last blog ..Thank You For Blogging Award 2009
I love poetry.
Tim´s last blog ..Five minute blog post: GO!
I love how the title is longer than the post. You are my official Thanksgiving posting hero.
Also, you rock. Don’t know if anyone’s told you that lately, but you totally do.
DB Ferguson´s last blog ..Six Degrees: Daily Show Edition
Elegant. Like a startled Haiku.
John´s last blog ..JohnPugh: My xmas list this year: http://ow.ly/FTZc .. actually, forget about his eco-home, I’ll just take Larry Hagman. What-the-hell, I’ll have two
That’s touching. I can’t wait for your Christmas poem.
I’m pretty sure that poem could be modified for any number of fabulous holidays! Keep dry and don’t step in any yellow puddles LOL
Carrie´s last blog ..It’s late…
Did the pilgrims complain about the lack of running water? No, they were THANKFUL for the things they had and thus the holiday was born. Your parents probably staged the whole thing to enforce a thanksgiving message. Obvi.
Here’s hoping your Thanksgiving takes a turn for the better!
Jane´s last blog ..Happy Thanksgiving Y’all!
I want that on a t-shirt too. I could wear it next year to our annual Thanksgiving dinner at the Cracker Barrel.
ahh….. the love of family on Thanksgiving!! Great poem. Cheers!
Jennifer´s last blog ..Happy Thanksgiving 2009!
Aw, that sucks! Hopefully next year will be beter (*crosses fingers)
phillygrrl´s last blog ..How Many More Kids Have to Die?
That poem rules. I’m going to print it and frame it and hang it over my table next Thanksgiving.
I can’t help but feel that I’m getting screwed here. Canada has Thanksgiving in October and my bathroom ceiling is collapsing, so not only do we have to duck to shower, we also get full access to the bath water from the apartment above us! I, for one, would have appreciated the toilet water bits.
Tracy´s last blog ..Dinnertime!
This could only happen to you. The universe is a mystery. Without the overflowing toilet, your posts might have been banal. Have a good one, none the less. Oh, and Crocs (which I abhor) would’ve come in handy.
Excellent use of subtlety. So few words tell so much, and apply to so many people. And holidays. Like Christmas. My poetry teacher would have given you an A and a gold star.
emvandee´s last blog ..Rainy night, rice pudding.
Good poem! My sentiments exactly!! I hope the turkey doesn’t taste like sewer water to you. You know, most of taste is smell–so just dont’t breathe when you’re eating.
Love (but only in a brotherly way and accompanied with a manly handshake and pat-on-the -back to Victor),
Bic
Bic´s last blog ..The True Meaning of Thanksgiving
I could not agree more. Thank god it only comes 1x a year.
Delisha´s last blog ..Happy Thanksgiving! 10 things I’m thankful for.
Ah, nothing classier than celebrating a major holiday ankle-deep in water from the shitter.
…’Cause you know that’s just how the Pilgrims did it.
WTF? Did somebody try to flush the turkey?
tokenblogger´s last blog ..Sometimes I really miss my Mom…
OHMYGOD! The same thing happened to me once. Except it was on Christmas. And it was coming from upstairs. Right over the dining room table. We ate on the floor of the living room because the couches were white. It was the MOST FUN EVER.
But is it Happy Hour yet?!
I agree with the advice given to not drink too much – I know that whenever I drink too much I have to go to the washroom approximately every 4.7 minutes and if that’s where the problem started in the first place I think I’d try to avoid aggravating it and making the whole damned thing happen again.
Robynn´s last blog ..Note to Self 1
Screw it. Drink up. There’s already toilet overflow everywhere. Just pee when and where you need to. Perhaps it would be more efficient to remove your pants before drinking.
I think Sarah meant, “Try not to drink too much toilet water.” Surely she wasn’t referencing alcohol, that would be criminal.
mmm… toilet water molecules blowing all over the house…
harmzie´s last blog ..(I Had a Fabulous, Witty Title but I Forgot It)
What I enjoyed most about the poem was it’s light and shade. Well crafted, Jenny, well crafted.
I raise my bottle of Vicodin and my bottle of vodka to that.
Aunt Becky´s last blog ..Blogging For Dummies
I maintain that this would be totally worth it for pumpkin pie. Just think of all the people in Australia who don’t even get pumpkin pie.
Zoey @ Good Goog´s last blog ..Sentimentality, the Camera and Defection
OK, you win. All I had to do today was drag the rotting corpse of a deer into the woods. Apparently, he mistook my deck for a rival male and challenged it to a head-butting contest. The deck won. Horrible smell but at least that was outside.
Come to think of it, though, I’m not all that surprised about the plumbing problems. You cram too many people into one house and feed them all that crap, you’re pretty much asking for it. I wonder if anyone’s ever graphed emergency plumbing calls versus major holidays. I bet there’s an Ig-Nobel Prize in there somewhere.
Steve´s last blog ..#105 Turkey Day
Do you write poetry for weddings, too?
I heard a story on NPR about non-traditional Thanksgiving traditions…and one of them was a family that all wrote poems each year…every year…that sounds like hell to me. HELL on Earth!!
I like your poem though. Short, sweet, to-the-point.
Amen.
Rhea´s last blog ..My Non-Thanksgiving Post
I think WordsWorth is so quaking in his little boots right now.
I have one you might like!!
Once I trod through streets of gold
Once I warmed a heart so cold
Once I told the truth so bold
Now my life is shit.
Leesh´s last blog ..I’m not listening – LA LA LA LA LA
I wish you’d fucking stop plagiarizing Emily Dickinson. No wonder you don’t have one of them “Blogging with Integrity” badges on your sidebar.
Marinka´s last blog ..Happy Thanksgiving. Your Manners Suck
Are you at my mother-in-law’s? Seriously. She wrote me a long email about how they had no water at all because of some sort of leak that required them to shut off ALL water to the house for several days because her husband Moris-With-Only-One-S hadn’t called the City about it.
Seriously though, I just came back from the hospital where my poor Long Suffering Spouse is spending the night and probably the weekend because we figured out today he has a clot in his lung. The good news is that it’s all as good as it can possibly be under the circumstances (it’s a lovely new hospital and not a nasty old Russian hospital). But still. The dude is depressed he’s going to be stuck there for the whole weekend.
TheExpatresse´s last blog ..Let the Holidays Commence!
Why the hell do your parents have an “occasional lack of running water”?
Lee
LeeChrista´s last blog ..And For This I Am Thankful…
Sounds like your Thanksgiving was a lot more exciting than mine!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Lynn from For Love or Funny´s last blog ..Happy Thanksgiving
I have written several haikus in your honor:
It is turkey day!
Toilet water overflowed
The fans are too loud
Hi! It’s Thanksgiving!
Sweaty strangers in basement
Love in all our hearts
Occasional water
Stinky, flooded basement
No comparison
Allie´s last blog ..Roommates: Part 3
Somehow, I should have known that a Bloggess-and-Victor-Thanksgiving would in some way have to involve toilet water. James Garfield would’ve known what to do.
Lori´s last blog ..Food Foto Festival
Awesome. Though…depending on the status of the toilet, the water may actually be cleaner than what flows from your sink so……..
Jessica´s last blog ..booshy blessings (aka we’re being thankful today, dammit)
you gotta write a christmas poem, then a Hanukkah poem. I’ll share them with my outlaws and my inlaws. My outlaws enjoyed your thanksgiving poem that we read to thanksgiving shots of jack. I hope you can brush your teeth tonight!
Oh how the holidays bring families together! This story reminds me of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation…. this is before all of the bad National Lampoon movies….. but if it isn’t one thing it is another
My solution just drink and take it all in.
Is that haiku? You friggin’ rock. Why do cool things keep on happening to you?! You have a fairy godmother or something?
(In all seriousness, if you were being serious about the toilet water, I am very sorry. No, I am being serious. That’s some serious shit. No pun intended.) XXOO. Hope you have better luck on Black Friday. Maybe they have a sale at the Estate sale?!
submom´s last blog ..How pumpkin pies are made…
So simple yet it provided the cherry on top of my thanksgiving sundae. Nothing goes better together than human excrement and turkey.
Kelly Duffy´s last blog ..Beware of People Wearing Heavy Coats in Hot Weather.
Amen.
And that BLOWS.
Zak´s last blog ..Happy Torturegiving From My House To Yours
Dude, that poem was on a metaphysical level few can attain.
I’d like to hear William Shatner perform that on the next Conan. The place would be jumping!
Definitely a poetic moment of genius. Or something.
pixielation´s last blog ..Mummy wants a new tattoo
I linked to your post yesterday. This morning I awoke from a drug induced Thanksgiving-erasing coma to find an email from (an already productively at work) Ms. Bic: “You need to fix your Blogess post and add an “s” to “come.”
A true literary quandary has ensued. You wrote “come” not “comes.” I quoted you directly. We’re both right as far as I’m concerned. So’s Ms. Bic. Fuck.
I just added “sic.”
Is that sick?
Fuck it. I’m getting more coffee. I feel a headache coming on.
Maybe we should elope?
Bic´s last blog ..A Thanksgiving Poem
Crap! This is why I need a full-time editor.
All I can think is…..Can you leave?
For the love of God. Leave woman, leave!
You can have mine–finds typos; misses brilliance.
Bic´s last blog ..A Thanksgiving Poem
Lovely poem even if you are channeling Emily Dickinson. I agree and want the
T-shirt as well.
Toilet overflowed
Flooding the in-laws’ whole house
Thanksgiving ruined
Jon Pear (a.k.a. NeuroAster)´s last blog ..Egg-sucking 101 for Dummies
My house has been flooded and full of those huge fans and strangers too many times in the past two years. I totally feel your in-laws’ pain. Really. Nothing crappier than knowing that your biggest cash expenditure is rotting under your feet!
Where do you draw the line between toilet water and sewage? IJS.
marathonmom´s last blog ..Do you feel it too?
Here’s my Thanksgiving Haikus.
Thirty is too old
to be at the kids’ table
unwed must mean kid
Turkey is burning
I get to set the table
Kids get the easy jobs
Virginia´s last blog ..What?…What?
I’ve tried to get rid of houseguests but I’ve never gone to THOSE extremes.
Anndi´s last blog .."to the moon!"
Brilliant, Simply Brilliant!
Jeni ~Duchess of Blog´s last blog ..Kalvin, with all of his tween wisdom, has come to find “Yo Mama” jokes as the funniest thing EVER. And that pretty much sums up my Thanksgiving holiday
Wow, your Thanksgiving sounds super awesome. Good luck with that.
Kendahl´s last blog ..Goldberger Toys Review
So what’s wrong a little toilet water? The French love it.
Stacie Haight Connerty´s last blog ..Kidnapped & Robbed at Gunpoint in Nassau, Bahamas – Thank you very much!
Guess I was not the only one that had a crapy day of giving thanks… it totally SUCKED !
Did I mention I HATE THANKSGIVING? ? ?
Sweaty strangers like to work on the holidays so they can pay for sweat therapy with the overtime money.
we heard on the radio (Canadian radio lol) that there was a sale on lap tops for $200 somewhere down there in america lol and a huge brawl broke out and they had to evacuate the store and stop the sale hahaha, wish we had a shopping day like that
Elaine-´s last blog ..Coco and me
Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? Errr better yet no need to answer that. Gawwd only knows what will come out.
Looking forward to your words of wisdom for X-mas
Gabriella´s last blog ..Omg “Do Follow” – Let The Commenting Begin!
Bummer – a Haiku
An “s”, now added
My past post now meaningless
What a bummer, dude
Here’s an idea we (my 12 year old and I) came up with on the way to my sisters home-
Stuff a Sham-Wow down your pants and you don’t have to stop and pee on your trip. We estimated 6.5 ShamWows would get you New York to LA.
Maybe you should hand them out at Christmas.
Bj in Dallas´s last blog ..Set Me Free, Why Don’t Cha Babe
Me: Hey Dad, what are those jump drives in the side of your tv? Dad: Oh, those are my vacation pictures… from the last 7 years. I set up my tv to run a slideshow. I’ll show you. The pictures I’ve already showed you on my computer. But bigger. During the football game that you seem to be enjoying so much. Me: Actually, I was thinking of driving forks into the bottom of my feet and running around naked in front of all your friends, because that seems more like something I want to do right now. Dad: Ok then. This is your step mom at a market near the coliseum. In Rome. Me: You should go to the one in Detroit. Oh, you know what? We can see it on TV. Let me show you.
MayoPie´s last blog ..Ralph Macchio: King of Kings
Elegant! It flowed and struck an emotional chord with me. I think this will go down as a classic! Nice one!!
Real Dads Hangout´s last blog ..Time to Pass it On
now i’m really curious…
lydee´s last blog ..Fall, Stall Here at Our House
It sounds like you had quite the craptastic time, love your poem just another example of your genius
clearly you belong on the team of writers that write the crap for the Hallmark Specials. You’d make them soooo much better.
Paula´s last blog ..All Al
I am sure there are many, many turkeys who agree with you.
~EdT.
EdT.´s last blog ..Not in My Back Yard. Or across the street, apparently.
I think that should be a greeting card. I’d totally send that to a lot of people.
Could we change it to christmas and get it on a t-shirt? I’m pretty sure my hubby would wear it. Every damn day.
♥Spot
Spot´s last blog ..Turkey Day…survived!
How about a system whereby we have EITHER Thanksgiving or Christmas in any given year. It could be done by lottery, or the Bloggess could just pull the winner out of a hat. Or a bowl.
Pete´s last blog ..Sweaty Palms
A-fucking-men.
Jenn´s last blog ..I got Kidney Stones for Thanksgiving & Other Holiday Miracles
I’d love to see you on an episode of Wife Swap. Just sayin’!
apathy lounge´s last blog ..IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE…PASSIVE AGGRESSION. EVERYWHERE YOU GO!
Keep your shitty poetry to yourself. =)
upset waitress´s last blog ..Salvation Army Won’t Take My Shit.
Was there also food involved, because that is fucking gross.
A Vapid Blonde´s last blog ..Observing Superstitions: Salt…The Zombie Ghost Cure
StressmasKwaanzaKah will be here soon enough. Can’t wait for that bitch of a poem.
ps: You should seriously consider submitting this poem to the Norton Anthology of Poetry….
Erika from The Pastry Chef At Home´s last blog ..Rosemary and Maple Syrup Biscuits
AMEN!
you rock!
Jen´s last blog ..Thankful
I’m leaving this comment entirely for either your ego or your entertainment (quite possibly both). i work at a call center, so my days are spent wandering the wonder that is the world wide web aimlessly, usually finding nothing. I just spent an entire workday reading this blog, fluctuating between annoying supervisors and confusing customers with my random laughter. Your entertainment value is through the roof mam, You have gained a new reader.
PS: I live on an island in Canada that i believe is technically within, or very close to, the arctic circle. so, here’s to your ability to branch out!
Cheers,
Your new Canadian enthusiast
ok. i just have to say something. apparently the sewage had an attack planned for thanksgiving. you are the sixth…yes i said SIXTH person i know of that had a toilet disaster on thanksgiving. i myself also experienced a toilet issue. with the backing up and poo water.
horrible.
fuck. the. turkey.
Loco YaYa´s last blog ..thankful for…notmuch.
OMG! One of my family’s fondest Thanksgiving memories is the year WE had toilet water all over the floor. It involved an elementary school aged younger brother, a mid-meal potty break, and an oriental rug. It took a while for the water to slowly and silently creep its way down the hall, down the steps into the sunken dining room. No one was the wiser as we passed mashed potatoes around. Glad your family could enjoy the same kind of …memorable moment. Now our family tradition is to bring it up to embarrass said younger brother each year. He’s 30.
Chelsea´s last blog ..Spread The Warmth – Support Embrace
One word comes to mind. Lysol.
can u read in the car without getting sick?
Dri.mar´s last blog ..MM: Majestic Madrid
The holidays are a clusterfuck. That is all.
Lotta´s last blog ..Snow Queen Vintage German Glass And Oxidized Brass Necklace
My friends returned home from a Thanksgiving away to find their lower level filled with shit-water. They moved to a hotel for like a month until it was all fixed. Tree roots and sewer pipes should not be allowed to commingle.
Meg´s last blog ..Blaaaahg
My 10 reasons why my Thanksgiving 2009 sucked (no joking or exaggeration) and why my husband and I looked back at Thanksgiving 2008 (which we cancelled and spent in bed due to bad mall sushi giving us food poisoning) fondly:
Friend 1 arrives with her 3 kids under age 4 – (1) spills motor oil on driveway (we rent) and herself. I throw her pants in the washing machine, we have a coffee. Her eldest daughter comes up to us 15 minutes later and tells us that (2) the laundry room is flooded and the water is spilling into the hall. We start mopping it up. (3) I slip, fall, slam head into wall then full body slam onto flooded floor.
Rest of guests arrive – friend 2 with 3yo and baby, friend 3 with 4 yo and baby.
Dinner goes along well except (4) due to inclement weather all 18 of us crammed into a space that is comfy for 6 people. Hubby and I get 1 piece of turkey each.
Just as we’re relaxing, (5) 2 year old loses contest of her (and at least 3 other kids’) bladder on a chair. This (6) triggers a second kid to run to the bathroom and not quite make it, losing contents of HER bladder on bathroom floor. While this is being cleaned, another kid has to go so I take her to the second (uncleaned) bathroom. While waiting for her (her request) she informs me that (7) some kid I dimly remember seeing at her house the previous month told her I was so fat he was scared of me. (I’m size 16/18 – not People of Walmart fat).
I come off this emotional downer when (8) another kid falls off the back of sofa and puts her foot through her front window.
The day after, I spent crawling around the house (literally cuz of (3) ) cleaning carpet stains. Spent too much time close to the chemicals and nose felt burny. Next day (9) sinus infection that has had me knocked out for a week.
What makes it all worse? (10) I live in freakin’ AUSTRALIA and really only hold Thanksgiving to satisfy my sappy homesickness that crops up this time of year.
Husband suggested that for the cost and hassle, next year we could rent a place by the beach for the weekend, cook turkey dinner for two and come out winners.
Think I’ll book it now…
KerryJ´s last blog ..Covering eDayz09 – today’s coverage/tomorrow’s schedule
We were gone for the week before Thanksgiving this year. A hot water pipe had broken in the upstairs bathroom while we were gone. The ceiling in the kitchen below the bathroom collapsed, destroying all the cabinetry below. Four-inches of hot water destroyed all the downstairs carpet and furnishings, including some antiques. The sauna created by the water damaged several pieces of original art. Large fans and dehumidifiers, Ta Rah!
Our Thanksgiving prayer: Thank God we are not working!
You’re hilarious.
Crystal´s last blog ..My Age of Autism Article