A Holiday Message from Your Entree

And a story

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"The Village" a lounge in Kodiak where I worked as a bratty 20-something cocktail waitress, used to close for Thanksgiving Day. The regulars were then invited back as a private party. Everyone dressed up and we'd spend the afternoon smugly yelling, "We're CLOSED!" to the lesser lights who tried the the doors and found them locked. With a potluck buffet and my boss, Ron Ball, graciously hosting the open bar, we lazed away the afternoon indulging our collective curiosity in the "top shelf" boozes. Entrees like Roast Duck made the "potluck" grub way better than what my clan was shredding each other over at home, although the level of drunkeness and resulting arguments were bone-numbingly familiar with both groups.

My family would slur, "I can't believe you'd rather be with those drunks you wait on every day than here at home with us." Hmmm. Clearly a specious argument, as it didn't factor in that the family never tipped me $20 for bringing them a free double Chivas rocks.

Other than waiting on customers with my mouth full, my contribution to the festivities was decor. I extended the event out by drawing smartass Thanksgiving-themed cartoon posters. Each year, I made up completely new jokes.(That's the year "1983" below my signature.) The second year, the patrons honored me by fighting over who had "dibs" on the half-dozen works. After that launch, I then sold the 20x28 posters for, I believe, about 50 bucks a piece.

This may strike a reader as a shrewd bit of salesmanship, but the downside is that "Your Dinner" is the only cartoon that I still own. It's a little beat up and for some reason my cat bit into a corner of the damn thing, but I wanted to share it with you.

A holiday sentiment from mi casa to su casa. May a happy Thanksgiving be yours!