Even Halloween starts my enjoyment of the holiday season and sort of the unofficial kick off of them for me. As a rug rat I dreamed for MONTHS of that night, what town we were planning to hit, the costumes to be considered and come rain, chill, or even snow, dammit, I was out for the long hall. I know my kiddos I love the holiday season, I understand that being a loved Halloween but I think it was more for the costumes big, sexy, cool biker like I am that I am supposed to be than the candy. When I was a brat, you didn’t have access nonchalant about such nonsense but in point of fact, I have to candy as much as you do now, hell, I would blow though always loved the holiday season and have long before I ever my stash like a meth-head on a bender, but my kids would had kids and a family of my own. It’s okay to enjoy them have Halloween candy well past Christmas, mainly because you know, it’s okay to be happy and to share that happiness they hid it from me but they loved the season. I geeked and it’s certainly okay to go out of your way to make sure out about it long before kids, always decorating my place, that someone else has a nice, happy time as well. giving out great treats and just having a ball. When the kiddos where involved, hayrack rides behind the golf cart The motorcycle community actually does a fantastic job were a yearly event that were discussed and planned for making other people happy and weeks leading up to the magical it shows year ‘round with the night, it feels empty now that they commitment to fundraising poker have blown out of the roost, but runs and toy runs. I just love the we still go all out for Halloween, great mood people are always in it’s good prep for the next holidays when it comes to those runs! The coming up. Before I move on to the dive bars, joints, cafes, dealerships, more important holidays, can we just and bars always welcome bikers to acknowledge one thing, Halloween swing by, even for a short period of might be the ONLY holiday that once time because it’s a huge influx of it’s over, it’s over! You move on. cash money that can help make a You never have a costume party after weekend or more. The charities love Halloween, it just doesn’t work. bikers because we step up and buy the hands, pay the entry fees, and My single favorite holiday that is grab raffles or make cash donations, NOT The 4th of July is Thanksgiving if it’s a cause we care about like Day and it’s not even close. Mostly soldiers, kids, or boobies… bikers, because it’s a holiday that you can even the big ‘ol mean looking ones, often find a smile and legit say “Happy Thanksgiving” to anyone and not be show thankfulness via their, well, cash out lay. worried about some politically correct bullshit. Worried about offending anyone on being thankful? Bite me, be A huge biker show of thanks includes the annual Toy Runs thankful you are in America and get the best day to get that happen all across the nation and are well represented together with family and just embrace the wonderment across the Hawkeye State. Groups like the Salvation Army, that is the bounty in which we have been blessed with. Toys for Tots, and many more make so many kids happy Thanksgiving rocks because nobody cares or even bats around Christmas with the gift of even a small toy, showing and eye if you’re day drinking. Family over? Start with them that people care and so many of those toys (and cash) Bloody Mary’s or Mimosa’s. Late morning, open a bottle are made possible by bikers. Even those crusty bikers that of wine, crack a beer while the turkey is finishing up and don’t like the holidays! Look, I have a black oily heart and football is kicking off. It’s one of the easiest meals to make at times I need to really give myself pause not to just sit and people stress over it. No, they stress because you have back and hate everything. It is something that I really need a mother in law telling you her way of doing it, ignore her, to work on because I am at the very core of my being, a have another glass and go back to being happy. Making a dick. But I try to be as nice as I can with a smile on my face, turkey is foolproof. Gravy? Super easy, that garbage green laughing along with conversation but my true inner being is bean casserole, buns, a ham, I mean come on, none of this is that of an asshole and it’s something I have really worked haute cuisine and hell a couple of YouTube videos and you hard on suppressing and with the shit that is going on right are rocking. now, it’s even more difficult. Now you know why I don’t watch TV or consume much of the entertainment culture, it Quick clarification, Yea, I said it and I stand by it…green just fuels my inner rage. bean casserole is hot garbage. If it’s so damn good, why do we never serve any other time of the year? Nobody chimes But screw it, no matter what I still find myself super excited in for the Memorial Day BBQ and say’s “Hey, I will bring about the holiday season! It’s weird I know, but it starts the green bean casserole” because if they didn’t you would around the time of the year when the daylight escapes, we kindly un-invite them, why? Because that is trash food. put the summer toys away, the boats are winterized, the bike Heck, green beans are barely edible FOOD and somehow is on the tender but still ready to go on those sneaky warm they transform into a delicacy when you add cheese, fried days that pop up so we can get some last minute miles in onions and cream of mushroom soup? Get the hell out of and beat the sun down because even warm days in the last here with that crap. Sure the food is the centerpiece for part of the year do NOT lead to comfortable rides home in Thanksgiving but it is about reflecting, about sitting back the dark. It is hard to focus on deer moving during peak rut and saying, “shit, we’ve got it good” and finding the good when your nerts are shivering in your chaps. Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa on Facebook www.thunderroadsiowa.com 28 - TRMI NOVEMBER 2023
Happy Thanksgiving, Pilgrim.
