First of all, this year’s Thanksgiving memories will be unlike any other because, of course, you are not preparing a meal for somewhere between twelve and twenty people, right?
Describing the task of getting this meal on the table must be done from memory, right?
Thanksgiving Chef #1: Any item about which someone asks in a concerned voice, "Is there going to be enough?" is guaranteed to have leftovers or unused portions.
Thanksgiving Chef #2: Conversely, any item about which someone says, "Oh my goodness, that's a lot!" or "Oh, we have plenty," will require an emergency trip to the supermarket.
Thanksgiving Chef #3: Remember the egg. Never be the one who forgets the egg because anxiety about it from year to year will spread to the most unlikely people. Anxiety about the egg will pass from generation to generation as well.
Thanksgiving Chef #4: No matter how many tasks you have completed or are involved in, someone will say, "You know, it's a good idea to clean up or wash dishes as you go." This person will not offer to clean up or wash dishes except, "...in a few minutes," which stretches until the meal is served.
Thanksgiving Chef #5: No matter how many conversations and no matter what was planned, your partner will be in the shower or getting dressed when guests arrive. You will have to be both chef and host during critical moments of meal preparation. You will not get a chance to shower.
Thanksgiving Chef #6: No matter how delicious the meal is, someone will say, “Thanksgiving is nice but the best part is/are (the leftovers) (the sandwiches later).”
Thanksgiving Chef #7: Every meal preparation behavior will be accompanied by physical reminders of all the work you did to clean up for guests.
This will be updated as the memories turn to floods. Thanksgiving is a memory meal.