Just under a week until Thanksgiving, a made-up American holiday that conveniently glosses over the amount of suffering that existed during the beginning of the tradition. Like so many holidays in the modern age, it has been taken hostage by rampant consumerism and built as a way to boost sales before the end of the year.

The day after Thanksgiving is an abomination of capitalism, and a reminder that spending money is still one of the most relevant forms of expression as a free-thinking, red-blooded modern American. It is a day I go out of my way to avoid retail entirely.

The truth is I hate this entire time of year until it’s over. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are all completely overrated. We have winter so it is just the windup for the coldest, deadest, and grayest time of the year that follows. We have been really fortunate to avoid much of the cold so far, with temperatures well into the 60s this week and abundant sunshine, even if it is gone by 5:00. It makes it hard to complain but I’m gonna keep trying my best.

We will be cooking on Thanksgiving and it will be as lowkey of an affair as it has ever been, with just the four of us in the house. It is as it should always have been, about the people you are most invested in. I am thankful for these amazing women in my life, and I look forward to the coming year with them.