The Daily World shares Thanksgiving plans

Nov. 24—The Daily World usually has its eyes and ears on what's going outside the office, but Thanksgiving is a time for sharing, so here's what the staff has going on for the holiday.

Reporter Clayton Franke

While most of the staff is staying in the Evergreen State, reporter Clayton Franke — is doing something different. He's driving south for the holiday to visit his college roommate Hans, and the Ellenson family in Corvallis, Oregon.

"It's my first ever attendance to the Ellenson family Thanksgiving," Franke said. "Each year they do a Thanksgiving dinner with their family. But I think it's sort of grown into an extended family and friends type of thing."

Franke is excited to see how the Ellensons celebrate. He's just unsure what to bring.

"I was thinking of making a tuna casserole, which is a Franke family recipe," Franke said. "But, I might just bring a good old six-pack of beer and call it good."

Until this year, Franke's only enjoyed Thanksgiving with his family at his home in Missoula, Montana. He shared his favorite thing about Thanksgiving at home.

"Honestly when I'm home, the pies are probably the best thing," Franke said. "My mom has a super good pie crust recipe she makes. It's like homemade crust. (It's) super good."

Circulation Director Doug Ames

Doug Ames, circulation director, has two gatherings in mind this year.

"We usually have our (immediate) family, the five of us, we'll do a dinner at our house, but that'll probably be on the weekend," Ames said. "What we do on Thanksgiving is we go to my mom's house and have Thanksgiving with my bigger half of the family."

Ames' favorite part of Thanksgiving is watching football with the kids and hanging out with family. This year, Ames can't wait to watch the Buffalo Bills play the Detroit Lions.

Ames said he's glad he'll be able to see his nephew and his nephew's fiancee.

"They come from Portland," Ames said. "I haven't seen them for a while. Actually, she's pregnant with their first kid. She's pretty close to — I'd say 'popping.' I think she's due in December. I haven't seen her since their gender reveal, so I'm looking forward to seeing them."

Ames' favorite foods are a fruit salad his mom makes, and a dish between him and his dad.

"(It's) a bunch of fruit and whipped cream all whipped together," Ames said. "And then my dad (who passed away six years ago,) he and I used to share this thing called 'Cream cheese and olives.' (That's) cream cheese, mayonnaise and olives mixed together, and then you eat it on a celery stick. Those are my two favorite things, honestly. It's not traditional."

Ames enjoyed seeing his colleague's green gills show while he explained the latter dish.

Administrative Assistant Leslie Bebich

Leslie Bebich, who is technically The Daily World's administrative assistant but is more like a human Swiss Army knife because she does so much for the office, had to change her plans.

"I was cooking for my family, but my son and his family can't make it," Bebich said. "They're all sick. Tis the season. So I'll pretty much be staying home, cooking for my daughter and my grandson, and she probably won't get there until late because she's gotta work most of the day. Other than that, I'm staying home."

Despite the change in plans, Bebich took a glass half-full approach because she'll be able to sleep in.

"I'll get that turkey in the oven late, and we're not gonna eat until later. ... I'll have more leftovers than what I planned, so that works out well," Bebich said.

Bebich's favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the cooking. The potatoes are her favorite part.

"My thing is the mashed potatoes and gravy," Bebich said. "I'm a potato freak. I'm all about the potatoes. Sweet potatoes and potatoes I'd be happy with."

To wash the starchy goodness down, Bebich prefers a little eggnog with a dash of liquor. She said for her kids, they do eggnog with ice cream.

"It's quite tasty," Bebich said. "Or (for us adults) the vodka cranberry. That's the backup. That's what I'm having this year."

Besides the food, Bebich likes watching football and watching "Die Hard" and "Lethal Weapon." Just don't turn on the Hallmark Channel.

"My one sister looks forward to the new (Hallmark movies) when they come out at Christmastime, and I'm going, 'They're the same flipping movie.' You've got the same ending. You know what's gonna happen.'"

Marketing Consultant Jason Walen

Jason Walen, marketing consultant for The Daily World, shared how he'll be spending the holiday.

"I go see my dad's side of the family up in Issaquah," Walen said. "They're family members I see, like, once a year, so it's a pretty important day. And then I spend Thanksgiving on Whidbey Island with my mom on Friday."

Walen said his favorite thing about the holiday is spending time with his family.

Walen shared his favorite food item, or items — the way he prefers it.

"Man, I like it all mashed together, believe it or not," Walen said. "It's not just one item. The stuffing's pretty good. The stuffing with gravy. It's tough. My uncle does some pretty mean Dean's sausage stuffing that's pretty good. I think I'd have to pick that if it was one item."

Walen won't be drinking this holiday, since he quit drinking. But he has a unique idea to honor his father, who worked for Miller Brewing Company — now Miller Coors.

"Keep the family happy and put Miller Lite in there for me," Walen said. "My dad worked for Miller for like 35 years."

Reporter Michael 'Sully' Lockett

Another one of The Daily World's newest reporters, Michael "Sully" Lockett, took a creative approach for how he'll celebrate.

"As with every year, I go deep into the mountains to meditate, fight the wildlife with my bare hands, and consume the life force of the animals I kill by eating their raw flesh," Lockett wrote in an email.

While this sounds sarcastic, and probably is, Lockett prefers a little anonymity. The inclusion of the name he seems to prefer will probably drive him mad.

Lockett said his favorite thing about the holiday is "giving thanks for all I've been given by building a giant bone ossuary from the bear, elk and wolves I defeat in single combat, the better to center myself in solemn preparation for the harrowing combat to come" Lockett wrote.

Who doesn't love a good storyteller while chowing down on pounds of food that will inevitably send families into a tryptophan-filled slumber?

Lockett said his favorite Thanksgiving food is "raw bear meat, followed by a good stuffing." He also enjoys a good baked potato and cold Bud Light. His preference of Bud Light is a verified truth.

Editorial Assistant Karen Barkstrom

Karen Barkstrom, editorial assistant for The Daily World, shared how she and her husband will be spending their Thanksgiving.

"(We'll be) getting together with our two daughters and their husbands and children," Barkstrom said. "We can't get together with our son because he lives in Spokane."

Barkstrom described a big traditional Thanksgiving spread.

"Turkey, sweet potatoes, and potatoes and gravy, and green bean casserole, and four different cranberry recipes, because everyone in the family has a different cranberry recipe," Barkstrom said. "Pumpkin pie, apple pie, chocolate cream pie and coconut cream pie, because everybody has a different favorite pie. And lots of football."

Barkstrom said her favorite parts of Thanksgiving are watching football, eating leftovers, and being with family.

And don't forget the turkey sandwiches the day after.

Sales Associate Kathy Bradt

Kathy Bradt, sales associate for The Daily World, loves her sausage stuffing during the holiday. And then her husband works hard on the smoker.

"My husband, he smokes a turkey on the Traeger, and makes homemade cranberry sauce," Bradt said. "That would be my favorite."

Bradt, who wasn't feeling tip-top on Tuesday, described how in a usual year the couple goes up to her son's ranch — with goats, cows and chickens — in Hoquiam where they celebrate with her daughter-in-law and their four children.

But, she's hopeful she'll feel good enough to go, as does the rest of The Daily World staff. In case she's healthy enough, she has a lot to look forward to.

"If we do go, and if I'm able to go on Thanksgiving, we already have plans to have another Thanksgiving, just my husband and I, with all the things I just mentioned," Bradt said. "Smoked turkey, cranberry sauce, and I always make a pecan pie, every year. That's my tradition for Thanksgiving."

Bradt's favorite thing about the holidays is spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren.

Regardless of how she feels Thursday, the couple will still celebrate on Sunday, hopefully while watching a Seahawks win. They never miss a minute of a Seahawks game.

Reporter Allen Leister

Allen Leister, reporter for The Daily World, said he'll be spending the holiday with his dad's side of his family in nearby Shelton.

"We're gonna be getting together out at their farmhouse and just enjoying some turkey, stuffing, all the fixings, and then probably watching football," Leister said.

Leister said stuffing is his favorite.

"I won't lie though, depends on the type of turkey," Leister said. "Obviously, oven-baked turkey is the traditional, but people who do the deep-fried turkeys or smoked turkeys, I'm game for that."

Leister described a fun drink that his family imbibes.

"My family makes this Thanksgiving-themed 'Jungle Juice,'" Leister said. "Instead of whereas most 'Jungle Juice,' just kind of has a whole bunch of random fruits in it, ours is mostly cranberry-based. While also having cranberry sauce, the 'Jungle Juice,' is kind of a fun thing for us to make."

Advertising Director Steve Bove

Steve Bove, advertising director and sales rep for The Daily World, said his family has gotten much bigger since he got married. He can't wait to spoil them all.

"We are hosting about 20 people from our family, and I'm smoking a turkey and a couple turkey breasts on the Traeger," Bove said.

Bove said his favorite food at Thanksgiving is mashed potatoes. A wise man, as mashed potatoes are the purest form of Thanksgiving goodness.

"I'm not the biggest fan of turkey, but I like it at Thanksgiving," Bove said. "That, and all of the snack foods (there.) I think I'll eat from the minute I wake up to the minute I go to sleep."

Bove awaits the arrival of his brother-in-law, who's traveling from Arizona.

"It's always nice to see him," Bove said.

While the family Bove has nearby watch his son play high school football, Bove will be glad to sit on the sofa and watch the NFL games.

That said, his favorite activity is to showoff his skills on the smoker.

"I love to cook stuff on my Traeger," Bove said. "That's my activity, so I get started early. It's quite the process to start it the night before."

Editor Michael Wagar

If there's anyone who will crash early, it'll be The Daily World's editor, Michael Wagar. He'll be spending his day stuffing himself with Thanksgiving favorites that his nephew's wife cooks.

"(She's) a phenomenal cook," Wagar said.

The spread there includes homemade pumpkin pie, a berry and apple pie, plus three types of gravy.

In addition to the food, where Wagar said he'll eat until it "hurts," since he'll be so full, he can't wait to see his nephew's two sons. He got to know them fondly during his first few weeks working for The Daily World.

"They call me 'Uncle Mike,' actually they call me 'Uncle Poochie,'" Wagar said.

As for the Apple Cup, the overwhelming prediction from The Daily World is that the Washington Huskies will prevail. Bove predicts a whomping, 45-12 Huskies win. Wagar predicted a tight game with the Huskies winning 31-27.