Opiate of the Masses: Labor Day

Usually I spend today making fun of the fact that we celebrate the American work ethic by taking a day off of work but this year I learned something. Instead of celebrating the American work ethic, Labor Day is actually a celebration of the accomplishments of the labor unions. In other countries this is celebrated on May 1st, or May Day. Now my friend Chris is convinced that we do not celebrate May Day because of its connection to the international labor movement, even though its origin is as a commemoration of the Haymarket Riot of 1886 in Chicago. I am not going to get in to a discussion of what the powers that be were thinking when they made their decision, all I know is that these days Labor Day is another in a long line of excuses for us as Americans to get out in the backyard and grill meat which is exactly what I did on Saturday.

Of course my weekend started long before Saturday. Well okay, maybe not long before

Saturday, but certainly a bit before Saturday. This weekend Lynn, Scott’s sweety (I accidentally typed sweaty the first time and while true to a certain extant, I would rather not delve into that at the moment), had a couple of her friends from Ottawa down for the weekend. Ottawa, for you unwashed masses, is the national capitol of Canada and is located in the province of Ontario. (This means that it is north and east of Dallas.) Melissa and Scott W. are good people, not that I am surprised by that since Lynn is good people, but I just thought it needed to be said since they are Canadians and all.

Anyways, I have managed to wander off the point here. Where I was headed with this is that the eating started early for me on the weekend since Scott from Scotland once again inflicted grievous bodily harm on all of us with the several course meal he prepared Friday night. I should have known to eat a light lunch, but it slipped my mind and so I was not fully prepared to consume mass quantities. I can’t even remember everything he fed us. Lets just say that there was steak involved and I left at 2 AM and was not even sort of hungry until after 2 PM the next day. Scott from Scotland has this incredible ability to break people with food. And damn fine food, too.

So Friday dinner was excellent all around as Scott from Scotland provided excellent food and the

company was excellent, despite their racial handicap. Then the plan on Saturday was to descend on the Casa del TunaCan for burgers and other assorted yummy bits. This got started around 2 PM and lasted until late in the evening. Scott from Scotland, Lynn, and the Canuckleheads were there along with Don, Alesha, Chris, Amanda, and of course Diana and the TunaKhan himself. Again there was entirely too much food with sausage, burgers, homemade fries, and a metric crap load of desserts. We ate and laughed and enjoyed one another’s company. So much so that there might be pictures of me dozing in one of Rob’s chairs after the meal. All in all another successful evening of being social and eating.

Then came Sunday. The day of rest. And day three of my three part eating extravaganza! And I wonder why I am, kindly put, pleasantly plump. Most of Sunday passed without incident. I went to Best Buy to spend some money (Arrested Development Season 2! COME ON!) and then spent the day cleaning and organizing some stuff in my room. And then I got a call from Scott. “Come round to Lynn’s at about 7:30 for steaks from the grill,” he says. Of course I said yes, silly rabbis! This meant more quality time with Lynn, Scott from Scotland, Melissa, and Scott W. It was another round of meat + meat + good company and conversation with bonus potatoes.

All in all it was a really good weekend. I ate a TON of food, none of which I paid for, got to hang out with good friends, none of which I paid for, and made some new ones, which I am sure I will end up paying for. And I still have Labor Day to complete my Herculean task.

(The airport code of Ottawa is YOW. That is just funny.)