Out on a walk today, I had the chance to really look around and see, at last, how the trappings of fall have insinuated themselves. The few trees that dot the road medians are changing color and the air has that sharp crispness that feels good when you take a deep breath into your lungs. There's a distinctive feel to fall which reminds me of Thanksgiving. I like this time of year.

And I like Thanksgiving. Any holiday that encourages camaraderie, gluttony and sloth can't be all bad. Of course, Thanksgiving is the gateway to the madness that is the holidays so it's best to give in and roll with it until January 2 arrives.

We always spend Thanksgiving with the Aunts in Queens. I can usually predict in advance what the menu will be: thrice baked turkey and at least three root vegetables. Gravy, maybe. Canned cranberry sauce, absolutely. Potatoes, never. There is a reason why these women are thriving in their 80s and 90s. The house will be heated to a rousing 86 degrees and the smell of the boiling root vegetables makes the place smell like one big fart. Still, you can count on good conversation, a couple of laughs and some football viewing. In truth, that's really what it's all about.

I remember my first Thanksgiving here, in 1999. Driving from New Jersey to Queens on a brisk Thanksgiving morning. Exiting the Lincoln Tunnel, if you cut over to 34th Street, you can get quickly to the Queens Midtown Tunnel. Making a turn onto 34th Street, I came face to face with a 100 foot Pokeman giant helium balloon. I'd never thought about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade before, but the too close encounter with a giant yellow Pikachu freaked the bejesus out of me. It made me think of that scene in "Ghostbusters" with the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man. I do believe I screamed.

Of course the bad thing about Thanksgiving are the commercials on TV promoting the pre-Christmas store sales. ("Stores open at 6 am!") Don't make me feel guilty while I am nursing a belly full of turkey and cauliflower. I am one of those people who does my Christmas shopping on December 24th. Terrible, I know, but I hate the mobs and I only face it when I absolutely have to, at the 12th hour. I deplore those zealots who are at the store at 6 am the day after Thanksgiving, ready to do all their entire holiday shopping in a day's time. Bless you, good and diligent people. You are the same lunatics who go to the store the day after Christmas to buy wrapping paper and ornaments for half price for next Christmas.

One nice thing that does happen just after Thanksgiving is the lighting of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center. With the ice rink now open, the lighting of the tree is wondrous. I love New York at Christmas and I think this year I'll go and see the lighting and maybe put some skates on again and go for a spin. There really is nothing like it.