There are so many things to look forward to about Thanksgiving that, for some people, they can be hard to count.

This being Thanksgiving, 2015, let’s start with college football. On Friday, the 28^th, you have SMU vs. Houston to watch or attend. Not much at stake for the Mustangs, unfortunately, but the Cougars could be comeback team of the year, if there were such an award.

On Thanksgiving Day itself, there’s the Arlington Turkey Trot, one of the top 20 turkey trots in the nation. You can register to run, race, jog, wall, stroll, roll, or even crawl your way through this annual fun event. Or simply bring the kids to watch, take part in the fun, and help support The Shoe Bank, a Metroplex based non-profit organization that recycles used shoes to help provide comfortable foot wear for needy kids and adults alike.

And now for a little Thanksgiving trivia we invite you to share with friends and family alike:

While knives and spoons were present at the very first Thanksgiving feast in Massachusetts, forks were not. What you didn’t eat with your spoon, you gobbled up with your finger.

You know why and when Swanson created the first turkey frozen dinners? It started in 1953 as a means to put all the leftover turkey they had to go use.

So, do you still think eating turkey makes you sleepy? Well, the answer is a resounding “sort of.” While turkey does, in fact, contain tryptophan which might just generate a yawn or two, soybeans, pork, and parmesan cheese contain even more. So what really makes you sleepy on Thanksgiving Day? The amount of food you eat more than the individual items.

Next, name the Pilgrim who invented the green bean casserole. (Sound of effect of annoying buzzer going off.) We’re sorry; it wasn’t a Pilgrim at all. In fact, it was none other than Campbell Soup Company who created the first such recipe about 50 years ago for its annual recipe book. Today, more than $20 million worth of the company’s cream of mushroom soup is sold each year, with much of that earmarked for green bean casseroles.

Who would name their hometown “Turkey”? Uh, actually there are six such townships in the US, starting right here in Texas:
- Turkey, TX
- Turkey, NC
- Turkey Creek, AZ
- Turkey Creek, LA
- Upper Turkeyfoot, PA
- Lower Tukeyfoot, PA

Finally, name 3 things that could put a damper on your Thanksgiving Day proceedings. While you ponder the other two, we’ll give you one of our own: a heating system that suddenly quits on you. Well, with our full-service heating system cleaning and inspection, Optimum Air can help prevent a frozen Turkey Day experience. Contact us today to schedule service; that way, you can serve your guests with a greater degree of confidence.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Optimum Air Co.