It’s Thanksgiving and Day #1 of Hanukkah.  The turkey’s roasting.  The latkes and pumpkin pie have been lovingly prepared according to an old family recipe.  Thank you Auntie Whole Foods.
Like millions of Americans who’ve resisted the challenge of battling for bargains at K-Mart, I’m home watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Shivering announcers (including a skinny, grizzled alien replica of Al Roker) are reacting to each marching band and float with scripted enthusiasm.
“Oh, here comes the iconic Pillsbury doughboy who’s appeared in 600 commercials and goes by the name, Poppin’ Fresh.”
“Look! Coming up, the adorable Smurf family all squealing for joy because Sony will release “Smurfs 2″ on DVD in December.”
There’s the Domino Sugar Float, the Tylenol float.  I get it. The parade is a treasured tradition. It’s a warm, fuzzy family event. It’s a three hour commercial on wheels!
On and on and on they roll.
Sesame Street with Jimmy Fallon crooning to Cookie Monster about his (Jimmy’s, not Cookie’s) February late night debut to a target audience of viewers aged 60 to death. Not exactly the Sesame Street crowd!
Cirque De Soleil (help me, Spellcheck !) showing how acrobats can jump, swing, and freeze at the same time.
The Cherokee Youth Choir harmonizing on an authentic Cherokee ballad, “Happy Thanksgiving White People Who Stole Our Land.”
Dora the Explorer exploring in her charming multi-cultural way why Congress screwed up the D.R.E.A.M Act.
A festive urban float with a trio belting out an inspiring Christmas tune, “Ain’t No Chimneys In The Projects” (I did not make that up!)
And in the final few minutes, before Santa and the grand finale, like the family Schlemiel who spends Thanksgiving dinner seated at the card table with the rickety leg, a Hanukkah dreidel float rolls by  – no balloons, no B-list celebrities waving, no sequined majorettes twirling latkes.
And the announcer’s comment- Get this! ” Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday which won’t coincide with Thanksgiving for another 78,000 years.”  That’s it! What are we a black hole, the Death Star?! Nu, whatsamaddah, the Carnegie Deli couldn’t spring for a decent Hanukkah float – Judah Macabee and his loyal Minions or something?
We were big once.  Right, Mr. Macy (aka Isidore Strauss)?
Macy’s, Shmacy’s. Enough of this NYC stuff.  Let’s get back to ABQ (which Desert Droppings aficionados know as Albuquerque).  If you get all wide-eyed and gleeful at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, wait ’till you see the ABQ International Balloon Fiesta (which never ever coincides with Hanukkah, but sometimes overlaps with Sukkot.). Sukkot? Google it!
If you gape in amazement at an inflatable Spider Man or a pumped-up Sponge Bob on a string, you’ll be absolutely awed by Balloon Fiesta’s multi-storied bee, humongous butterfly, enormous astronaut, and 500 other shaped and rounded hot-air balloons. Instead of bobbing along roped to a float, hundreds of hot-air balloons inflate with flaming burners to skyscraper size and lift off into the brilliant blue October  sky with passenger-filled baskets dangling below.
And there’s food, too! Plump breakfast burritos, 5lb barbecued turkey legs, and frosted cinnamon rolls as big as truck tires!
So what do you think of that, Mr. Macy?
Happy Thanksgiving,  Happy Hanukkah from ABQ, The Balloon Capital of the World.