I’ve always looked at those pictures from the all-gay cruises and thought, “I wish they had these when I was younger.” The ads are all filled with guys with perfect bodies, perfect abs, perfect pecs, and perfect, unlined faces and, let’s just say I’m not any of those. 

Sometimes the only thing you want to make for Thanksgiving is a reservation. If you prefer not to slave over a hot oven, there are a number of options, at all price points, for dining out. Do your own version of the Turkey Trot and head to one of these places for a hassle-free Thanksgiving dinner.

I wouldn’t say my family was trailer trash, we never actually lived in a trailer, but my mother sure cooked like we were. She had every cookbook put out by a food company. Campbell’s, Kraft, Birdseye, Betty Crocker. Her cookbook shelf was like a directory of Fortune 500 companies. Her “secret” chocolate cake recipe was a box of Duncan Hine’s mix and a can of Campbell’s tomato soup.

(CNN) -- If you're heading to the Northeast for Thanksgiving, you might want to get an early start.

On this Thanksgiving, I want to thank you, the SFGN readers and advertisers.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a column suggesting some alternative ideas for Thanksgiving, both places to dine out and restaurants that were offering entire meals to go. If you prefer not to cook, there’s another option; prepared holiday meals from grocery stores. Most chains now offer entire Thanksgiving meals which can be picked up fully-cooked and merely heated up before serving. Here’s a run-down on what’s available locally. Most require little more than 24-hours-notice. If you snoozed and didn’t order in time for Thanksgiving, they’re also available for Christmas or New Year’s Day. The prices indicated are for packages that serve 6-8, unless otherwise noted.

For many of us, Thanksgiving will be the first time in a year and a half that we’ll be able to gather with family and friends for a traditional holiday.

It may be hard to come up with a reason to give thanks for the “blessings” of 2020. 

Forget pumpkin spice, my favorite flavoring is sage, the perfect accompaniment to anything turkey or stuffing related.