It’s that time again. It’s so close we can almost smell the turkey.

Thanksgiving. What a great holiday — no school, a gigantic parade, hours of televised football and a feast that leaves you sprawled out on the couch in a comatose state. Yes, it’s the perfect release before we head into dreaded finals. However, what about those of us who are not charging our iPods for the car trip home? Those of us who are not cramming that extra pair of jeans into our suitcase so we don’t have to pay the additional luggage fee at the airport? What about those of us who do not get to go home for Thanksgiving? Since Thanksgiving with the family is out of the question for those stuck around campus, many students are finding ways to bring Thanksgiving to them. Whether it is keeping family traditions and attempting to make their own Thanksgiving feast or mixing it up and ordering in, UA students are bound to come up with some interesting ways to spend their time off.

Sissy Bell, a junior, said she planned to spend the day with friends. “”I think my friends and I are going to make our own Thanksgiving dinner again. Last year we actually successfully cooked a turkey and made sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and lots and lots of pies.””

Amazingly, this was all done in La Paz Residence Hall’s community kitchen. Although she did not get to spend the day with her family, Bell said Thanksgiving with her friends was anything but disappointing. “”We had so much fun. Since the dorm was pretty much empty, we made music videos using my camera. We danced around the columns outside, hung out of the windows; I think the pool table was even used as a prop at some point.””

Some students have opted for a more laid-back approach to the day.  “”Well, I am going home this year,”” said dance sophomore Natasha Overturff. “”But last year one of my friends came over, and we just ordered pizza and watched TV. It was really chill.””

However, some days have not turned out to be so relaxing. “”My roommate and I were doing a pretty good job of making our own Thanksgiving dinner last year,”” said photography senior Kayla Ihrig. “”But then my roommate decided it would be a good idea to throw all of our potato peels down the drain and let the garbage disposal do the work. Yeah, we found out the hard way that the two don’t really mix. They clogged our sink, and we had no way to wash all of our dishes!””

With gravy simmering on stovetop burners and razor-sharp knifes being used to carve gigantic turkeys, the number of possible mishaps, both tragic and comic, seem endless. Therefore, for those of you who plan to cook a bird and make all the fixings, remember not to fall victim to those tragic Turkey Day faux-pas.

Here are a few tips — just in case:

1. Crunching a frozen turkey leg is no fun. Keep in mind that an average eight pound turkey takes about one to two days to thaw in the refrigerator and at least three to four hours to cook in a pre-heated, 325 degree oven.

2. You do actually have to stick your hand inside the turkey to pull out its innards.

3. Mashed potatoes are surprisingly aerodynamic, so make sure that hand blender really is buried in those spuds.

4. While that baggy football jersey is a great way to cheer your team onward to victory, fabric is also flammable. Be cautious around the stove. 

5. Finally, when in doubt: Boston Market is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.. (They will have individual Thanksgiving Day meals available for $9.99.)

What do you do while the sweet potato casserole is in the oven? If you are drawing a blank, here are some friendly suggestions:

1. Make room in that already-full belly and order some buttery popcorn at a movie.

2. Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (The parade airs at 9 a.m. on NBC).

3. Work off that pumpkin pie and take a hike on Mount Lemmon.

4. Flag football, anyone?

5. Spend time on the Internet researching where to find the best deals for Black Friday shopping.

6. Do that homework you have been putting off.

Whatever the case may be, eat, relax and be merry. It’s a day off. And for those of you cooking, keep the fire extinguisher handy.