This year the Schwirtzs and the Pierces had Thanksgiving together in Santa Rosa. We feasted on a great meal prepared by Meredith, all by herself. We cracked open a few bottles of the homemade hard apple cider that Robert and John had bottled a few weeks before. David liked that. Everyone was left satisfied and full. The men occupied themselves with the Wii, at which Robert II was the self-proclaimed champion. John and Robert Sr. played a round of golf together, and even Batman had a good time. The conversation of the year was a lively discussion about the definition of “hippy.” The Schwirtzs claimed that it means those who seek change, free-will and who promote fairness without consideration of class, race or other artificial distinction. The Pierces proposed a one-word synonym: freeloader. The debate was officially called a tie.