Birthday shenanigans.

It was my Birthday yesterday and we hooked up with a few friends and family at Claim Jumper at the Alderwood mall.  I wanted to keep it small this year, and yep, I'm a 37-year-old me now. :)

For dinner I had roasted tri-tip, and I got green beans and roasted veggies as the side - skipped potatoes, skipped the cheese bread which came with it and gave it away.  They were nice enough to provide a birthday red velvet cupcake, I did have a bite of that but gave most of it away too. 

Christmas was also pretty awesome, we have photos to get up so I will have another belated holiday blog sometime soon, promise.  Needless to say during these holidays there was much to nom upon and I indulged myself a bit in both cases.  It had the predictable result of giving me back a couple of the pounds I've lost recently, but I am comfortable with that, since I know now that I'll just get back on track again in the wake of it.  The only really large obstacles on the horizon for me now are a new years party (should be easy) - and a vacation to Hawaii in January (which won't be easy - but who cares, it's HAWAII, we will be having a fantastic time!)

Approaching the end of 2011, I had a midway goal weight in mind. An arbitrary number, 250.  When I started doing this it seemed unattainable to me, but I have come close. I could even make it - I have until Sunday this week, but I might not quite squeak in there.  As of this morning I have 5.5 pounds more to shed to make that happen.  Even if I don't get to 250, I feel like I'm hitting my personal goals on a regular basis, which is just fine.

When I first started Dukan, I did a survey on their website to show me their expectation of my timeline for reaching my goal weight and beginning 'phrase 3' of the diet. Despite me stating at the time my goal was 221 pounds (losing 100 pounds) - the diet recommended I try for 230, my 'true weight' - a realistic weight I could reach and maintain.  I did the survey on 8/28/11 and here's a look at the time line they expected for me:




Utterly cheesy.. but actually a pretty reasonable timeline.



Strictly following the Dukan Diet, it was expected that I won't get down to 230 pounds until June of 2012.  The consolidation phase (phase 3) in the Dukan diet is intended to keep you on the right path, so you don't slip off your diet and go back to bad habits - at a time when your body is eager to regain lost calories and pounds.  It's one of the reasons I chose this diet as my starting point - knowing it was going to keep helping me long term.  I figure if I can lose about 3 pounds a week, which is pretty reasonable, It'll take another 11-12 weeks for me to get down to my 221 target.  That means I'll hit it roughly in April.  I'll keep going from there, of course.. but that's the primary initial goal for me still at this point, getting to my 100 pounds lost point on this diet, which will really be about 119 pounds down from my heaviest.

More importantly than all of those numbers and pounds though is that I am feeling much better, healthier, more energetic, and more ambitious in general.  That's what I really wanted, and needed, out of this.

I'm not putting up a weight chart, etc. this week. I'll have an end of the year one up next Monday, hopefully it will be good news, and I have a little more serious post to write as well to go with it.

After all, the battle of Mark vs. Mark is a battle that will still be waged in 2012.  If the world is going to end, I want to go out of it feeling healthier. ;)

Cold Ones (No, not beer)

It's been cold lately - but this morning was about 30f, brrrr. When I went out walking I took childish pleasure stepping on the crispy grass, listening to the nice frosty crunch of it underfoot and I snapped this pretty nifty picture.

It has been a quiet week for Dawn and I for the most part.  We're getting ready to have people over for Christmas on Sunday so we're cleaning, and making checklists for cooking dinner, and emailing everyone. I love the holiday season - it's always busy but I really enjoy everyone getting together and seeing friends and family, and having a good time.

Punkin' pie!

On the health and diet front, it's been a mediocre week for me.  I have watched my weight go very mildly up since Monday, and know it'll come back down by the end of the weekend.. it's become a normal pattern for me.  The net result is typically a pound or two lost per week which has been very encouraging.  I did indulge in a few things this week, such as a skinny slice of a particularly delicious pumpkin pie Dawn baked up for me to take in to work.  It was universally nommed up on and adored by everyone. :)

Tonight I have some work to do on a personal art project, more on that later.

I don't know that I'll get another blog up before the holidays so if you happen to read this, Merry Christmas to you - or happy whatever else.  Hang out with people you know and love, eat food, and try not to think about serious stuff for a day. It's good for you.

Monday Weigh-In + Weekend Stuffs

Click for Ze Big Version™

Good morning, humans.

I had a pretty decent week, sliding down another few pounds. My low was 252 even yesterday morning, but this morning I was back up a tad. Hey, I had a nice steak dinner last night, sue me! :)

I had a particularly sinful meal this weekend while company was over, some delivery Chinese food from the place down the block. I had a small portion of rice and noodles, and then some Mongolian beef, a potsticker, and a portion of sweet and sour chicken.  I wanted to see what was going to happen in the wake of it. The answer? Not much. As predicted in the Dukan diet book - having an off-plan meal occasionally is just fine, and I have definitely kept it very occasional.

I did experience something this weekend for the first time in months, though, which surprised me.  The return of the urge to snack.  Up until now, I have not really felt that very much.  If I had to guess, I would say it came back at me due to a combination of eating meals at improper times (I had late breakfast one morning, and very late lunch yesterday) - and also my metabolism is in a slightly higher gear, I might not be getting enough calories. Time to re-check that.  I added something new to my diet recently too, occasionally - the Clif Builder's bars. They have a pretty solid amount of protein in them and lots of vitamins, they are a good once in a while addition to things.  I've been looking for the best deal on them too and it looks like of all places, Amazon might be the one - you can 'subscribe' to them, and have some delivered on a regular basis, and they become cheaper than at any store around us (even Trader Joe's.)

We had a pretty social weekend.  Friday we went to hang out with the Bhargavas, and Jason.  It was a pretty chill evening, primarily comprised of sitting around playing Saints Row 3 and getting Leslie to giggle.  The day after that, Jason and Ron came over to hang out and we had the Chinese food I mentioned above, watched some movies, etc.  Dawn and I managed to get the rest of our holiday shopping done and now we're able to just relax this week heading into Christmas.  I had a fun moment when we were at the Fred Meyer in Lynnwood - a co-worker of mine who is at a different office bumped into us and gave me a very funny look and said, "Wow. Did you lose a bunch of weight recently? You look great!" I'll admit it feels pretty awesome hearing something like that.

And now, a video of my bubble lights, because they are awesome. Thanks for reading, peoples.

Simple Chicken Sammiches



Tasty little buggers, these.



Here's a simple dinner idea - home made grilled chicken sammiches.  Did this the other night, and I was very happy.

I used one large chicken breast, butterflied and grilled with just a bit of pepper and some of the very tasty Kirkland Brand Organic No-Salt Seasoning which Leslie discovered at Costco (but you can buy it online).

I sliced some fresh tomato, butter lettuce, and added a bit of these healthier choices for condiments:

The final touch here is using buns that take a serious cut out of the carbs and calories you get with a sandwich normally.  Dawn and I have used 100-calorie sandwich thins for a long time to make burgers and sandwiches and I always go for whole grain or whole wheat.  These things are great if you toast them just slightly on a grill before using them.

Making small changes to how you prepare a dish you already like is a pretty awesome way to keep calories and nutrition under control.  Here I have low calorie buns, lean chicken breast, fat-free mayo, reduced sugar ketchup, and fresh tomato and lettuce. All quite healthy, and tasty.  You could add a bit of salt to the chicken while cooking if you like, I didn't.  I had 2 sandwiches for dinner to get up to my minimum calorie count for the day, but one is pretty filling and would go awesomely with some grilled zucchini or asparagus, or a side salad.

Now the non-recipe part of this post. Someone at work the other day asked me this question, watching me eating a simple lunch:

"Do you miss eating other stuff at lunch, instead?"

I told her,

"That's like asking me if I miss the 60+ extra pounds I was carrying around a handful of months ago. No, I don't miss it." And I meant it. I've reached the point where I've changed my eating habits on a more permanent basis.  I no longer think, "This is a diet, someday I'll be able to go back to eating XXXXX and XXXXX things."

I'm not missing it much, and I know if I do, I will eat a bit and then keep it moderate.  The most important thing to me is that I am getting more exercise, which was totally missing from my life before with the exception of halfhearted time spent at the gym a few days a week.

All I can say is, the hardest part is starting out and then sticking to it for more than a week. So many times before this, I steeled myself and said I was going to begin a diet, and exercise, and in less than a week I was already failing at it.  And once you do that week - you do another. Then somehow it is 4+ months later and you can say, "Wow. Hey, I did it. I'm doing it. I'll keep doing it."

I will admit I have stopped strictly following the Dukan Diet.  It was exactly what I needed to help me learn better structure in my life in terms of eating and exercise, though. I'd recommend it to anyone - the book has pretty good info in general that helps you understand food a bit more, and the message it passes on is fantastic - this is a permanent change, not a diet.  His information is presented in an easy to understand and follow manner. 

Very importantly to me as well, it gives you very specific lists of foods to eat, and foods to avoid. It opened up a door for me to get interested in nutrition, and in a short time, I was making smarter selections while shopping, and steering clear of choices at restaurants.  Because of that diet book, I have what I had been lacking for a long time - the basic structure to base a big dietary change on, and I have run with it.

I have added some of the stuff from the 'phase 3' section of the book early. I still don't eat much fruit, but I will have a little bread. I have fat-free cheese.  I use sauces, but I use them lightly and on the side. 

So far, so good. I really don't feel I am suffering any hardship, and I am losing weight, feeling much more energetic and healthier.

Makes me think back on my same mantra I've had. Why didn't I do this earlier?

Why indeed!



Works great for burgers, too!



Seattle Jingle Bell Run (5K) 2011 - Finish Line crossing

An even week. Weigh in time.

Click for Ze Big Version™

So I have been doing this crazy new diet/exercise thing for 15 weeks now.  I am pretty in tune with what will help me and what will hinder me, and when I deviate more towards the latter these days it is will full knowledge of what I am up to.

That was this week, but a couple of reasons. One of them was I wasn't feeling very good Monday - I had major aches and pains in my chest which travelled to my shoulders, neck, and arms.  Soreness I earned by deciding to run the couple of days right before that.  I'd like to say it was worth it but I was miserable because of it. That made it easier to give myself a pass on walking when Friday rolled along and we had a party for work, where we spent all day down in Seattle. No walks that day. I did eat responsibly for the most part.

Oh hi, non-diet-compatible food.

Then we hooked up with Jason and went out to get Indian food, and I indulged in rice, naan bread, sauces, etc. Followed it up with dessert at home, some chocolate brownie ice cream.  Next day, hanging out with Jason we hit up a diner, and I decided I'd get a chicken sandwich that had feta cheese on it, and of course, buttery grilled rye bread.

No walks Saturday, either. Kept it easy and mellow.

At one point this week I was down to 255, but then I had those couple days and settled right back up at 257-258, where I started out.  No loss, no gain.  No biggie.

Back on track in the new week!  There's an insurance company phrase called 'accident forgiveness' - I think I will give myself some 'Nomming forgiveness.'



Be happy, tree hat guy! It's Christmas!



We also ended the weekend in a proper healthy manner - by doing the 2011 Jingle Bell Run/Walk down in Seattle, a 3.2 mile (5K) walking course through the streets of Seattle.  Parul took fantastic pictures, so I will just send you over to his flickr site to see them.

That said, he's one of my favorites ->

There were tons of people there with some awesome hats and stuff. I challenged Parul to find someone wearing a super-festive hat, but who looked grouchy about it - he definitely won that challenge with this shot.

All in all it was a busy week and the weekend was busy as well.  I guess I technically did walk Saturday as Dawn and I ran a bajillion errands, including a foolish trip to the Alderwood Mall where we walked and mingled with the sea of humanity which was there.  Not a good idea.

I feel much better this week, and I am ready to focus again and keep battling myself.

Over 'n out.

42->38

I have a work holiday party every year around the second Friday in December.  This year, our office is going down to Hard Rock Cafe in Seattle all day tomorrow.  In preparation I always comb the closet looking for something nice to wear - something between t-shirt and jeans, and formal attire.

I was SOL this year. All the 'nicer' shirts I have are huge on my now, and my pants, too.  It's a good problem to have right up until you need something to wear for an event.

Dawn took me out shopping last night, and I can't thank her enough for it. Fashion sense isn't exactly something I have.  For me, for years, clothing has been something I buy from a single place which carries sizes that work for me (3XLT shirts, 44/30 or 42/30 pants).  It's still pretty new to me to be able to go to anyplace that sells men's clothing and be able to find things.  If that sounds weird to you, that's just how it is when you're a guy who is 6'1" and used to being 320+ pounds.  Now that I am down to 258, I have many more options.

My best surprise last night - Dawn grabbed me a couple pair of pants, since mine are getting ridiculous.  She grabbed a 40/30 and a 38/30.  I went ahead and tried the 38" waist pair and.. they fit. I could sit comfortably, didn't need a belt to keep them up, etc.

I've lost 4 inches from my waist, the pair I walked into the store wearing (which I got about 4 months ago) were 42" waist.

Woo!

She picked a very nice shirt for me too. I'll have a picture tomorrow of course.

Anyway, it was a great mood booster. I needed it this week, as I have been hurting the last few days and it is only now finally abating.  I want to be ready to rock the walk this Sunday.

Not any more, sarcastic yellow guy. Take that.

Overdoing it.

Monday night about 8pm, I started to have a really nasty ache in my chest, upper shoulders and back.  It came on gradually but didn't take too long to rear up and kick my butt.

I was freaking out about it at first.  Understandably.. but, then I thought about what I'd been up to recently and came to the conclusion I was most likely suffered from kicking my own ass this past weekend by running - and running in the cold, to boot.

I've run into this before - delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) - when I first went to the gym in early 2010.  Work out, feel good... then 24-48 hours later, your muscles feel like they are shredded and burn and ache like hell.  This time it's the muscles in my chest and lungs, thanks to breathing harder than I am used to, and out in the nice 33 degree air for that matter.

I wasn't able to sleep until 2am and that means I got about 4 hours of sleep before work Tuesday. I was a zombie all day and barely remember what I was up to.  Took lots of potent ibuprofen and got good sleep last night. Today I feel just fine, but a little sleepy.

Dawn and I swung by the mall to get our Xmas cards (we have Kits Camera print them up after she designs them) - and I had a very tasty Chinese chicken salad from Claim Jumper, pictured above.  Not too bad - 430 calories of salad, 90 for dressing, which I didn't add extra.  Looking at the nutrition guide there - they have a chicken broccoli alfredo which is 3000+ calories.

Sweet bippy!

Making smarter food choices lately has definitely done me lots of favors.

In other news, it looks like people I know have donated $106 towards the Jingle Bell Run/Walk this weekend in sponsorship of me. That's really awesome! Thanks all, it is for a good cause.
Alrighty, short blog this time. I have lots of stuff to get done, over and out, kaybye.

Rocky Horror

This past Saturday, December 3rd, Leslie and Dawn's book club decided to go see Rocky Horror Picture Show in West Seattle.  Jason and I tagged along for the ride, so there were 7 of us in total.  I haven't been to see Rocky Horror since about 1996.

The show was at the Admiral Theater which was a first for me. It is a pretty run down old joint but that sort of fit Rocky Horror just perfectly and I can see how it'd be a good place to go see a creepy movie sometime.

Before the show, we ate at a little bar/Mexican restaurant about a hundred feet away called Mission.  They had some pretty good food there, but the staff didn't do a very good job of paying much attention to us most of the time.  Fortunately we weren't in much of a hurry.

Dawn got some very tasty stuffed jalapenos while we were waiting for the others to show up, they had peaches and crème fraîche inside, and weren't seeded - nice and spicy. Definitely recommended.

They looked to have a very well-stocked bar as well and an attractive display of the bottles, etc, but alcohol is still off my list for the time being so I admired it quietly from afar. ;)

I ordered pork carnitas for dinner - this is a dish I have discovered I really like at other places too.  You can even get a pretty decent facsimile of it at a Chipotle if you go for the carnitas tacos and only have them add their mile (chunky) and medium salsa.

At mission, they looked like this, and they were full of goodness.  I love simple little bits of food like this, and corn tortillas are much healthier than flour.  My picture is kind of terrible, but the lighting wasn't very friendly to photos and I don't want to be that guy using a flash to take photos of his dinner.. it'd be a little odd.

I'm going to try making my own version of these at home and coming up with a good recipe to share. Basically they are just marinated pulled pork served in warm corn tortillas with some diced onion, fresh salsa and cilantro.  I thought the crème fraîche was good but I could live without it, the flavor here comes from the pork and the salsa.  I figure about 170 calories for the pork, 20-30 for the salsa, barely anything for onion, and a corn tortilla is about 50-60 calories.  A meal of three of these was probably in the 700-800 calorie range with the extra stuff in there.  We'll see what my version turns out like, since I'll be trying to trim that up.

Photos outside the theater.

The show was pretty awesome.  It's the first time I've seen Rocky Horror with a live theater crew performing the movie and the guys there did a great job of entertaining everyone. Predictably, tons of people were there in the audience and most of them decked out in various states of costume or undress.  There was an initiation for the first-time showgoers which Jason and I took part in, him  more than I, by luck of the random draw of a card - literally.

Theater Two at the Admiral.

We all had a pretty good time, and Dawn is interested in going back to see it again sometime.  I've not spent much time in that neighborhood but it was pretty fun to hang out there.  I really like relaxing at a bar like that for a few hours and bullshitting with friends, it's a pretty awesome way to spend a weekend evening.

To wrap things up, I'll just toss a few more pictures at you.  There was some pretty cool artwork posted in the theater lobby and I snagged a few shots of that. All in all an awesome Saturday.  Sunday morning, I went out and did my walk and then helped Dawn get the rest of our Christmas decorations up so we're all set for the holidays in that regard. It was a great weekend. :)

From the Mission wall.

Another from the wall.

Artwork in the Admiral Theater lobby.

My favorite. ;)

Monday Weigh In + Jingle Bells Walks and Donations.

Click for Ze Beeg Version™

Good morning, peeps.

My weigh-in this morning is 257 even, it was another successful week where I shed about 4 pounds and had some fun new things happen which I shall discuss.  It's looking more and more like I might hit my mini-goal of 250 by the end of the year. I'm pretty stoked about that, 7 pounds to go and about 26 days, yeah I think I can do that.  Here's a little peek at my numbers as well for my total health plan.  I still can't quite believe them but I am enjoying the results every day:

I have a pretty long way to go still and it is going to get much tougher from here on out.  I think my metabolism is in proper working order now, and I definitely have my appetite under much better control.  I'm going to guess that my weight loss will start to slow over the next few months as a combination of holidays and vacations kick in, and it gets colder and nastier outdoors and harder to get out there and walk.  I'm going to have to hit the gym again in order to keep it going, which I have been wanting to do for a while now anyway.  I'm sure it'll just become another part of the routine like anything - I did it before, I can do it again. This time with more energy and certainly much more focus.

Ducks on the golf course, having a bath.

I did a personal experiment this weekend when I did my walks on the college trail - both Saturday and Sunday.  I tried jogging part of the trail to see  how it would go.  Saturday, I wan the whole leg of the trail along 207th, and then ran the paved part of the trail which dips into the college parking lot. I'd say that's about 1/4 of the total trail overall.  Sunday, I walked the opposite direction and did the same.

Result? Ouch. I am feeling it - my left hip was aching a bit yesterday, and my muscles are awake and letting me know they are aware I upped the game this morning.  But both days, I was about to do the 2.5 miles in about 38 minutes, not bad. On average it means I'm doing a 15-minute mile.  Jogging the entire path has definitely become an appealing goal, but I am not quite ready.  Fortunately, it's less because of being out of breath etc. and more because my body needs a bit more fitness (which the gym will help with) - to make it realistic.

Saturday this weekend, I went down to West Seattle with Dawn, Jason and Leslie and we did something pretty awesome. More on that in tomorrow's post. :)

We also got our Christmas decorations up - 90% of the way, I still have a couple more small things to do.  Here's a picture of the tree, Dawn always does a fantastic job with it and this year was no exception.  We have family over for Xmas every year.

Time for something a little more serious + fun, too:

The Seattle Jingle Bell 5K Walk/Run

I have a walking event coming up thanks to Leslie + Parul. This weekend is the Seattle Jingle Bell Run and I am going along for the shenanigans.  I will be walking 5K - about 3.2 miles, with jingle bells tied to me.  This event is held every with the goal of raising funds in the name of preventing, controlling and curing arthritis. 

If you feel so inclined, it is possible to make a donation to support my fundraising goal which I have set at $100. If you'd like to do that, please check out the following link, but that is certainly nothing I'd pressure anyone into.

http://seattlejinglebellrun.kintera.org/mkrepela

Here's a map showing the route!

Pix or it didn't happen.

You already know I am full of hot air, so here is a picture to prove it - Dawn snapped this one of me Thanksgiving day demonstrating how cold it is.  Also, I guess, to show how my beard is turning very grey these days. Damn you, passage of time. Hey, maybe this means I am filled with wisdom!

Yeah, I can't back that up. ;)

So this morning I am down to 257.5 pounds, a drop of 3.5 since Monday, but then I have been working on that, getting more than 5K steps/day on purpose and not taking shortcuts for anything.

Figured it was probably about time to post another pic since I think the last one was sometime in early November.  Hey, I'm shaped more like a kidney bean from the side now and less like a tomato - I'll take it! Here you go, folks.



I has skinny legs now. My pants are huge!

 I am running into a bit of a problem when it comes to my wardrobe, namely, almost none of my clothes fit any more. That includes jackets, shoes and socks, pants, etc.  It's a good and a bad problem to have, as clothing can get a bit spendy and (knock on wood) I am going to do down more sizes before I am done with the battle of Mark vs. Mark.

I've rediscovered the simple joy in a few things lately. Things such as, being able to sit cross-legged on a couch and be comfortable for a long period of time. Being able to actually feel my ribcage.  Looking down and seeing feet. Etc.

I'm not blogging every day any more, because I fear that I will simply run out of things to put up here that are more interesting than, "Yesterday I did blah blah blah."  But I am still updating with my milestones and any time I think I need to share something.  This blog is mostly for me, anyway, but I am pleased that at least a few other people are reading it here and there and I hope it has been helpful.  If nothing else, maybe you have tried some of the recipes. If not, seriously, try the chili lime chicken marinade, or the chili. Fan-tastic.

I have a lot of goals for the next few years and some of them are only lately becoming more realistic to me.  Achieving success as I have to far in my health has really given me more self confidence in general, and I think it is paying off.  I feel like doing more things, and I feel my creative side awakening, which is awesome.  In college I used to make music, write stories and poetry, draw, sculpt.. you name it, and over the last 15 years I have slowly wound down and down and down.

Those of you reading who don't maybe know, I have another website - my Tumblr site, where you can check out some of my creative stuff.  it's right here: krepela.tumblr.com

I can't thank my wife enough for being awesome during the last few months and supporting me.  She is a hell of a creative chicka herself, a writer, photographer, baker, glass-maker and so much more.  I'm a lucky guy to have such a fantastic person at my side always.  My friends have been awesome too, very supportive of changes.

I am really looking forward to 2012. There's a rumor the world is supposed to end. I don't think so, I think it's going to begin anew personally.

Thanksgiving 2011 - Photos and stuff.

We have developed a pattern over the years with the 2 end of year holidays.  Thanksgiving, Joanne has everyone over to her house, and Christmas, Dawn and I have everyone over to ours.  We had about 18 people for Thanksgiving this year, friends and family.  It was a great time.

We always make 2 turkeys, Joanne does one in the oven (pictured at the start of this entry) - and then there is a deep-fried turkey done outside.  It gives the menfolk something to do, gathering around the bubbling oil where they would otherwise congregate on a BBQ if one was being used.

Deep Frying a turkey is dangerous.  You read about people every year burning themselves, burning down houses, etc.  The combination of hot oil, fire, ice, and people's overall general dumbness is an accident waiting to happen.  Ken has it down to a science though - we've never had any problems, are very careful and in just 45 minutes we wind up with a turkey that is extremely juicy and delicious, always a big hit.

Every year now, Tessa (my brother's daughter) helps me prepare a secret sauce from whatever random hot sauces and flavorings Joanne has lurking in her fridge and cabinets, and we inject it into the bird before it goes to the deep fryer.  This year, she had help from Wendy, Kathleen's daughter.  Here are the two of them injecting the bird with a scary Dr. Frankenstein needle.

After this, the bird has to be places on a metal support with some hooks, and then wire has to be tied around the legs to keep them in place so it can be lowered into the hot oil.  Here's a pic of Ken doing this part of things.

Ken is the master of the deep fried turkey.  He has a whole rig for it - a cooking pot with thermometer, a chain to hang the cooked turkey from while it drains, and he even had a portable tent this year which we really needed, as it was pouring rain all day long.

I'll take rain over ice though - last Thanksgiving Dawn slid on the driveway when we were arriving and broker her arm, and we spent the morning in the ER at a nearby hospital getting her fixed up.  She earned her '1 year accident free' badge this Thanksgiving. :)

Here are a couple more shots of the turkey cooking process:



Bird in the fryer



Cooked, hanging up to drip for a minute.



Bill carvin' up the turkey!

What I like most about Thanksgiving is having so many people together, the chance to chat and see one another and accomplish a nice meal as a team.  Everyone does their part - even if their part is to watch what is going on and eat the goodness. :)

Joanne was kind enough this year to prepare a special side dish as well for those of us watching calories and carbs.. a nice stir fry of long green beans and mushrooms with no sauce on them, no salt, etc.  Of course being Thanksgiving, I did try some of the other stuff offered, but I kept it sane and took small portions.

Stir Fry goodness on the side.

Parul helped out in the kitchen too and made some gravy.  It turned out awesome, he did it last year too.  Teamwork!

Once everything was done, we assembled several tables banquet-style and everyone got down to the very serious business of eating.  It might be the only thing that can really keep my family quiet, mouthfuls of awesome holiday chow.

No big family meal is complete without dessert however.  This year we had 2 items, a pumpkin pie and a black forest cake that Dawn put together.  It was her first try making one - a three layer cake with whipped cream frosting and tart cherries.  It came out awesome, and she had a lot of fun making it.  It was a very fun holiday and we all had a great time.  After dinner, there were some card games, and the typical round of sit and watch TV while digesting.  This year the dog show had minimal screen time, surprisingly - we spent more watching a show called 'Swampsgiving' - which seemed to be all about fat, overall-clad rednecks hunting things with shotguns, and later we followed it up with "Pumpkin Chunkin" - a contest where other, more technology-friendly rednecks construct towering machines which launch pumpkins through the air for almost a mile.

My dinner. Turkey, bean stir fry and salad. Healthy. :)

Just a few more photos, for fun, to wrap this all up.

 

BTW - there were loads of other people here, I don't have pix of them all. I'm counting on Parul's mad photography skills for that, and his Flickr. ;)