"Step Away from That Scale!" or "A Thanksgiving Retrospective."

I promise I won't step on the scale this morning if you promise not to. Promise? For real? Pinky swear? I'm serious. It won't do you any good or tell you anything significant other than you had a minimum 4-day trip in Excessville. And here, if it makes you feel any better, I'll go first. 

Wednesday night: Mexican casserole a la Mom. Superyum. I had seconds. Seconds WITH sour cream and guacamole. 

Thursday: Eggs, REAL bacon and biscuits a la Dad. Then: turkey, dressing, casseroles x 3, wine, green beans, cranberries...you know the drill. I opted out of the pumpkin pie (it's not my favorite) for a big, fat black and white cookie. Later that night? Left over Mexican casserole. 

Friday: Pancakes, REAL bacon. No official lunch, but we cleared a cheese plate around 3pm. Then, Dad made ribs with macaroni salad and coleslaw. Later that night I made homemade hot chocolate to go along with the homemade marshmallows I brought (oh, did I mention I did this? No? Maybe a DIY tutorial to come. They are GOOD!). 

Saturday: Thanksgiving, Part II. Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, asparagus, cranberries, gravy...again, you know the drill. Later that night? Chocolate Pecan Pie. Two pieces. With Cool Whip.

Sunday: Eggs, REAL bacon, biscuits, grits, sliced tomatoes.

Does this make you feel any better? Good, because my little trip down food memory lane has terrified me. :)

With all that being said, I have to focus on the wonderfulness of the week and all that I have to be thankful for.  

On Tuesday I was invited to join my dad an his biker buddies for their weekly motorcycle trip. Me and several other totally old dudes met for breakfast first. After eating (eggs, biscuits...God, I love the South), we headed out on the hogs for places unknown. My dad convinced me that riding with my camera would be an OK thing to do. I was terrified of doing so, but SO glad I did. Here are some shots I got from the back of my dad's hog. 

We stopped at a nameless gas station on the corner of Hwy 80 and Hwy 56 Spur in the CSRA (Central Savannah River Area) portion of Georgia. The potty was way in the back of the building and you had to go through a warehouse of sorts to reach it. There were all kinds of cool things in this warehouse area. I took a few pictures of all that stuff too. 

Let's see, we've got a boar's head, the paper tape for the oldest cash register I've ever seen, a Budweiser clock, an old Round Oak Stove, some children's ice skates. I could have spent all day in here, just marveling at all the old goodies. I'm not even sure if they were for sale!

We stopped in Statesboro, GA, for lunch and I got to swap lies with the old dudes again before we headed back home for the day. The weather was stunning and the scenery was divine. All these guys have got all the best gear. We can talk to eat other with microphones and headsets built right into the helmets. The other guys can talk to each other via CB and I can hear it as well. After a long, slow turn one of the guys comes over the CB and tells us how pretty the turn was, "All I saw was one helmet!" When you're the pilot behind 900 pounds of motorcycle, keeping balanced is kinda important. My dad immediately explained how this was a compliment to us both! The best part was when we arrived back home. All the bikers started to peel off, heading for home in various parts of their neighborhood. Everyone jumped on the CB and wished me well. It felt a little like that last scene in Stand By Me, where all the kids head home after a long trip together. It was a bit surreal and really special.  

But the best part about this weekend was seeing family. We got to see my aunt and uncle, my cousins and all their kids. For some, it was the first time they had met The Candyman. They welcomed him with open arms and by the end of the afternoon, The Candyman and my cousin's husband (an attorney with JAG) were swapping court room stories like they were old friends. Later, as we were piling into the car to leave, my cousin shouted out to The Candyman, "Welcome to the family!" and my heart just about burst out of my chest with happiness. 

The Candyman and I are still shocked that we are married. About once a week one of us will exclaim,"Holy crap! We're MARRIED!" It feels good to have this sort of revelation every so often. It reminds me of our wedding day - always a good thing to recall. The Candyman talks often about "providing for his family." Sometimes this comment ruffles my internal feathers because my internal knee-jerk reaction tends to be "I can take care of myself, thank you very much!" But then I as quickly as the thought comes, it passes. Why? Because the fact that we are a family, whether we add to it or not, is indeed a fact. Me and The Candyman are a family and I love that. 

I hope your day of thanks was filling, both in your tummy and in your heart. I know mine was. And remember...step away from the scale. Give yourself a week of salads before you even get near it. 

Comments

[flo]

The scale avoidance thing.......right on! No way am I getting near that thing. And we are all proud to have The Candyman in the family.

[Blabbermouse]

I do not weigh myself anymore. EVER. I go strictly with how I feel and I'm much much better off this way. Love the pictures. And the shot of your identical twin mother! Jeezoos!