Good morning. First, we are incredibly thankful to you and the other 1949 people receiving this week's newsletter. Here is my
unsolicited advice on how to handle the big day tomorrow.
Oh great! I put up with this health freak all year and now he is going to try and spoil my Thanksgiving!No ma'am
(tipping cowboy hat), just trying to make it more special. You can thank me later.
1. Start the day by planning to have Thanksgiving at
someone else's house - this takes away a lot of stress (stress invites eating)
and keeps you out of the kitchen. Win-Win. It also allows you to go participate in an event tomorrow morning. In Columbus, I recommend Pilgrim's Progress at Polaris Mall (
http://tinyurl.com/plgprg) or Walk with a Doc - "A Very Special Thanksgiving Edition" at Hoff Woods Park off McCorkle in Westerville - 8:30 a.m. This burns the calories and gets your metabolism hopping early.
2.
Stay hydrated. Start now. Keeping that belly full keeps you from extra portions. No, hydrating yourself with
gravy does not count.
3.
Apples. Great trick. Doesn't matter what species. Apples are low in calories and full of fiber and water to keep you full. We recommend first confirming the number of bathrooms (and their decibel rating) available at your host's Thanksgiving House.
...Oh that's gross! I don't remember him being this crude. Henry, come read this! Do you think the doctor wrote this week's e-mail? I bet he is on vacation with that beautiful family of his. I'll bet you that Kathryn wrote it this week. 4.
Small portions. Fill the plate with vegetables first, then some turkey and leave little space for the other stuff. Go ahead and sample everything, just keep it real.
5.
Eat breakfast and lunch - This way you don't enter your guest's home like a bloodhound searching for the mixed nuts bowl. You are calm, cool, and collected.
"Mary, welcome to our house. Can I get you some egg nog? Mixed nuts? Bowl of gravy? Oh no thanks, Michael - I'm stuffed - how 'bout a pitcher of water and bowl of apples. Just curious Mike, do you guys have a bathroom in the basement?
....yup Henry, this newsletter has Kathryn written ALL over it!6. Try a couple (
bites of) desserts - We don't want everyone snapping at us on Saturday (WWAD at Highbanks, November 28th, 8:30) that we OWE you. That we ruined your Thanksgiving!
7. Before you settle into that infamous (
make-believe) tryptophan-induced coma, offer to take the host's pet for a 10-15 minute walk. They certainly will be grateful for your generosity. If all they have is a cat, I would
not ask permission. They probably don't usually take the cat for a walk and will think it's weird. The weather will probably be cool enough for you to not look suspicious wearing a coat. Sneak the cat under the coat right before you leave. If he starts hissing, sing one of your favorite Thanksgiving songs - just loud enough to cover the awkwardness of the situation - and yet not draw significant attention to yourself. Slowly back out of the front door constantly reassuring everyone that you will be back shortly. That's how I would do it. But, that's me.
*This newsletter is dedicated the beautiful turkeys we met at Circle G/Lazy K in mid October; 2 weeks before their fateful November 6th drive "to the farm".
Circle of Life - Sweet Gobblers - Circle of Life.
