Alas, the one located geographically closest to me comprises an 8K course...which is just a tad ambitious for this recreational runner. However, a couple of years ago our bootcamp leader (K) informed me of an alternate race that includes a much friendlier 5K option...and a new tradition was born. Now, in 2018 I got the whole fam to come along with me (to my slight surprise, due to the "waking up early and, you know, exercising on a day dedicated pretty much to eating...and lounging on the couch watching sports"). But this year, Riley said he didn't want to do it...Husband is still experiencing residual pain from the ankle bone he broke several months ago...and Derek obviously wasn't going to commit without his jogging buddy (that would be "Dad", NOT his brother, who's far too speedy for any of us to match).Honestly, though, this was totally okay with me, since I knew I'd have my usual partner-in-crime--um, "fitness friend"--to keep me company. Plus, a bonus-J-pal from our workout gang decided she'd join us as well, making it an even merrier little band. And then...things got even awesomer...when K announced that she and her uncle planned to wear costumes to the shindig...and J was so inspired/enthused that she jumped on that bandwagon as well. So that meant I'd find myself hanging out with a fork and knife and spoon....basically your full complement of utensils is what I'm getting at, y'all. And...well...while I wasn't exactly inclined to deck myself out in full dress-up gear, my creative tribe motivated me to figure out some way to go with the festive mood. Which led to me happily purchasing a Fall-themed tutu for the occasion. Yep, we were gonna be quite the spectacle, folks. (And boy, was the Male Trio ecstatic...and relieved that they weren't attending, when I gleefully shared all of these shenanigans...)
So there we were on Thanksgiving morning, surrounded by the throngs of like-minded active men, women, and kids...and garnering a fair amount of attention. (Or should I say: not really ME, whose cheerful skirt went practically unnoticed next to my fabulously silver-garbed contingent!) Glancing around, I read faces full of amusement...approval...and maybe even admiration?--although to be fair, that could have been either "Wow, that's so clever!" or "Jeez, they're awfully brave to show up that way!" But the absolute BEST moment came when we'd all finished our loop, and J reported that she'd entertained herself--and others, apparently--by chasing small children with a mock-serious growl and pretending she was going to gobble them up. PRICELESS. (Yeeaahhh...I suspect this is only the beginning of what is going to become an even more elaborate collaboration in years to come...stay tuned, turkeys!)
And speaking of turkeys...and such: the guys and I tackled our Second Annual November Culinary Extravaganza, to create an evening repast worthy of both groups of pilgrims--carnivores and vegetarians, that is. Fortunately, I'd thought to record what we did last year, since we'd enjoyed the results, and it'd obviously be easier just to recreate the magic, as it were. This meant a Butterball breast rather than a whole bird, gluten-free stuffing we could ALL partake of, the standard mashed potatoes, and two varieties of cranberry sauce (because the dudes utterly reject the idea of--heaven forbid--whole berries in their canned fruit product). Since I don't actually consume most of these items, I made a serving of roasted Brussels sprouts for myself. I did incidentally offer to cook them for everyone else as well, but they feigned horror at the notion of slipping a bona fide vegetable dish in amidst the carbo-palooza, so the green stuff was all mine. (Whoo hoo!)
And that's about it for TG 2019. After that, it was all post-meal-coma and chilling in front of the TV for our household. It was a lovely way to kick off the holiday season...now let's cue up some fa la la tunes, dig out those yule decorations...and think about getting back to some light salads...tomorrow!
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