A feast for the eyes

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You can’t taste the goodness of the Thanksgiving gathering at The Rite Spot, but at least you can see how it looked.

The meats: ham, chicken, and turkey, before being chopped up and moved to the roof. There are also mashed potatoes, candied yams, bread, as well as a lasagna that one of the guests provided.
Turkey ready for eating
Sliced ham
Chopped up chicken
Swan’s green bean casserole
Mashed potatoes
Carrots and potato
A cake provided by a guest. We also had pumpkin, pecan, and apple pies

I apparently neglected to photograph the fruit salad and candied yams. There was also dressing and gravy.

I wasn’t sure how many to expect. I put the word out; some acknowledged it, while others kept their options open. A couple I was expecting messaged later that they couldn’t attend. I told folks we’d start drinking at three and eating around four, but not many people were present when we kicked off the feast. I figured we’d have plenty of leftovers, but some members of Swan’s family showed up later (that’s how Filipino time works), and we filled the seats.

Time to eat
The chow line
My plate with a little bit of everything and some fruit salad on the side. I enjoyed gnawing on a drumstick for the first time in years. Hey, I wouldn’t have moved to the Philippines if I didn’t like dark meat!
As usual, the gals sat at their own table.
The mom’s and kids gathered here
Time passed, and the sun faded away
It should come as no surprise that karaoke broke out
Swan worked her ass off in the kitchen and did a great job. She was having fun on the roof with friends and family
A couple of Swan’s nieces
Rockin’ on into the night
Checking the status of the food tables
The meats and lasagna took big hits
And so did the sides
People all over the world love my Aunt Pat’s recipe fruit salad
The candied yams had a few fans, too
Mercy loved the yams so much that she wanted to bring some home.

We had bought some takeout containers to give away whatever leftovers remained. Quite a few folks brought the sides and desserts home with them when the party ended. My one-day reprieve from the diet was over and I didn’t need any temptations hanging around the house.

During the festivities, I downed a record-setting fourteen bottles of San Miguel Zero beer. The leftovers won’t be much of a temptation because I rarely drink at home unless I have guests to entertain.

And now for the damage done:

Good thing I didn’t go back for seconds. Except for the pecan pie.

Back on track today. No breakfast and a 7K hike that included another climb up to the Kalaklan Ridge. I weighed myself just now, and I’m at 246.6, DOWN one pound from yesterday. Go figure.

Anyway, it turned out to be a nice gathering, and I enjoyed hanging out with the guys and downing lots of beers. I’m thankful for that opportunity.

Facebook memories presented a video I posted twelve years ago of me playing in the finals of a dart tournament: “Finals of 11/17/2012 KDF tourney in Seoul featuring Alister “All-Star” Tarbett (Scotland) versus John “The Walrus” McCrarey (USA). Best of 5 501 legs. John took the first two legs, Alister came back to take the next two, setting up a classic showdown in the final leg.”

Spoiler alert: I won

Today’s YouTube video advises avoiding ten common mistakes retired expats make. I’ve made some of these, but after more than six years here, I’ve learned to avoid most self-inflicted problems.

Today’s dose of humor:

My body, my choice
The other guy appears to be stone cold sober
When I want to engage in self-reflection, I look in the mirror

Okay, what’s next? I’m skipping the SOB this week in favor of a relaxing evening on Baloy Beach. I guess I’m just In The Mood.

7 thoughts on “A feast for the eyes”

  1. Did I infer correctly from the video that you won your dart match back then?

    Looks like a fine feast and that a good time was had by all.

    Agree that it is okay to splurge occasionally. Otherwise, something like a diet becomes too much of a chore.

  2. Wow, almost 4500 calories and 14 beers and still down a pound. Maybe you burned it off carrying all that food up and down the stairs.I drank about 10 beers once , But I was 18 and stationed in Korea. One beer is about all I can handle now.

  4. Terry, I’m guessing those calories hadn’t kicked in yet when I weighed myself. We’ll see what happens next week.

    Well, I drink low-alcohol beer (3%) so it is about half the power of regular beer. When Zero isn’t available, I have to remind myself to slow down…

  5. Brian, yes I managed to throw just well enough to win. It came down to the out shot; he missed, I didn’t.

    It was a great cheat day that I’m thankful for, but now it is back to the grind. Once I achieve my target weight (under 200 pounds) I might see how a weekly cheat day works out.

  6. Strewth! Looks like a killer spread, mate!

    Any PagPag from Jolibee for the natives?

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