MsCezanne's Odyssey

Big Thanksgiving dinners are always a collaborative effort, people are given tasks to carry out, responsibilities are assigned, and hopefully everything comes together. In the past I've been a foot soldier, or perhaps a bit of a commando, told to bring something. I've also run my own kitchen, asking people to bring things. This year was my first time running the dinner with genuine subordinates.

I loved it.

Everything came out just how I had hoped it would. Everyone listened, everyone got along, there was no shouting, no messes, and no complaints.

I loved it!

The hardest part about this year was calculating how much food we'd prepare. I've got a good feel for how much Ian eats. I'm not quite as expert on my own appetite or Amy's, but I can ballpark us pretty good. Feeding skinny people is pretty easy, even on Thanksgiving. The biggest question mark is Michel's boyfriend Alex. I know he can eat, but I don't know his tastes or pacing very well. In the end, we were pretty close to spot on, over preparing only by a serving or two. Michelle couldn't believe how much food we had, but by the end of the night, she was a believer.

Tommy had made up a pumpkin cheesecake, and this was our only miscalculation: it was a big hit, and everyone wanted more.

The best reward to a well prepared meal is getting to watch people enjoy it. I've managed to find myself a very appreciative audience for my meal. Ian and Amy are the ones who I know best, so the meal was definitely skewed towards them. Alex ate as much as they did though, so I know that I'd put together something he enjoyed. All the skinny people ate what I expected them too, and they all enjoyed it as much as anyone else. I do think Ian enjoyed it the most, but maybe I just respond to him better than anyone else who was there.

Now, as much as I enjoy watching people enjoy their meal, to someone with my sensibilities, I'm also interested in how much they've eaten. I'm ALSO interested in the effects of their meal. Without a doubt, Alex had the biggest effect. Watching him get off the couch when it was time to head out was comical, in fact, he reminded me of me getting up! He's not as used to the weight as Ian and Amy, so I'm sure that's part of it. Amy and Ian both have developed techniques for getting up that work for them. I suppose Alex will learn.

With that in mind, I think Amy's parting waddle was quite nice to watch. I could see she was trying to keep her steps small so as to keep her body's movement as small as possible. It took her a while to get out the elevator, it was very cute.

My final reward for the night was snuggling up with Ian in bed. He always looks so happy after a great meal (I try to make him as happy as good wife cane). I love how he looks now more than ever, fat just has a beauty all its own. In some ways, Ian's fat controls him more than he controls it. It dictates how he lives his life, how he walks, where he goes, what he wears. It moves with a rhythm of its own. In bed, it takes over as well.

He's been so good. He really deserves to reach 600 pounds. I hope we can make it happen.