November 29. Thanks Giving

Ok , it was 6 days ago. Can’t say I know much about it. It didn’t help to be away as we did have an option to go to somebody’s place . Next year should be more inclusive.The whole of Denver was practically a ghost town on the day, nearly everything was shut ..I had to cheat to find out about its origin ,safari. Thanks Giving is held on the last Thursday of every November . It originated from the first pilgrims celebrating the end of harvest with a feast . 1629 is the generally accepted beginning . Turkey is the signature dish , apparently originating from the hunting of wild fowl for the harvest feast . Somehow I thought it had something to do with Christmas dinner where of course the Yanks had to it their way and have it a month early . The Howard’s did feast out and in a big way . We ended up at a banquet in a hotel in Denver . The day is all about the squeeze, get as much in you’re gob and try and get home before you lay on the floor and sleep.The beauty of going to a public place in Denver for Thanks Giving is the people watching . You can imagine there are some serious eaters over here and this Thanks Giving banquet didn’t disappoint. I should of took the moral high ground , but fuck it , I’m joining in . A turkey leg(huge), a superb flank of sirloin steak ( massive),prawns(shrimp), salmon ,antipasto platter,roast vegetables and 3 serves of dessert got me warmed up . A couple of beers and half a bottle of wine washed it down nicely .By the end of the night I didnt think I could walk to the cab . Don’t worry there were people here who seriously might’ve started with my my gorge before doubling up .Each year it is well documented that some NFL players compete in a challenge to gain as much weight on Thanks Giving . Last year Buffalo Bills guard Richie Incognito won with 15pounds.(7 kilograms). They say the day after Thanks Giving is the biggest day of the year for plumbers , not me .I was blocked up for 3 days on protein. The strategy is to leave the starch out and to get off the beer , allowing ones self a better chance to ‘meat up.’ It worked.Of course there were repercussions , emissions. I soon became Mick the master farter with his double jointed arse. There are subtle differences in the fare eaten on Thanks Giving compared to Christmas Day in Australia . Pumpkin pie is the main one . They love it , worship it in fact . I made up my mind , it’s gotta be shit . A sweet pumpkin pie as a dessert . Who does that ? …… I take it back . The pie I tasted was light and fluffy and subtly flavoured with cinnamon and a hint of clove . Sweet but not overly rich . That’s disappointing, I wanted to take it down . Cinnamon is an American favourite . They use it with a lot of desserts and also in coffee and tea (yuck).Their gravies and sauces tend to be sweetened a lot as well . I have come around to this , never thought I would .Blue cheese sauce is big here as well . I thought it worked well on salad . They love it on meat and burgers , too rich I reckon. The alcohol is a bit different too .Eggnog ??? Unfortunately they didn’t have that .They have a drink with heated cider , spices and either rum or whisky . It looked disgusting , sounded no better but shit it tasted all right . I’m telling you , the Yanks know their way around liquor . I’m learning that fast , maybe too fast . Judgement? …. It’s Christmas Day without the presents.