After this past Thanksgiving week, I think I’m going to have to ask Alan and Brent to approve the purchase of an office treadmill to help work off the extra pounds I put on at two family feasts.

The way things work out, it’s easier for my mom in Parker to host Thanksgiving the weekend following the actual holiday. As a result, that leaves me free to join Jenn and her family at their Thanksgiving gathering on the day of the main event.

Every year I tell myself that I’m going to try to eat like a reasonable human being and sometimes I actually achieve that goal. This year, however, I found myself venturing to what I like to call “the dark place.”

If my eyes were any bigger than my stomach, I would have fallen over due to how top heavy I had become.

On Thanksgiving Day, there were plenty of snacks spread across the kitchen to munch on while waiting for the turkey to finish smoking.

Once the bird was cooked to perfection, I basically lost control of all sense. I’d fall back on the excuse that I “blacked out for a bit,” but that’s not the case. I was fully aware of what I was doing and yet I did it anyway.

From the mashed potatoes and candied yams to the green beans, stuffing and beyond, I piled my plate nice and high.

Even worse, I lacked the self-control to at least stop myself from going back for seconds.

“I only get to do this once a year,” I argued with myself. “It’s special, because of the holidays.”

At least nobody can accuse me of wasting food. Still, I ain’t proud of the Thanksgiving gobbler I became.

I stumbled from the table to the nearest couch, where I quickly slipped into a turkey-induced coma. And that’s where I stayed until one of the young’uns decided the thing that I really needed most in my life was to be tackle-hugged out of my slumber. Honestly, being violently snuggled isn’t a bad way to wake up, even if you’re still in the midst of a food hangover.

It also can’t be said that I don’t learn from my mistakes.

Two days later I was in Parker and my mom had laid out another tremendous feast.

My plate was no slouch during Thanksgiving: Part Two, but I managed to keep myself from going overboard and stuck to just a single serving this time around.

Heck, I didn’t even need to take a nap afterward!

When I sat down to write this, my plan was to talk about all of the things I’m thankful for this year. Instead, it became a diary of shame. I guess my guilt just got the better of me.

But in all seriousness, I’m a truly thankful guy. I’ve got an amazing family, fantastic friends, wonderful co-workers and a job covering a town I’m legitimately proud to call my home.

From the local level to a global scale, 2017 has had more than its fair share of downs to go along with the ups, but we’re all managing to live, learn and grow through it together.

There’s still a lot of work to be done but, for now, I choose to snack on some leftovers and focus on the positives.