Thankful For...

What'm'I thankful for?

I'm thankful I was born when I was; any earlier and it would've been a lot more difficult to get where I am.

I'm thankful for my family, even when we don't get along. I haven't helped it, having recently complained to a mass e-mail list about a semi-fake, mass e-mailed "virus alert," with the usual warning about "don't open attachments to any e-mail with the subject line [BLANK]" and years out of date. Hey, here's an idea, don't open e-mail attachments, period. There are usually alternatives for things like e-cards. Why is it the same people who send you these things also send out e-mail with huge attachments and subject lines like TOO CUTE!! or IT MAKES ME PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN, the latter as if the accomplishments of the last 234 years pale in comparision to a staged photo of fighter jets over the Statue of Liberty? But never mind; gripe about lousy netiquette and you, too can be considered an unfeeling brute. --All that aside, having a family still beats growing up in the gutters and alleyways and I believe mine managed to greatly exceed the minimum recommended daily amount of Family Goodness. Bless and keep 'em all.

I am thankful for the cats that stuck with me for nearly 20 and 21 years. I still miss them.

I'm thankful to have a job. I complain about it sometimes; I'm always on call, we work regular overtime and there aren't a lot of holidays, but it sure beats not working. In over twenty years, I have never had a paycheck bounce and the few times my hours were questioned, it was because I was suspected of under-reporting them.

I'm thankful to have friends. I am a difficult person, emotionally distant and not much of a conversationalist. I'm happy -- and, really, amazed -- that some folks will tolerate it.

I'm thankful for blogging. It's a good creative outlet.

--And I'm thankful for readers. I'd probably still be blogging if I didn't have any (I used to joke that my blog was for me and the search-engine 'bots) but having folks read and comment is a huge plus! The quality of commenters here is a source of delight; the overwhelming majority of you are clever and well-informed. (The other 1% are, of course, spam-bots; and they don't count).

Have a good Thanksgiving!