Today I'm thankful for ...

With all the divisiveness on the various threads here -- Trump, Hill, Vegas, etc. -- I thought it would be nice if we could step away from those, if only for a moment, to say what we're thankful for, to realize that, whatever's going on, most of us have it pretty good. Today I'm thankful for:

My two smart, funny, exasperating girls.

My lovely supportive wife.

The great job interview I had yesterday.

That the world might be spared a Cubs repeat if the Nationals get it done tonight.

Cuties being back in season, those sweet, seedless, hybrid biodiversity killing oranges. Goddamn they're good.

The cold can of Dead Guy Ale on the end table next to me.

 

Persistence.

 

I found out that my mother-in-law, who spends her days at our house while I'm working from home, is visiting her other daughter in L.A. from next Monday until Thanksgiving.

 

A great family
A great job
A great life

 

Family.
Roof over my head.
Food on the table.
My fantasy football team, which is off to a hot start (OK, maybe not that)

 

In light of what is going on in my corner of California, I'm thankful my house isn't under threat of being burned down
Thankful for the opportunities I have because of my wife and family's support
For my cats, even though they are both little shits sometimes
This is going to sound way more dramatic than it really is, but I'm thankful for the people who have believed in me the last year. I had several people who were vital in me getting back into school so I can switch careers.
I am thankful El Tri will be in the World Cup so I'll have a rooting interest.

 

Great health. Current from-out-of-fucking-nowhere pinched nerve notwithstanding.

 

Thankful that the wildfire season which choked our area with smoke during August and September has passed. Unfortunately, it shifted to California ... hoping for rain and whatever else can knock down the flames there.

 

Two wonderful boys;
Wonderful, loving wife;
Great health;
Loving parents, sister, and extended family;
challenging job and wonderful working environment and peers

Frankly, its a shame that this is not always the story for people in our country or in the world.

 

It's 8:43 in the morning.

I have an AWS (Alternate Work Schedule) day off from my state job. (And actually, if I didn't have this day off, I would have looked forward to going to that job today. Sure couldn't have said that my last five years in a newsroom.)

I have a 3-year-old granddaughter sitting on me on the couch watching Vampirina, my bride of 34 years sitting alongside, and we're all going to a Halloween-themed park in about two hours.

I'm parked at my laptop, trading opinions and barbs with people that I've grown to know and generally like, if only in a cyberspace kind of way. Pretty much without a care in the world.

And I'm going to take off on my own around 4 p.m., meeting up with my best friend of 48 years to watch my high school play a Friday night football game in my favorite little stadium on Earth.

Feeling pretty thankful.

 

Freedom
Bridget & Grant
My Nana and all my living family members.