What I'm Thankful For

This post is like 4 days late, but whatevs. A list of what I'm happy for this holiday season (in no particular order whatsoever, except #1 is my most grateful):

1) My Immediate Family - Blondie, Tigger and Max. I'm grateful that Blondie is feeling better and that surgery probably won't have to happen. I'm grateful that I took Max into the vet on Saturday and while some of my fears were realized (he's going blind), they weren't fully realized (he's not fully blind). Max has a bad ear infection and something else going on - they are running blood work right now, but the options all sound very treatable. And just with the drops for his ears, he's acting much closer to normal than before. I'm grateful that Tigger is his normal self and tries to beat the shit out of Max because he smells like vet (he tries to beat the shit out of me also because of the same situation). But at least there is nothing wrong with him.

2) We Live In NYC - OMG. A thousand times grateful for this. The city is alive, and it brings us such joy to live here. I can NOT believe we got this opportunity, and we intend to enjoy it to it's fullest for as long as we can can. From ice skating in Bryant Park, to football games, to golfing over the Hudson at Chelsea Piers, to touring Brooklyn, to eating tons of pizza, to BROADWAY... why live anywhere else?

3) Food - Okay, this might be silly. But I'm grateful we live very near the bestest of the best farmer's market, seafood market, and grocery - our tiny little hole-in-the-wall shops have given us consistently the cheapest and tasiest food. I don't know what we'd do without our stores. We went on a seafood binge last week, and for around $50 had scallops and pepper, portabello and onion stirfry; sauteed spinach and salmon; corn and black bean salad and baked tilapia; and spicy tomaty seafood soup. It's about 7 minute walk from us, and it's da bomb.

4) Our Bar - this includes primarly our bartender and our bar friends. But seriously. A home away from home. The city (see #2) feels so much more personal to us because of our friends at the bar.

5) Extended Family - To the crazies living in KY and Washington, to the in-laws in the Land of Cheese (and AK and IL), we love you all. A special call out to TCKITWv.1-.8 (and soon to be .9). Our nieces, nephew, sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles - we love you all. Thanks for supporting us, and our dream to move around the country at will. Although, NYC is most likely it for us (again, see point #2).

6) Turd Ferguson, "Would you?", shirtless wrestling, the international buffet, "get into the kitchen and order me some breakfast". Enough said. A million times thanks for all the support this year.

7) A Job - Ugh. I hate my job. But I am grateful I have one. I'm grateful my job allows me to support us while Blondie chases his dream. I'm grateful my job moved us to NYC (see point #2, yet again).

8) The Ability To Work Out - this is another Ugh. But (knock on wood), I have no physical impairmment that stops me from working out. I have laziness. But nothing physical. I'm grateful that I can run, that I can yell at Shaun T while busting out a crazy sweat with Insanity, that I can lift weights, that I can tell my Wii trainer to f off at will. I'm grateful that I've managed to overcome the laziness before it got bad again.

9) Booze - I'm sorry, but it needed to be said. There's nothing like ending a bad day with a scotch, or a really bad day with a double scotch. There's nothing like drinking a beer while cheering on your Jets to victory. There's nothing like taking margaritas onto your patio while watching NYC shut down for a hurricane.

10) I've Realized My Calling - yes, it's only 35 years too late, but Broadway is my dream. I won't live my life never knowing what I want to do with it. It's a good feeling.