Thursday, November 22, 2007

A Very Short List

Today is Thanksgiving, a day in which we are all supposed to do a little math and count our blessings. What the holiday has REALLY turned into, is a giant buffet with family members we don't see very often (sometimes for good reasons) and a precursor to the busiest shopping day of the year. In a world that is filled with tragedy, doom & gloom, cynicism, self-serving greed, and Rosie O'Donnell, there are still MANY, MANY things for which to be thankful. Here's a start of my list of reasons why I still enjoy waking up every morning, mornings which, in the future, I might just start off reading this blog.
  1. My beautiful wife and ALL that she is and ALL that she does.
  2. Passionate kisses (hmmmmm, what made me think of that?)
  3. My wonderful children who bring so much joy and frustration, but mostly joy.
  4. Gentle kisses on foreheads and soft, supple cheeks.
  5. Holding hands--big and little.
  6. Being able to teach mathematics to motivated students.
  7. The ability to run on my own two feet, knees, and legs.
  8. .mp3 players, without which, running on my own two feet, knees, and legs would really be a drag.
  9. Dancing with my daughter.
  10. Good books
  11. Good music
  12. Writing
  13. Strong, black, robust, hot coffee.
  14. Cold weather
  15. Soothing Hot Tubs
  16. Chiropractors
  17. The chance to be on television, or on a stage, or making a fool of myself to get some laughs.
  18. Breakfast tacos and chimichangas
  19. The majestic mountains and untainted wilderness
  20. Inside jokes
  21. Crew Cab trucks (or any other form of reliable transportation)
  22. Hope
  23. Mechanical pencils with really good erasers
  24. Cashews,Pop Tarts, and Skittles
  25. The soothing hum of a well-balanced, powerful table saw
  26. cordless drills
  27. Any show with Richard Dean Anderson
  28. The internet
  29. The new "duck quack" sound my daughter likes to make
  30. The gentle kindness and thoughtfulness of my son
  31. Large, random, anonymous deposits into my bank account
  32. P.J. O'Rourke, Gerry Spence, Scott Adams, and Dave Barry
  33. Bon Jovi, Morrissey, SRV, and Progressive Metal
  34. The voice of Andrea Bocelli
  35. Watching sports with my Dad
  36. The smell of burning cedar on a cool morning
  37. Sunday morning tennis matches
  38. crossword puzzles
  39. Nice people
  40. Advil
  41. ESPN Sportcenter
  42. Our dedicated troops and service men
  43. A loyal dog
  44. Opposable thumbs
  45. Ghost Hunters
  46. Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Jesus
  47. Swimming in other people's swimming pools
  48. People with great abs
  49. Pearl-snap shirts
  50. comfortable shoes
  51. An ice-cold Coke when you haven't had one in a while
  52. Dark chocolate
  53. The History Channel, Sci-Fi Network, and A&E
  54. My mom's great recipes
  55. Waterless cookware
  56. My wife's "magic" roast
  57. Looking at the stars through binoculars
  58. Talented musicians
  59. The poetry of Ogden Nash and Shel Silverstein
  60. A slice of deep dish supreme pizza
  61. Mountain Dew (the drink AND the precipitate)
  62. Quiet moments of solitude
  63. Wal-Mart Supercenters
  64. Small towns with a Dairy Queen
  65. The smell of kid's shampoo laying next to me
  66. Sauerkraut and Sausage
  67. Good beer
  68. Karaoke and Community Theater
  69. Trivial Pursuit
  70. Watching other people laugh
  71. Drives with the family through Texas Hill Country
  72. Watching my kids play
  73. Prancing in the rain
  74. Driving tractors
  75. Taking a walk with the family
  76. Friday nights when the grandparents keep the kids
  77. Clean bedsheets.
  78. Cold, purified drinking water
  79. The smell of leather
  80. Sweating from exercise or labor
  81. Air conditioning
  82. Driving standard transmission
  83. Larry Bird and Brett Favre
  84. Digital Cameras
  85. Rice Krispie Treats
  86. Freshly baked glazed donuts
  87. High-thrill roller coasters
  88. Buffalo Wings
  89. Large hard drives and fast processors
  90. Throwing a football
  91. Making funny faces
  92. Summer trips to the Coast
  93. Construction projects
  94. Clean bathrooms
  95. Free access to beautiful parks
  96. Climbing trees
  97. Sir Richard Branson's awesomeness
  98. Cornfield mazes
  99. A sweet, crisp, cored apple
  100. Making my wife smile
  101. High School Football
  102. My few close friends
  103. Learning, Loving, Laughing
I'm sure I missed thousands more, but this is a great start. What are YOU thankful for?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm thankful for your blog. I look forward to reading it each day. Enjoy the weekend. Before you know it, we will be back teaching those motivated students.

Dmac said...

The priviledge of being called "Dad"
Great salsa and chips
vine-ripened tomatoes stolen from my neighbors garden
Wrigley Field
Being nostalgic
Unconditional Dachsund love
Upbeat synchopated rhythms from a great jazz band
Serving others
quiet time early in the morning
A great meal at home with great company
Wondering and pondering about large and small thoughts
The Longhorns
smart people
old boats
snuggling with my family in a tent in the middle of nowhere in November
listening to & learning from old-timers
playing-not taking myself too seriously
My own bed after being away for a few days
Feeling like I am home wherever I am with my bride
Working with my dad in his woodshop in NY
surprise parties-for anyone but me
planting trees I will never get to enjoy the shade from
perfectly steamed rice
people watching at airports
small kids and dogs that fetch
skipping rocks
NPR
being in the midst of great teachers.