It’s been a good year for us.  Yes, the world isn’t as we would have it, but things are still good.  My family is safe, warm, and fed.  We don’t have to stand watch every night to make sure that we’re not robbed or worse while we sleep.  Where many others have to worry where their next meal will come from, or where they will spend the night, Irish Woman and I have good jobs, our kids go to good schools, and while we’re not wealthy, we’re doing OK.  For these things, I give thanks.

I’m thankful that even though tonight’s dinner will be huge, filling, and delicious, it’s not an aberration in our diet.  Many people have much less than us, and for them, I hope and pray that they have at least this one good meal, and that they also reach a place where a feast is a big meal, not a miracle.

I am thankful that men and women are away from their families today so that my family can safely be together today.  From the young man keeping watch on a cold mountain to the police officer who just drove past our home, we owe you all so much more than we give you, and I thank you.

I am fortunate to have this outlet, and the community of people I have met through it.  I look forward to writing here every day, and I hope that you all enjoy my meanderings.  I am very thankful for the tribe I have met here, and for all of you.  Thank you.

• When we spend an afternoon hashing out a plan on how to do something, and we rationally discuss options and come to a compromise on a few aspects of the plan, that doesn’t mean to restart the argument when we are presenting the plan and timeline to the customer and senior management.
• I’m a peaceful, nurturing, friendly soul, but it only takes a few moments for me to go from the big, gentle guy to “HULK SMASH!”.
• The turkey is in the sink.  I say again:  The turkey is in the sink.
• Irish Woman and I are going to a pre-Thanksgiving bourbon tasting party.  It’s like a wine tasting, except you drink the whiskey.
  • If I’m not back in 36 hours, I’m passed out in the gutter.

• Sometimes you just have to drop your voice a couple of octaves and sound off to get your point across.
  • I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.
• 8 hours in a room to diagnose a problem and plan the 6 hours it’s going to take to fix it.  Yeah, that’s about par for the course.
• Apparently the folks down in Gaza have decided to play “Poke the Israelis” again.  Who’s got the popcorn?
• I may rename the puppy “Puddles”.

• It is rarely a good thing when your rheumatologist asks how long it’s been since you had  a chest x-ray and an EKG.
• Nothing good can come from “I need to talk to the managers.  Everyone else, please leave.” at the conclusion of a staff meeting.
• Boo asked me tonight if I was “bona fide”.  I replied that I was the “pater familius”.  He thought it was funny.
• Girlie Bear is working a project for geography class where she researches major American cities that don’t have an NFL team and comes up with good reasons that they should get one, along with a name.  We had to break it to her that the “Las Vegas Pokers” wasn’t such a great idea.
• Overheard in the grocery store:  “Look, just because I pick up a couple cans of Redi-Whip doesn’t mean you get to make a pass at me!”
• Moonshine craves maple syrup.
• It is very difficult to get maple syrup out of the fur around a puppies mouth without giving him a complete bath.
• Bluegrass seems to have fully accepted the new puppy.  Shadow still isn’t too happy.  OK, let’s face it, he’s in a blue funk over the whole thing. I’ve never had a dog get depressed before.
• Went and bought Birdzilla for Thanksgiving tonight.  I guess I can be pretty confident that I’m right when I say that a 24 pound turkey probably isn’t organic.
  • Yummy, yummy hormones
• I almost fulfilled my prophecy from yesterday and hit a deer tonight.  It was a nice 6 or 8 point buck who looked just as surprised to see me as I was to see him when we both skidded to a stop.
• Drinking beer and listening to hippie music is  a fine way to end the day.