Today's the day, so what are you thankful for?

[Radical Edward]

I looked for one of these threads and didn't find one, so I thought I'd go ahead and start one. Mods feel free to merge it with a previous thread if I missed it, of course. I'm up waiting on my cornbread and pumpkin pie tonight. I will probably eat alone and be thankful for my solitude. This year I am also thankful for the following:

-I am still young and still able
-I have a roof over my head and a warm bed to sleep in
-My car still goes where I need it to take me
-My friends, who know how anti-social and mean I can be and are ok with that
-Except for a couple of medical hiccups, I am very healthy
-I have excellent health insurance, yay!
-My job is awesome and not in any danger of disappearing
-The zoo I live with has been very healthy and accident-free this year
-My grandfather, who is able and willing to stay in touch via the internet
-I am passing a math class, thanks to my fellow Raffers
-My new dryer is awesome, even though I really couldn't afford it
-The internet, which is one of man's greatest achievements and without which I would not know any of you all


These are the big things. I'm also thankful for ice cream and my new cell phone and candles and fresh air and green ink pens and Neil Gaiman. I'm thankful for winter because no matter how much I hate the cold, I know it will be spring again in the blink of an eye. What's on everyone else's list?

[Radical Edward]

Oh my, I guess I should have put this in the Raffgiving forum. Whoops.

[Harry]

I'm thankful my wife has put up with me for 38 years.

I'm thankful my father taught me tolerance and patience.

I'm thankful for the "...rough men standing ready."

I'm thankful for this forum, where many members won't have to look up that (mis)quote.

I'm thankful for a modest amount of skill with my hands.

I'm thankful this thread was put into the wrong place, 'cause I wouldn't have read it, otherwise.

[WednesdayAddams]

-that the SO has switched from humming 'Santa Baby' to Nat King Cole's Christmas song.

Oh, and let me move this for you.

[Nonacetone]

Oh wow...the list I could make!
For now, I'll suffice with the fact that I'm thankful for my husband and daughter, and that my husband is working. That's about all I really need to be thankful for, honestly. Everything else is just gravy.

[Falcon]

I am thankful for:

- The healing I'm finding from multiple health problems, even if it's slow
- Family and friends, of course
- My manager, who is very driven but who puts being a human being first
- Life and the world around me. Even though there are not-so-good things in the world, there are also a lot of wonderful things to see and experience.
- The opportunity to experience many of those wonderful things
- The fact that it is never too late to make a positive change, even if making that change is hard at times
- People who help you along the journey

[Kismet68]

I'm thankful for:

- continued good health despite a recent event which scared the dickens out of me (see blog).
- family and friends who love and support me unconditionally. I know they feel the same way about me.
- a career that I love and have growing prospects in. I'm beginning to see the financial life I seek looming up ahead.
- a romantic interest which is very new, yet feels right and has me all kinds of giddy. I think he's the bee's knees.

and need it be said? I'm grateful for giraffeboards. Muah!

[Parthenokinesis]

I'm thankful I have some brandy left, cause the last of the whiskey just went into my coffee, and it's way too early to be out of booze.

[Khampelf]

I'm thankful for good friends I can depend on.

I'm thankful to be employed again.

I'm thankful to be out of another bad relationship.

I'm thankful to have kept my sanity and even sense of humor through these past two trying years.

I'm also thankful for you all for providing a safe digital refuge and keeping me from sinking into a self-indulgent hermitage.

[Uthrecht]

So hurry down the chimney to-night...

Thankful for? Family, friends, new job for my wife, resolved case at work so I don't have to put time in over the weekend, split Congress, light snow outside. Probably a couple other things I'm not thinking of.

[Dragonlady]

Things I'm thankful for:

My kids are all together.
My job is secure.
My very own house.
My health is good, and my insurance is better.
This board and all it's crazies, for keeping me saner.
Parthenokinesis who has been a very special blessing.

[Turing Complete]

I'm thankful:

- for the love and support of family.
- that I live in a society with the highest standard of living that has ever existed.
- that my odds of being a victim of a violent crime are extremely low.
- that despite partisan political bickering, the idea of a civil war or coup in my country is laughable.
- for industrial farming which keeps food cheap and plentiful and frees up 98% of the population to work in non-farming occupations.
- that despite SmartAleq's wishes, I have neither been beaten, raped, nor died in a fire.

[Dudley]

I am thankful for...

- My wife. She's easily the kindest person I've ever met and I love her dearly. I'm thankful that she's in my life and she loves me just the same.
- My family in New England (immediate family is all up there). They're a testy bunch of really good people and wouldn't hurt a soul. I love and miss them very much.
- My dog. Penny is an awesome German Shepherd who makes me laugh on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. She's a very sweet and caring dog.
- My job. I get paid a lot to do something I'd do anyway. How cool is that?
- This board. Most of you are very kind and intelligent people. Every time I come here, I laugh at least once. That's important.
- The meal I'm going to have today. You know, 1000 years ago, it was a meal only befit for royalty. Now even the commonfolk can have outlandish, heavenly meals. We're at a really good time in History.
- To expand upon the last one. How thankful am I to be born in the 1970s, right after a lot of fuckedupedness in the US got fixed and right before the nuclear family's importance dissolved in our society.

That's all I can think of, but I think I covered the substantial areas...

[The Superhero]

A few things off a very long list:

- That I was born and grew up into an era where it is possible to meet people who live hundreds or thousands of miles away via the internetting machine. I've met lots of people who I consider among my closest friends this way, including my very best friend, whose mother's house I'm going to for Thanksgiving dinner later today.

- That we were able to come to California to be closer to where we want to ultimately be living, and have a roof over our heads during the jesus-we-need-some-fuckin-jobs-up-in-here period.

- That, speaking of which, I had something resembling a job interview yesterday and came away with the most confidence I've had in months that I'm actually going to get work and that the years I spent in school learnin' to art it up weren't wasted.

- That neither of our cats has terminal renal lymphoma this holiday season. Nice change from last year.

- That, even though my brother is spending his T-Day in Afghanistan this year, he's as safe and happy as it's possible to be over there (it's not really what you'd call a Happy Place, as you may have heard).

- And, in that vein, I am thankful for all those who are serving their country or community, from those military folks who are, among other things, keeping my brother and sister-in-law safe while they are in Afghanistan, all the way down to the firefighters and police here in sleepy small-town northern California.

- That my parents, after working hard all their lives, are now only about a month away from retiring and spending their days driving around the country in their RV with their dog, solving mysteries. They've earned it.

- Clean, easily accessible drinking water. Don't take it for granted. Millions of people around the world can't just turn a knob in their kitchen or bathroom and get drinking/cooking/washing water. If you're looking for a worthy charity to donate to this holiday season, you could do worse than water.org (http://water.org/).

[Rebo]

I'm thankful for my husband, who puts up with my bitchiness, and loves me more than anyone ever has.
I'm thankful for a Dad that I can show how much I appreciate how much he did for me by taking care of him in his old age.
I'm thankful that my son is (almost!) self sufficient after a lot of stupid choices, and has been working steadily upwards.
I'm thankful for my three doggies and the unconditional love they show me.
I'm thankful that we're all relatively healthy, and have decent insurance.

I'm thankful for you guys - you make me laugh, and think, and I always learn something from you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[Wolf Larsen]

Our military that has done a damn good job of keeping the shit happening somewhere else.

Our Canadian neighbors that we share the world's longest undefended border with.

Modern medicine that has kept me going far longer than I would have in traditional society.

My family, who put up with me and haven't once tried to poison me.

[dogbutler]

I'm thankful for friends to share Thanksgiving dinner with.
All my Internet friends, who can make the worst day less bad
Beer
Hockey

[bufftabby]

Pretty much everything, despite today being uncharacteristically and unexpectedly full of suck.

[Pirate]

I'm thankful for my wife who has shown me how to be a kinder person. I always love to see her face and hear her voice. I'm a lucky guy.
I'm thankful for the present I got from my FIL today. It's something that I'll use every day will remember he made it for me.
I'm thankful I was able to make someone feel better today. I feel good when I can help someone.