November Days of Gratitude #13

Technology is a bedeviling mistress. It makes life so seemingly easy while at the same time, raising the level of expectations to challenging levels. Because I have a blog I am expected to maintain it. When I don't, there is a whiff of failure about me that has no real basis. I have done nothing but fallen below some artificial level that means nothing to anyone but myself (and some pretty persistent SPAMbots).

And so, I have reached the last week of the Month of Gratitude and I haven't even mustered even a half-month of things that can be seen as "praise-worthy." And for that, I am sure that YOU are grateful.

(Credit: cheezburger.com}

Because, really only one of you even asked me to do this, so no one is missing out on anything.

What else is there to say?

I am looking forward to the (slight) break in the work routine that Thanksgiving provides. (Even thought I will be doing work here and there.) But the food is always good and the opportunity to host Lynda's parents is always a good thing.

I could talk about this morning's tweet:

But that would probably take more time and careful thought and wordsmithy than I want to devote to it right now. But if you are not a SPAMbot, pester me about it and maybe I'll get into it more the next time I sit down to type. (The secret word will be: NERVES.)

November Days of Gratitude #12

It's true. My trip on the Gratitude Train got a bit bumpy in the last week. I missed a few stops and even switched tracks once or twice. But I'm back and I'm all aboard, with my ticket ready to give to the conductor. . . and now my train metaphor has pulled into the depot and has run its course.

But just because I missed a few days doesn't mean that I've forgotten what it means to be grateful. Far from it, friends. For today I have what is perhaps the thing that I am most grateful as we pass the halfway point in this month of Thankfulness.

Today, I am so very grateful that I know that the idea for this movie exists . . . because I need to spend my every waking minute trying to prevent a single image from ever being recorded.

(Credit: Salon.com; text added by me)

I shouldn't have to explain to you what a bad idea this is. Now, I'm not going to sit here and tell you that It's a Wonderful Life is a pinnacle of cinematic achievement or anything . . . but it has become a deservedly beloved holiday classic. A movie that I enjoy watching each year around this time, thinking about jokes that I make with my family, imitating George Bailey's aw shucks line delivery, how he embraces the despair of his anger and then turns around and hugs Bedford Falls when he gets a new perspective on life.

I don't care that original actors are involved. I don't care what the story might be. Nothing . . . and I mean NOTHING about this movie can be good. It DOESN'T. NEED. TO. BE. MADE!

If wiser heads eventually prevail, then I'll have something else to be grateful for later.

November Days of Gratitude #11.5

I realized yesterday that I had nothing to really be thankful for. It was just a day of work and home, kids, wife, work-related stresses and attempts to overcome the same.

So, I was thankful for the realization that not every day is something to be celebrated and examined. 

(Credit: foreignpolicy.com; First . . . what? Also, why is this related to the search term "everyday"?)

Some days simply are.

And making it through them is reward enough. 

***

As for today? 

Well, first of all TGIF, amirite?

And it was a semi-relaxing Friday, because I spent it at home--ostensibly as a vacation day, but most of the morning was done trying to catch up in work that is falling behind. And the weekend will be much the same . . . Trying to make it to Monday with my head high, ready to take on another week. 

Here's to hoping. 

November Days of Gratitude #10

I'm sitting here trying to get myself to focus on some work. But I don't really want to. I took last night off and nothing collapsed around me today, so it is sort of easy to justify doing it again. But I know I have more meetings tomorrow, which means less desk time to actually accomplish any actual shuffling of papers back and forth (or actually the attaching of files to emails).

But . . . while I might be grateful for either the wonders of the modern electronic office place, or I might feel gratitude toward the dawning realization that every night off doesn't spell doom . . . today I think I am grateful for seeing a challenge and then choosing to accept that challenge.

(Credit: freegreatpicture.com)

For, you see, today I tried eating an apple the "horse-approved" way. I pulled out the stem and just started eating. And when I was done, there was nothing left by a single solitary seed. It wasn't even hard (except for the part where my lunchmates were making me laugh and the fact that I'd already eaten lunch when the challenge was placed, so my stomach was already a bit full).

Experiencing this did make me think about the nature of the "core" of the apple, which I do believe is nothing more than psychology at this point. There was only a small bit of fibrous, stalky stuff as I ate through the middle of the fruit, and in combination with the (so-called) regular flesh of the apple, there was no discernible difference in taste.

While my witnesses acted horrified at what I was doing, it felt entirely normal. So, why is there some sort of psychological rejection of eating an apple this way? It must be only a state of mind, right? So I guess I just need to learn to take all of my preconceptions about the world and just throw them away, leave them behind, leave no trace of them . . . just like I left no trace of that apple by eating it like a horse.

Now, I know that I can do anything. Now I know that the world is my oyster. And when I eat that oyster, I might just eat the shell too.

November Days of Gratitude #9

The month of gratitude is rattling on toward the halfway point.
Are you running out of stuff to be thankful for?
Well, if you are . . . you'd better get your mind right and start thinking about what's really important.

Me? I can't swing a dead cat without hitting something to be thankful about. And today, that thing is that I'm thankful for my BBC-logo, navy blue, hoodie zip-up jacket.*
 

(Credit: me. And don't let this expression fool you. I'm gratful as all get out about this jacket.)

Why am I in love with this jacket? First of all, I look great in it. And it is comfortable. Whenever I'm cold around the house, I put this baby on and BAM . . . instant warmth. Most weekends, when I roll out of bed, I just go ahead and put it on right away. It's got convenient, easily accessible pockets for either my hands, my cell phone, or sometimes BOTH.

(And if you know me, you know that quick access to my cell phone is a life priority. you never know when I might need to post a picture of a well-cooked omelet on Tumblr, which will be simultaneously posted on Twitter and Facebook. . . . Also, you're welcome.)

But here's a secret. When I first got this jacket--a castoff from my wife, who got it as some job-related swag--I DIDN'T like it. But once I imposed my sartorial will upon it, I fell in love hard.

So, if you see me around the office or in the city sporting my new favorite threads, give me a sly wink, or maybe even a quick high-five if you're feeling like it. I'll know what its all about.

* Yeah, it DOES deserve that many adjectives. When you love something, you want to describe it to your friends.