The Rise Of That Thankfulness Thing - 2021 (Part 3 of 3)

Oops! I was supposed to post all 30 of my things for which I'm THANKFUL during November. My bad. First, to review, here are parts ONE and TWO. I'll wait...

Up to speed? Of course you are. Now - where were we? Ten more things. First, let me just say this gets more and more difficult each time I do it - not because I can't think of things for which I'm grateful, but because I've already used most of them in previous years, and I hate repeating myself. Don't want to bore either of my readers, you know.

So...

Endangered black-footed shenanigansferrets!

21. Shenanigans! Whatever the form (I prefer the antics of the endangered black-footed ferrets), I think we could all use a bit more shenanigans.

 

Nope.

Oh HELL no.

 

22. Snow. HAHAHAHA no. No, no, no. [941-word string of spectacularly crude and inventive expletives deleted] no. 

 

23. "Born To Run." It is the perfect rock song. It's perfect. I had all kinds of thoughtful, thorough analysis of this Springsteen classic to share, here, but what's the point? It is simply the perfect musical expression of teen angst (Rock & Roll). 'Nuff said.

 

I have a present!

Don't look at these candles in daylight. You WILL want to return them.

24. Flameless candles. Yeah, you'll run through a LOT of batteries, but you won't burn your house down, and they last for years and years and whatnot. I'm thankful for 'em, pretty much year-round.

25. Siberian cats. [Maris]'s Instagram feed suggested them once and now we follow SO MANY Siberian cats. As a lifelong cat guy, I'm on board with this - especially because we're only looking at pictures of them, don't have to actually deal with *all that*.

26. SPRINKLES!!!!

27. Being alive in interesting times. What other generation can say they were around for The End? It's an absolute dumpster fire shitstorm, and I guarantee it will get worse before it gets worse, but you gotta admit - it's fascinating to watch. Enjoy your minority rule, oligarchy and demise, America. 

28. Mike Krzyzewski. HAHAHAHAHA no. That dude is the devil. No. He's the devil's excised cancerous colon polyp. I can't believe I'm wasting these precious seconds typing words about him.

Yikes. Things took a bit of a turn, didn't they? I told you I was running out of things for which I haven't already expressed my heartfelt thanks. Okay, let's finish up all like positive...

Don't let go...

29. Hopeless romantics. Not necessarily ROMANCE romantics... okay, mostly that. More, though... People who, in spite of all they've learned and seen and lived, still have the capacity to believe in magic.

30. You probably thought I was going to say "legs" again, didn't you? I know I always include legs, but it's 2021 - almost 2022 (which is to say, almost 1890, 1951 etc.). So, yeah. Legs. But also... 

[MARIS]!!!

Whether it's 20-something years ago...

...or 2020HOLYSHITWEHATESELFIES

I thank my lucky stars for her, every day. 

So, you made it and you are a trooper and a good sport. Join us next November, when we'll be probably just sort through all my old thankfulness posts and rehash the funny bits!

That Thankfulness Thing Strikes Back - 2021

Not super easy to come up with 30 things for which I'm thankful, right now - without repeating everything from previous lists, but here's part two of my 2021 rundown, in no particular order:

70,000 overheated, exhausted young people being transformed. Wembley Stadium, London - 13 July, 1985. Photo a stolen screen grab.

 

11. Freddie. Master of the greatest 22 1/2 minutes of live rock music ever performed. Good thoughts, good words, good deeds. We could all use a dose of Freddie, about now.

12. Indoor plumbing. Can you imagine not having it? Yikes.

 

Will she make four different kinds, this year? Stay tuned...

13. [Maris]'s cookies. Even with a terrible, mean-spirited oven, she turns out cookies that are always the envy of the office - and stars of many a family Christmas. I'm thankful for her gift, and her willingness to share it.

 

"Yeah - happy moosday to you, too."

14. The empty office. I understand that not everyone will approve of this one. March of 2020 hit a LOT of people extremely hard. Not being able to go to our places of work and see our coworkers and be social was unbearable for some. Sorry, extroverts, I found it an absolute pleasure to go into a 99% empty building and do my work in solitude. I still do. Some days it seems as though it's just me and the cow in the office. I'll kind of miss it.

 

15. Meal kits. Two things: One - If you knew how [M] and I cooked 99% of the time, before meal kits came along and helped us to see the light... well, apart from her awesome baking and my awesome grilling, we didn't bring a whole lot to the table, so to speak. Two - I forgot what two was. Probably something about how many ingredients we've tried that we would never have gotten around to, on our own. Thanks, meal kits!

Cheers!

16. Sorry, meal kits, but as much as we've learned to love cooking cool stuff for ourselves, there's just nothing like dining out. For many years, [M] and I have been going out to dinner with my Mom about twice a month, alternating who pays and trying to maintain a good mix of new restaurants and old favorites - and it's just the best tradition. When everything shut down, this and in-person baseball attendance were the two things I missed. Pretty much the only two things I missed.

17. Words With Friends Art with [Maris]! Behold...

We have many, oh so many more...

 

18. Should have gotten this one out of the way in the first batch - and yeah it's kind of self-evident, but whatever - VACCINES. "Oh, but we don't know what's in it..." You don't know what's in BEER! Shut up and take the shot, you giant dumb baby! "I don't believe in vaccines..." It's not Santa Claus. Shut up and take the shot, loser. Sorry - the only ignorance that's truly abhorrent to me is willful ignorance.

The least I could do.

Click on this>>>  FLAMES!!

19. Yep. Two words: Madeline Kahn. I hate that she's gone, but so grateful to have the treasures she left behind, for us.

 

20. This one was going to be its own post, but for now... Some years ago, I got this cheesy little Cracker Jack style "prize" - I think in a box of cereal that I'm way too old to keep buying, but do anyway. It's a two-and-a half inch tall cardboard black Spiderman dude. For the past couple of years, I've been putting him in random locations throughout the house and waiting for [Maris] to discover him. Cupboards, drawers, behind the TV etc.. Here's a basic one:

Hey.

In the following shots, he has yet to be discovered by [M], because we can't stand to take Halloween down. Don't worry, we're doing it tomorrow...

What.

 

There. Another ten thankfulness things, in the book. Thanks for hanging out for a while. 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone - I hope you can find a few things for which you are thankful. You probably can, because unlike me, you are probably a normal human.