thank God it’s Thanksgiving

I have so many reasons to be thankful, we all do! And rather than bombarding my twitter feed with the many things that come to mind, i thought I’d put them here and update them throughout the day.

I’m thankful for: a dear wife of 13 years, a healthy son Jeremiah now in middle school, a home in Aliso Viejo, a dream job, no commute, my parents who came to the USA in 1974 so we 3 sons could have freedom and opportunity, the diligence of my 2 brothers with family matters, a mom who reads my blog, a delicious smoothie made via blendtec, this iPhone 3g even without cut/paste, each and every follower following my twitter, extra hours of sleep, in-laws who pray a lot, friends near and far, Jesus Christ for loving me and putting up with my foibles, God for opening my eyes to His beauty and grace, friends on FaceBook, more self-awareness into my 40s, Mark Batterson being quite the history buff and reviews the real reason we even have Thanksgiving, AAdvantage gold status for traveling over 25,000 miles this year and now i get to cut in line, a steak almost every time I go to Texas, playing chess with my son, santoku knife, love for cooking, free movies on hulu.com, digital photography via my nikon d50, internet, Greg Atkinson’s thankful list of social networking web apps, real hugs– not the side-by-side imitation, butter, sourdough, online banking, non-chocolate desserts, random ideas, forgiveness for my many errors and missteps, peanuts in shells, talents on loan from God, being a part of American history with our new president elect, conversations over coffee or cigars, 2 ginormous outdoor grills in our community front lawn, Italian food especially at buca di beppo, open mindedness, my first 10k at mud run, people who believe in me when I don’t, xterra 4wd for off-roading, spontaneous excursions like visiting Googleplex en route to san fran weekend, freedom of religion, difference of opinions, hot tubbing, ted.com, dreams, the color orange, possibilities, the soothing words in the Bible, great neighbors, ambiguity, a next generation that’s looking to change the world, no broken bones, blogging, a God who hears and answers prayer, cross country move combined with family vacation, massage times, mental breakthrus, baseball game at Yankee stadium’s last season with hosive, extreme punctuality, free upgrade on rental cars, a warm shower, lying on my tummy for a nap at the beach, L2 Foundation website redesign, sweet potatoes, cotton towels, open source software, friends that i can drop in on unannounced, text messages finally catching on and now more mainstream, things that’d be too much information to say, father and son Saturdays, macbook pro’s instant power on from sleep mode, Henry’s fresh fruits, no food allergies, subversiveness, Nicolas Cage, adaptability, super spicy Sichuan / Szechuan cuisine, stand up comedy, reimbursements, getting a phone call instead of making a phone call, free sticky notes, hotel bath robes, skype video chat, undramatic holiday family get togethers, thai cuisine, sticky rice stuffing, new york city, unrecycled information, fantasy life, stream live stream video, flex hours, colorful sunset, geek is chic, real things not fake things, cigar buddies, sleeping with windows open, streaming radio over 3g network while on the interstate, whiteboards, magnets, staying home on black friday, social butterflies, reality tv, wysiwyg, whipped cream, homeland security, costco within a mile of home, healthy curiosity, close up magic card tricks, a hard day’s work, reading a new magazine issue, browsing photos with interestingness, teamwork, spring cleaning, bundling up by the fireplace, kite flying by the Golden Gate bridge, fresh mowed lawn, a smile and wink, volunteering, noise isolating ear bud headphones, extra leg room, walking around a street fair, running into old friends at the airport, hot apple cider, lightly starched dress shirt, justice served, rites of marriage, sandals, drinkable tap water, Seinfeld, inside jokes, new socks, clever double entendres, feeling good, customer service, winning eBay bid on a deal, celebrating freedom, shooting the moon, easter eggs, power lunches, deja vu, sound of laughter, cuts that heal