Giving in to the Thanksgiving Spirit

Alright, I'm giving in to the spirit of the holiday. I can't help it. I normally couldn't care less. But I feel that I have a lot to be thankful for. So allow me to list them, if you will.

Probably the biggest thing I have to be thankful for is Diana. She truly is the best thing that has ever happened to me, despite all the complaining and griping I do about her. I can't even begin to list the things that she has done for me. She puts up with me...and that's probably the biggest thing. She has stuck with me and encouraged me in everything I've ever tried - no matter how ludicrous or incredible my endeavors were. She believed in me when I didn't believe in myself...and she still does when I have my "moods." I can honestly say that I don't know where I would be without her. I never would've went back to school and stuck it out long enough to get my degree if she hadn't stuck by my side every step of the way. She sacrificed for two years while I worked long hours and then came home and did homework every night until I fell asleep on the couch. She continued to "nag" me to keep me going, despite my constant "blow ups" over her "nagging." She stuck with me through the trials of having two terminally ill parents and she was my strength when I had none. There's not a day that goes by when I'm not thankful for the treasure I married.

Because of Diana, we moved to California. I'd still be working at a dead end job at the flower shop if she had not convinced me to move out of my comfort zone. And there are many things that have happened as a result of moving out here. The main thing is that we have renewed our faith. We both grew up going to church and we haven't been to church in years before we came here. Now we go three times a week...and I must say it feels pretty darn good. I feel like I'm back where I was...where I'm supposed to be. And I feel blessed. I'm thankful that she now gets to spend holidays with her parents.

I'm thankful for the two writing jobs that I got this week for so many reasons. I love how the phone rang as I was getting ready to look "employable" so I could put my applications in at Burger King, McDonald's, and Taco Bell. And I love even more that it was the voice of an employer looking for somebody to write articles for his company. I don't even remember applying for that place...which makes it an even better sign. It motivated me again. And the fact that he read my blog on blogevolve and based his decision on what he read makes this even sweeter. And now the offers continue to roll in. I've received two more offers this week based on what the companies read on my blogs. My favorite thing about this is that, if this keeps up, I can still take trips back home to Michigan without having to worry about taking "time off" from work. I can do this stuff while I'm on the road without missing pay. I've always wanted to do that....like a workaholic. I have a 30-second commute to my job and I can work in my jam-jams if I feel like. Yay America...does it get any better than that?

I'm thankful for my friends. I have awesome friends. And I'm especially thankful for the five that I still talk to on a regular basis despite the thousands of miles between us. I was worried about being forgotten when I moved...but it seems like it's the opposite. I talk more to Ken and Sunita now than I did when we both lived in Michigan. Allow me to utilize a cliche: "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." Becky is the person that lets me just vent to her about anything and everything. And here's a shout out to Kt. Without her, I never would've started a myspace...which means I never would've started blogging...which means I probably wouldn't even be writing...which means I wouldn't have gotten these writing jobs. I'm the type of person that needs an audience...and without blogs, I would've never had the audience that I desire. And then there's Dave. Dave Dave Dave. Who else has friends that just call up out of the blue and says, "Hey do you know where I can get a cheap chainsaw?? I need about five of 'em." Then, when I ask why he needs five cheap chainsaws, he says, "I can't talk about it...I'm on a cordless phone." I seriously have the five most awesome friends in my life...and for that, I feel greatly blessed.

Lastly, I'm thankful that Diana's mom is an awesome cook. A 23-pound turkey for four people, pies, homemade stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, twice baked mashed potatoes, homemade potato salad, the list goes on and on. We have enough food for the next two weeks. I'm not sure how "turkey and eggs" for breakfast will sound in a few days, but today, the turkey was amazing!