Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!

In the spirit of celebrating the United States holiday of Thanksgiving I am going to tell you about some entities and ideas I am thankful for. Sometimes, when I am bored on a run or want to be reminded of how well I have it I think of a list of things I am thankful for. I usually aim for 50 things, but seeing as how this is once a year, I will give 100 things. The list is in no particular order although the first few things are in order because they do rise to the top. I am thankful for...

  1. God and his son Jesus. I am so blessed. In regards to this, everything else fades away.
  2. My family, specifically my immediate family because they have seen me through so much, but the whole group is a blessing.
  3. The United States. We have it so good in this country.
  4. Running and the ability for me to run.
  5. 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
  6. The Sun.
  7. My blog. I pour myself out here. I hope the world is better because of it.
  8. Asia, for their different perspectives and opportunities. 
  9. The cross country and track and field coaching staff at UD.
  10. My engineering job at John Deere.
  11. The opportunity to go to Indonesia.
  12. Videos, so that experiences can be shared.
  13. Leeks, who knew?
  14. Pasta, especially the whole grain style.
  15. Ladies, women, girls, females whatever the preferred vernacular is now. 
  16. My van with 291,007 miles on it.
  17. Turbofan jet engines. Still one of the coolest things I have ever learned.
  18. National Public Radio. 
  19. My training partner(s) because 5AM is better shared.
  20. My carbon fiber bicycle.
  21. Group bicycle rides.
  22. The organic vegetable section.
  23. Sea bass.
  24. Scallops.
  25. Wood furniture.
  26. The positives, negatives and more positives of Janzen Gear.
  27. Wikipedia.
  28. The general sharing of information and ideas.
  29. The running locations around Dubuque like the Mines of Spain and Heritage Trail.
  30. The athletes that I work with as a coach.
  31. The college kids in Dubuque, you all make the city a better place.
  32. Toilet paper.
  33. My iPhone.
  34. Wine, like a good Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec.
  35. Steak. I tried vegetarian, I like steak too much.
  36. Electricity.
  37. The Internet.
  38. Peace in the Middle East ...at least for the last day ...not counting Syria.
  39. Progressive taxation.
  40. Dividends.
  41. Employment.
  42. Conservation from natural resources to personal finances.
  43. National parks, and not just in the United States.
  44. Rock climbing.
  45. Mountaineering, alpine and high altitude climbing.
  46. Renewable resources.
  47. Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
  48. Paying off the second of my 11 loans last month.
  49. My 1966 motorcycle, which helped me appreciate antiques.
  50. Suffering, so I know how well I have it.
  51. Pain, so I know what no pain feels like.
  52. Fear, so I know what it feels like to not be afraid.
  53. The truth.
  54. Headlamps with Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).
  55. Failure, because it makes the success so much sweeter.
  56. The running community.
  57. The mountain climbing community.
  58. Teaching Sunday School. I'm new to it, but I like it.
  59. My church community, I'm one of maybe five 20somethings, but I like it.
  60. Volunteering, from serving free meals this afternoon to going to Indonesia.
  61. Charity. It still boggles me that I was out of engineering (unemployed) for 57 weeks. I understand how hard it can be for others. 
  62. Africa and the runners they send to race me.
  63. Streaming video and audio.
  64. Drug testing.
  65. Jail time for DUI offenders.
  66. Freshly mowed lawn.
  67. Running shorts.
  68. A well fitted shirt.
  69. Holding the door for a lady.
  70. Daily news, specifically Runner's World and the Wall Street Journal.
  71. Prana pants.
  72. The Patagonia R1 Hoody.
  73. Passing 50,000 visits and 100,000 page views this year.
  74. An enclosed house with heating, air conditioning, electricity, hot water, and carpeting.
  75. Food. The volume of food available to me is just staggering.
  76. Electric cars. 
  77. The smell of a book. 
  78. The fact that my sister and I paint with oils and acrylics. 
  79. Pomegranates.
  80. Persistence. The idea of continuing with an idea or plan even when it is hard.
  81. Minimal (low heel) running shoes.
  82. Not getting struck by lightening on Humboldt in 2006.
  83. Not breaking anything on Cannon Cliff in 2008.
  84. My friends who are so strong they can push me more than I imagine.
  85. The flicker of an idea, that 'ah-ha' moment when I realize the solution.
  86. A good hearty laugh, maybe even one that hurts or makes me cry.
  87. Massages.
  88. Empathy. When someone can relate to another's issue and they can emotionally connect.
  89. Down clothing, because it is so warm.
  90. Ten uninterrupted hours of sleep.
  91. Running as fast as I have at every event.
  92. The marathon.
  93. Mexican food and drink.
  94. Stories from one friend to another.
  95. Meetings that end early with all items accomplished.
  96. The freedom to express beliefs and ideas without government backlash.
  97. Friends who taught me about mental disorders. 
  98. The idea of gifts and generosity.
  99. People who care about changing the world for the better.
  100. That we made it this far. A lot had to go right in the last thousand years to get us here.
I hope that you have something to be thankful for today. I am incredibly blessed. I do feel that I have the best life in the world, and I hope you feel the same way about your life.

Thank you all for reading my blog. It is your positive support, mostly in person and usually not related to this blog, that motivates me to write on those days when I don't feel like I am living the best life. Thank you!

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