30 Days of Thankful

I noticed recently that one of my friends started posting updates on Facebook listing things she's thankful for.  I'd call it her November Facebook theme, if you will.  We all have different lives and different backgrounds, so it's interesting to see what other people are thankful for.  Too often we just hear what people aren't thankful for on the interwebs.  But since today is Thanksgiving Eve, I figured I should post some serious and some not so serious things that I appreciate in my life.

So here goes...a list of 30 things that I'm thankful for, in no particular order:

1. Cats - I've often said that if my house were burning down, I'd rescue them and nothing else, but I realized I should rescue Jeff and my cats.  (we've had multiple arguments about this - no joke)
2. iPhones - Ayo technology!  As an uber geek, I'm still amazed by everything my iPhone (named Veronica) can do.
3. Health insurance - As someone who's accident prone, I'm very thankful to have great benefits.  I know quite a few people who don't have benefits and it's hard to see people have to decided whethere or not going to a doctor is worth the cost.
4. Having a great boss - I've worked for plenty of people I didn't like, and it's great to have a boss that values your opinion and gives you the freedom to make decisions on your own.  Makes your work life more tolerable.
5. Being able to afford to live - Not so long ago, I was working two jobs and attempting to pay for school with my credit cards, so I'm very appreciative that I can afford to live the way I want to without struggling.
6. Increasing acceptance of vegetarianism - As a kid, I felt like an outcast for being a vegetarian.  But now it's more mainstream and not so odd anymore.
7. Knowing what it's like to be poor - I don't think you've lived unless you know what it's like to struggle financially.
8. Food trucks - As a person who hopes to own her own business someday, I think it's great that someone who can't afford to open a restaurant can get up and running with a food truck with a lot less cash.
9. Pinkberry yogurt - I've never tried crack, but I'd imagine that I'm just as addicted to Pinkberry as a a crack addict is to crack.
10. Old friends - There's something comforting about knowing that certain people will be there for you no matter what.
11. New friends - As an adult, it can be difficult to make new friends, but I've made some great friends this year through my running club.  They trump old friends in some ways because you're more likely to have things in common with new friends than you do with old friends, I think.
12. Vegan dessert - Vegan desserts have evolved from the awful carob chip cookies I ate as a kid.  It's great to see dairy free options more readily available these days.
13. Vegan and vegetarian nights/dinners - See number 6.  It's nice to be able to go out to eat and have more than one choice on a menu.
14. Half priced margaritas - I know they're not good for me, but I love them.
15. Second (and third, fourth, fifth) chances - If you know me in real life, you know my personal life has been...um...difficult in the past few years, but I'm happy to be at a point where I'm generally pretty happy.
16. Having enough free time to volunteer - I volunteer at Berea Animal Rescue every other weekend and I really like putting my free time to good use.  If I won the lotto, I'd still volunteer there.
17. Having a great mother - My mother and I are polar opposites, have nearly nothing in common, and if we didn't look alike, I might think we weren't related.  I appreciate that although we're completely different, my mother can still provide love and support.
18. Being able to rebuild relationships - In contrast to my mother, my father and I are basically the same person.  And that's not necessarily a good thing.  He's struggled with addiction for longer than I've been alive, and now that he's clean and sober, it's nice to try and build a relationship with him.
19. Running clubs - Great for meeting people who share the same obsession...I mean interests as you.
20. Being 30 - Sounds crazy, but I feel like I'm finally starting to know myself.  You couldn't pay me to be any younger.
21. Having the opportunity to travel for work - This year I've been to Sacramento, Buffalo, Dallas, Winston Salem, Charlotte, Walcott, IA, Wilmington, OH, Dallas, Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston, and probably a couple other cities I've forgotten and wouldn't have gone to otherwise.
22. Blogs - I love writing in my blog and I love reading other peoples' blogs.  Blogs have really changed the face of communications, I think.
23. Living in Cleveland - I have an "It's a Wonderful Life" moment every time I come back to CLE.  I'm thankful for everything Cleveland has, and even some of the bad things about it.
24. Aleve - Have I mentioned that I'm accident prone?
25. Hair dye - You'd be surprised at how grey my hair is before I color it.
26. Facebook - Makes Internet stalking SO much easier.  And makes it easier to keep up with people across the globe.
27. Having a boyfriend who thinks I'm crazy but likes me anyway - Nuff said.
28. Night lights - I'm afraid of the dark.  There are night lights everywhere in my house.
29. Keurig coffee makers - If my house were on fire and I could rescue my cats, Jeff, and something else, I'd take my coffee maker with me.  It's the best present I've ever gotten.
30. People who read my blog - I appreciate YOU for taking the time to read my blog.  And I hope you have a great holiday!