I am incredibly thankful.
Yes, I know I should've written this a week ago before Thanksgiving, but give me a break. There's been a lot going on of late so I didn't have much of a chance to write an entry. Nevermind that my computer went on the fritz and I am now in the market for a new laptop.
**Column Intermission 1**
I've always found Black Friday to be an intriguing day. I myself would never venture out early in the day, partly because the extra savings that I would get is not worth putting my life or health at risk, partly because I don't care for crowds. That said, it never fails to see how the different retailers try to entice people to come to them. Some stores were opening or "starting" their sales at 10pm Thursday.
In addition, we have retailers offering deals on online purchases beyond Black Friday, which is great for those who don't want to leave the house that day. Me? I worked at CVS to make some extra money for my Christmas shopping this year. It has been interesting though looking at the deals that are being offered on laptops and other such things.
**We now return to our regularly scheduled column**
Now I have to keep an eye out for deals on a laptop since I'm done with the desktop computer going forward, especially given that I have wi-fi in my apartment. As much as I've enjoyed my computer, it's a big space eater and as I get closer and closer to living with Rachel, space will become a premium.
In any case, I've completely gone off track.
I am incredibly thankful this year so I figured I'd rattle off some of the reasons why for those to fall asleep to, er, read about.
1. I'm thankful for my relationship with Rachel and Payton.
A few years back, my friend Lennie told me that when I'm dating someone, they should add to my life, make it worthwhile. They shouldn't suck the life out of me and make me wonder day in and day out why I'm with them. With Rachel, I not only have added her, but her daughter. Between the two of them, I've had some amazing times and look forward to what's coming down the road.
Have there been bumps? Yes. There always will be. Anyone who thinks a relationship is going to trouble-free is dreaming. There are always going to be moments where you don't see eye to eye and whatnot. What makes a strong relationship is how those rough spots are handled. What makes this relationship amazing to me is how we're able to talk about those rough moments, understand each other, and move forward.
In the end, the good times far, and I mean FAR outweigh the rough spots. With her, I really do feel I've found my match.
And I'm grateful, not just thankful, for that.
2. My immediate family.
Yes, they drive me nuts sometimes. Family always will. Sometimes I wonder why they do what they do or say what they say. Sometimes, you have to cut the chord with one (Lori) to make things easier on everyone.
I love my family. Teresa and her kids are a constant source of amusement. My mom, well, she's always been full of stories and random moments. Put the two of them together along with the kids and you have an interesting combination. For all the stuff we've been through, we've never lost each other even if one of us (*cough*LORI*cough*) was trying her best to be the center of attention.
You guys entertain the hell out of me. I'm thankful for the help and entertainment.
3. Having a stable job.
Yeah, I work two jobs. One, I love, the other, not so much. But I work. I'm not in the unemployment line. I'm not spending half my day looking for work. And I'm lucky enough to have one job that is pretty damn good with some great people to work with. And even better? That job is continuing to show growth.
Take that CVS.
4. Having a roof over my head.
Yes, I spend a fair amount of time at Rachel's, but I'm lucky enough to be able to afford my own place. Is it far from everyone? Yes, but it's still my own place and I can now sit and tell people I lived on my own for a while. I can sit and say I was able to take care of myself and not rely on anyone else.
That said, I look forward to sharing a roof with Rachel and Payton in the near future. One of my favorite things has been to come home to the two of them being there.
So I'm thankful for having a roof over my head.
5. Having my own vehicle/possessions.
I don't like asking for things. I don't like telling people what I want. One of the things that I'm exceptionally proud of is that I can sit and say that my car is MY car. Yeah, I'm still making payments on it, but it's because I put the money down and have been making the payments myself for 3 years now.
I'm also proud to say that the couches in my living room are mine, that the TV is mine, and a lot of other things I have are mine. I didn't have a housewarming to receive any gifts and aside from my bed, second TV, and a couple of other things, most everything in my apartment is my own.
Yeah, I'm thankful that I've been able to buy most of my own things.
6. My health.
Okay, so I need to get my butt back in gear with working out. That, like some other things, will be easier to do once Rachel and I live together. That said, I'm in good health. I don't have any major health problems and while my diet could probably be a little bit better, I'm not spending every other week in the hospital.
I can move around relatively well, I don't have breathing problems, and can keep up relatively well with a two year-old.
I'm thankful for that.
7. Friends.
I've never had a lot of friends. I'm grateful for the ones I have. I can be myself around them and know that while it's not always perfectly fine, they'll still give a damn. Do I sometimes lose sight of them when in a relationship? Yes, but a lot of that also has to do with living on the east side the last year and a half. By next summer, I'll be back on the west side and that aspect will be much easier.
That said, if not for a few of you, I wouldn't be who I am today, and I'm thankful for anyone I can call a friend.
In essence, I'm thankful for a lot so I just wanted to make sure everyone knew that.
Thanksgiving was good this year. I was able to eat with Rachel's family, then spend some time with mine. The last week or so has been pretty hectic though, hence the lack of posting. Work was busier in preparation of the holiday and until I get a laptop, work is where I'll be posting from exclusively.
Since the last two months have each been the best ever, you can imagine that makes for limited opportunities.
For those not keeping score, as of right now, Rachel and Payton will be moving in with me next month around February until my lease is up, so we've slowly been moving little bits and pieces of their things into my apartment. This way when the lease is up, we're not moving a ton of stuff at once, just what needs to be moved. Then when my lease is up at the end of June, we'll move into our own place.
I'm looking forward to it. Some might wonder if I'll be able to handle living with both of them, but we practically already are, we just split the time between the two apartments. In the end, things will become a lot easier once we get into our own place on the west side. Sure, I'll have somewhat of a drive to go to work, but neither of us will be going back and forth between apartments. When I leave work, I'll really be going home.
And it will be awesome.
I'm really looking forward to Christmas this year though. I'll be able to share it with Rachel and Payton on Christmas morning and that means a lot to me. I didn't get to see Christmas morning the last couple of years because I was working at CVS, but I made the decision early on to take the day off. I want to watch Payton tear into her gifts, then go to my mom's and give Teresa's kids their gifts from Rachel and me.
There's a lot to look forward to down the road. I'm just glad I have two very special people to travel down that road with.
I won't be doing it until December actually is here, but look for my annual letter to Santa where I ask for ridiculous things along with some actual things that I want. It's been something I've been doing for a few years now in various places, but this will be the first time it won't be done on a social site, but an actual blog, so I'll probably recycle some of the things from previous lists.
So if you've read previous editions and see repeats, deal with it.
Oh, and be thankful for what you have.
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