Happy Thanksgiving!

Working as I do with people from other countries makes me think a lot. (OK, most things make me think a lot. My little hamster-brain is very busy, running on its little wheel. But anyway.)
Now, you can say what you will about American culture. I'll be the first to agree that there are many things that are not the best about it, things I am not necessarily proud of. But how cool is it that we have an entire national holiday devoted to thankfulness and gratitude and being happy with what we have? I think it speaks very well for our culture and I'm proud of that.
I have so much to be thankful for. And because I like lists so much, these things are, in no particular order:

• My family. My family rocks. It's so cool to me that as I've become an adult (more or less), my parents have become my friends, and I'm profoundly grateful for that. I'm also thankful for the close friendship my sister and I share, now that we no longer have to share a bathroom. (I tell ya, dual sinks would have eliminated so much adolescent fighting.) I'm also thankful for my extended family, who are an awesome bunch of people and I wish I got to see them more often. And I'm grateful I get to spend Thanksgiving with my Grandfather, who is a fantastic guy who raised my mother to take no crap, who in turn raised her daughters to be independent and strong-minded.
  
• The Best Roommate Ever, my best friend. What on earth did I do before I had her?
  
• The Rottenest Fuzzballs Ever. They are precious, they are adorable, they are always getting into trouble, but they're so cute about it. And sometimes, if they are in a very good mood, they'll let me kiss their little noses. They don't like it, but they'll let me.
  
• A job that I enjoy (well, more often than not) that makes me feel like I'm making the world a little better. Also, some great coworkers, including, but not limited to Sara (the Sweetest Coworker Ever), Kirk, Nikki, The Guys (you know who you are), Ammy, and Oscar.
• My knitting buds!!! Some of the absolute coolest people I've ever met, a group that really understands me, that I can be myself around. As a dorky, social awkward kid for most of my life, that means a lot to me. You guys rock.
  

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!