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9/11/04: Makes Me Happy I guess on 9/11 we should probably post something thought-provoking and intense. But instead, I think I am just going to be happy about how good I've got it. I'm thankful about a lot of things. Wife, family and friends. Health and roof overhead. 24 hour delis. Medical coverage. I'm thankful that I have a boss I can call my friend, and I'm thankful that I can go into his office on a Friday afternoon and sit there for an hour watching the U.S. Open and making jokes about Jennifer Capriati. I'm thankful that I live in one of the greatest cities in the world, even if I slag on it all the time. I'm thankful that there's an internet that gives me an opportunity to possibly misuse words like "slag" in semi-public and I'm thankful that nobody really cares if I do. I'm thankful that I have my new iPod, even if I realize Pete's right: if you're bored with your shuffle*, you're bored with yourself. I guess I'm bored with myself. I was just reading my super-corny iPod magazine and there was an interview with Jeff Tweedy and he was talking about how much he loves his iPod, because great songs he loves are always popping up on there out of nowhere, and he's like, "Oh, yeah, I forgot about that one." That never happens to me. But I'm thankful that I can post something on here asking people to recommend a CD for me to buy, maybe their favorite CD by their favorite artist, and at least one person will probably respond. I'm thankful that I can still care about the Real World even as you laugh at me, and I'm thankful I can still consider you my friend if you do. I'm thankful that I can also still care about a band from the 1980's that I never saw. I'm thankful that Tommy Stinson is playing the Mercury Lounge next Wednesday and I don't have to starve myself for a week to afford a ticket. Anybody wanna join me? I'm thankful that the Pixies are back together, even if it's just for the money. And even though I'm a little sad I missed the chance to buy tickets, I'm thankful that I can walk by the venue on the night of the show and easily purchase a ticket outside. I'm thankful that I live in a country where I can semi-publicly slag on the President every day without fear of being arrested or killed. I'm also thankful that I live in a country where I can help vote him out of office in November.** I'm thankful that I can go bowling and stink up the joint and still have a good time. I'm thankful that I finally got to see my co-worker bowl, the Republican*** who says he's got like a 190 average. And I'm even thankful that he averaged a 215 over the three games I watched. Oh, and I'm glad I cost him maybe twenty pins by screaming out "Limbaugh" as he was set to release another damn strike. I'm thankful that on September 11th of 2004 I can go play paintball with a bunch of good people, even if it's not something I've ever been interested in doing. Even though I'm ashamed of it, I'm thankful my
baseball team spends so much more money than yours. I'm thankful that I'm done with two grueling weeks of production, and I'm really happy to that no matter how bad things get screwed up at work, nobody dies. Ever. I appreciate it when people write in to tell me the website isn't loading properly, even if I can't always figure out the problem. Maybe it's the shaky haloscan commenting system. I'm thankful that I finally got 8 good hours of sleep last night, for the first time in maybe two months. I'm thankful my painful dental procedures are over for the year. I'm thankful that I don't have to be there when my dentist orders an inlay or a crown for me and has to describe the shade of yellow that the inlay/crown maker guy should use when he's making my inlay, so it will match the exact yellow of my teeth. "Better make it a Margarine 19, Stan." I'm thankful that almost all my junior high friends have moved back to New York, so we can continue being junior high friends forever. I'm thankful that I've reached a point in life where I can play sports badly and not feel embarrassed or angry about it. I'm thankful that September is here and it remembered to bring its bag of 72 degree afternoons filled with gorgeous, impossibly bright sunshine. I'm thankful that I don't walk with a noticeable limp. I like that whatever works for you works for you. I'm thankful that I can say I think David Cross is a mediocre comedian even if I know you disagree, and I can still think the world of you. I'm thankful that the NFL season is here, and I'm extremely relieved that I am not playing fantasy football this year. I'm looking forward to the singular pleasure of dozing off during a football game, then waking up in the middle of a thrilling fourth quarter comeback by a team that I really don't care about. Or just sleeping all the way through. I'm thankful that email means everybody I know is within reach. I'm thankful that I have four blogs to check every day, and I am excited that more might pop up soon. I'm glad that Dan finally posted something, and that it's a post you can curl up and spend some time with. I'm happy that I can still touch the backboard. I will admit I'm sad that I'll never dunk (again). But I'm thankful I got that one, slightly tainted though it may have been. And I am super-glad there were witnesses. I'm thankful when my rock and roll heroes keep putting out records into their 40's, and it doesn't bother me that these records are inevitably mediocre. I'm thankful I never got addicted to crack cocaine. I'm thankful I'm more than six feet tall and covered in muscles. I'm thankful I can smile at the misfortune of the down arrow key falling off my keyboard, perhaps a week after the warranty expired. I guess things will be looking up for awhile. I'm thankful that nobody I know was killed on September 11th of 2001, and I'm thankful that nobody I know has been killed or incarcerated during the ensuing "War on Terror." What are you thankful for? * The article in question is on the money, though. The
iPod shuffle does operate on way different mathematical principles than shuffles
from my past. |
