Thank God...

....that my parents are still around. For all their health woes over the years, my dad is nearly 80 and my mom is close to 70, and I'm blessed that they've been a caring and supportive part of my life for 34 years, and hopefully for years to come.

...for my friends, without whom I would surely go mad from boredom. I've met an amazing array of people from all walks of life, and amazingly they've stayed in mine. They push me to be better, put up with me when I'm not, and generally give me a better excuse to leave my room besides work, bands or church. I'm also thankful for all my online friends readng this, all the people whose lives I get to read about without leaving my room.

...for my health. I don't have the time nor the space to share once again all of my near death experiences, from drownings to poisonings to birth defects to shards of glass through my face, but it really is a miracle that I'm still here. I often see myself as someone with bad luck, and miss how much worse things could have been.

...for my career. I'm not creating the most glamorous or exciting designs these days, but in the midst of a shaky economy with declining stock values, it's nice to be in a solid company with a great boss and good coworkers. 2007 brought a bit of a scare when I lost my last job, but with a little luck and a lot of help from a friend, I got a new job and was able to transition seamlessly without having any days unemployed.

...for completed journeys. Whether driving to and from work, making all my train connections when meeting friends in the city, or driving home late at night after social gatherings, it's always nice when I finally arrive at my destination. May all my friends and family have equally safe and smooth journeys, and may all of you have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!