the Thanksgiving edition

Here I am, one year later, in that exact same two-day, pre-holiday-hell CPE class. The droning of the presenters is auditory tryptophan. And the topics…seriously, only nerds find taxes interesting. The seminar organizers got smart this year and dialed the room temperature down to 10 degrees cooler than comfortable, in a futile effort to keep us all awake. Good plan. None of us thought to bring blankets.

Mandatory sitting gives me time to reflect on the meaning of Thanksgiving, not to mention a debilitating backache. Because nothing has changed since last Thanksgiving, I decided I needed a different approach this year. Taking my cue from George Bailey, who looked beyond his personal bleakness to see the good, I managed to come up with a list of things that are positive about being on this unwelcome, interminably long sabbatical….

a) My garden has never looked better. True, it would be nice if I could buy more plants to fill the rest of the beds, but with MK’s help, it’s nearly weed free. That hasn’t happened since 2004.

b) All but three closets have been ripped apart and reorganized. There’s something satisfying about knowing where your stuff is, and finding out you can make do with less crap.

c) I’ve found out who my friends aren’t. Now that sounds perverse and negative, but it’s really not. It’s been an education. The folks who say “oh, this must be just like being a broke college student again” (no it’s not; students {usually} have parents to fall back on, and a whole life ahead of them to craft a successful career) or “I’ll help you” (but never do) or “I’ll hire you (but don’t) are soul-sucking, energy sucking dementors. Hearing drivel like that should’ve been my first clue. I’m admittedly slow to discern self-serving intentions and motives or outright lies. I give everyone I meet the benefit of the doubt for years until they prove me wrong, but in spite of it all, I still believe most people are mostly good. And that’s another thing to be thankful for, right there.

d) I only have to fill the car with gas once a month now. That’s a plus, since we’re moving into the $3 a gallon range again. Less wear and tear on that leaking engine, too.

e) I’ve gotten to know several of my neighbors. It doesn’t happen much in this subdivision unless you have kids in school. Working full time never allowed for a causal stroll several yards down.

f) I have more time to write. Good for me; maybe not so good for you.

g) There’s more time to read and study, too. I subscribe to at least 50 newsfeeds and blogs, mostly educational….publications about aviation, business, accounting, law, as well as just fun stuff, like cooking and knitting.

A final note: I actually have someone to cook for this year. Those of you that know me know I enjoy special occasion cooking. Thanks to Mr. World for the idea and making it happen. You poor bastard. Don’t you know I consider all my dinner guests lab rats?

Happy Thanksgiving!