thankful

So after a year since the last Thanksgiving post I have anxiously awaited the 2008 version of my things I am thankful for post. This post is perhaps the most grueling, enjoyable and fun to write.  The list clearly will include similar and exact things from the last one, but that makes sense since gratitude and appreciation should be fairly consistent.  So while it’s been a very busy year, I’ve had the opportunity to meet a bunch of new folks, to try and work on who I am and to try better understand what is actually important.  I hope you have a bunch of things to be thankful for and another full year of opportunity to find new things to appreciate.

1. My family (all 3 generations)
2. The Community coffee mug I got this year,  It’s got a great heft.
3. Spring Time Panic – didn’t get the chance to see Panic at all during the spring of 2008.
4. Seeing “Greatest” Hits Live Music Shows (I got AC/DC in about 2 weeks!)
5. Being home
6. When the batteries die in noisy toys and they mysteriously disappear
7. On time departures
8. Sunny Days
9. A brisk morning walk (the 3 or 4 i get to do a year)
10. The fact that I almost know how to get around Phoenix now.
11. Catching up with Ron Kevren at least 1 time a year
12. Dijouri’s ability to experience pure joy from anything in life
13. Prescott’s ability to watch something other than “Thoas da trein” on tivo, like “srak”
14. I still like kids with afros, but have come to not like dreadlocks, I’m so glad that love is hair independant.
15. That sometimes your wife does just deserves a day at the spa.
    
16. My dogs still are cool
    
17. Cool maps, like my 1932 relief map of Europe which I can’t seem to get back after 8 years.
18. A show at the Tabernacle
19. Sancho’s broken arrow in Denver IS the best bar on the planet with a great ambiance, if you can call it that.
20. Waiting for the train at Hartsfield to take me to baggage claim
21. Naps
22. Watching my kids grow up, learn and change.
23. A good bowl of soup
24. My mentors (Ron, Ken, John and Jim)
25. Golfing when I can
26. Farmer’s Market Saturdays
27. The pre-school Prescott goes to, it’s kinda cool being sorta a Methodist, since it is a GREAT school, I guess we should go to a mass.
28. Mountain weekends thanks to Joan
29. Being able to have actually gone on a sales call in the US with my friends from the UK – they brought their usual cheer and weather – see below.
30. That I had the opportunity to speak in Calgary this year and now some kid is getting a scholarship in my name.
31. The fact I actually made platinum last year, so this was a little premature.  I like being platinum, if you have to fly, upgrades on nearly every flight are cool.
32. Playing Guitar hero and Wii Fit with my kids
33. That my facebook network has really become about friends, not just randoms
34. The connectedness that social media provides with my extended network of friends
35. Looking at my setlists on my iPhone
36. That I have friends that do good things
37. That I don’t mind a juice box every now and again
38. That Emily is usually right and I now just accept it
    
39. When Kevren explains to me just right he is, but typically is just trying to get me to say yes to something, but ultimately understands when I don’t go along
    
40. Emily’s cooking, specifically her pork paprikash – this hasn’t changed year over year
    
41. When Hadrian pukes and mainly misses me
42. The day I realized that I have no idea what I did before Google desktop
43. The Chicago Institute of Art
44. The whole SOB group, those that that are still among us and those that aren’t.
45. That Jen is a great mother of Kevren and Dijouri
46. Days I don’t have to shave
47. That I’m able on most days to wake up excited and go to bed fulfilled.
48. Everyday I have the opportunity to learn something new
49. That I was able to sit in a couple of songs and play Conga’s last week for bunch of folks and didn’t suck @ Fat Catz in NOLA on Bourbon St.
50. That a headline in a newspaper can change your day.
51. Random phone calls from folks I haven’t talked to for a long while
52. Understanding that today can be just as good as any day and it is MY choice.
53. iTunes Genius functionality
54. Eating with friends on Lake Austin is about as good as it gets.
55. That a visually appealing dessert actually tastes better, not sure why.
56. When I don’t forget my mom’s birthday, 2008 was a non-miss – I was the first of the kids to call.  Bonus points for me.
57. Not having to travel for Thanksgiving this year – two years in a ROW!
58. That I still have my atlas from my 18th birthday, it has a few less pages now thanks to my kids
59. That I finally said yes to Burning Man this year.
60. The moment I realized I should never drive in the UK.
61. Tailgating at a show with my friends
62. When Emily calls bullshit on me – I guess that’s why I married her.  It becoming less frequent, I guess l’m full o’ shit.  NAH.
63. My first Bulldog game and it was a slaughter of Central Michigan University, which was cool.
64. A Sunday afternoon drive with the family
65. Watching Dijouri think
66. Watching Kevren with his little brothers
67. Watching Prescott dance
68. Watching Hadrian walk
69. That most people are thoughtful, kind and mean well.
70. Jack’s Five-Cheese Macaroni & Achiote Chicken from Z tejas –  Made with bleu, Jack, cheddar, Parmesan and Romano cheeses, finished with toasted bacon gratin.  The Diablo chicken is good too.
71. That I’m lucky to still have a bunch of friends with the dreamers disease
72. That I realized that math is an important thing.
73. My readers and influencers.
74. The day I realized that creativity and logic are actually peer concepts.
75. That I can read not only on a plane now.
76. Real life conversations
77. The day I complained about SMC and got to develop a relationship with Chris and Kristie
78. The new professional traveler line at Hartsfield, I should still get a clear pass, but I’m too cheap.
79. Moments when I have the clarity of thought to acknowledge that I can’t control what happens – only how I react
80. That I’m clearly not a handy person and should hire most things out.
81. Watching folks who worked for me in the past doing well.
82. That going to Lake Tahoe was good idea and the luck to be able to have KISS playing there.
83. That a day on the Hooch is as good as anything, just bring sunblock.
84. That I have time to read to my kids
85. Direct flights
86. Ideas that work
87. Ideas that don’t work and learning from them
88. Sleeping in past 5am
89. That I am currently buying into the market at a discount (it’s the only way I can deal with it)
90. That it all works out in the end
91. The perfectly mixed Sicilian Kiss (1/2 Jim Beam, 1/2 Amaretto, SPLASH of OJ – Shaken over ice, served in a shot glass)
92. The day you find a really good $35 bottles of wine which is a repeatable purchase
93. The day you first try a wegyu steak and the second, third, fourth….
94. The bacon at the Camelback is just as good, well almost as good, as the bacon at the Four Seasons in Maui
95. When I get to hear all summer long by Kid Rock and thing to myself – since it is pretty much an accurate portrayal of being young in Michigan with a good beat.
96. That Chris, Sheryl and other folks were kind enough to help with the eBook on social brand management, The Social Marketing Construct.  Never would have gotten done without them.
97. When I am actually able to see a movie in the theatre.
98. A funny text message or Tweet which pops up when I’m in a meeting.
99. When I happen to actually pack the right clothes for the right climate
100. Any opportunity to share, listen and be with people I care about

Just like the last time, I probably have another 100 things I should be thankful for…. What are you thankful for?  Have a great holiday and be safe!  Cheers!

~jon

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