Browsing Tag

thanksgiving

100 Things I am Thankful for the 6th Edition

With 150,000+ miles in the air this year, I have good deal to be thankful for.   So on to 2012’s 100 things I’m thankful for so far this year.

 

  1. Any day I’m home chilling with family.
  2. Any day I learn something new.
  3. That my Facebook stream has returned to kitten photos and non-political memes.
  4. That I’ve resisted the temptation to buy the iPad mini
  5. That I still find joy in watching Paul Blart: Mall Cop with my kids for the 132nd time
  6. That I wake up excited and go to bed fulfilled.
  7. That I was able to finally catch up with Eric this year – 3 years is too long.
  8. The way Hadrian slowly wakes up every morning.
  9. That Kevren and Dijouri are setting and achieving their goals already
  10. A night of a full 8 hours of sleep regardless of time zone considerations.
  11. Lunch with Jake
  12. A morning walk
  13. Cooking Sunday breakfast just like my Dad did when I was a kid.
  14. Soup!
  15. That I’ve been able to use Delta award tickets to fly my family in for the holidays.
  16. Catching up on TV on a dreary day
  17. When kindness trumps the “hurriedness” of life.
  18. The day I realized that you can really enjoy a Saturday without the internet.
  19. Angry Birds Star Wars
  20. A user interface that doesn’t require a companion video
  21. That I still believe most people are kind and mean well
  22. When I go places where the dollar is still a strong currency
  23. Random phone discussions with John
  24. Opportunities to talk about markets.
  25. The days when I get to use my geography skills beyond reading a map.
  26. Sour Cream ice cream with bacon dust sprinkled on it.
  27. That I found a nice Italian restaurant right here in Canton!
  28. The kids are growing up to be fun little people all around.
  29. Engaging discussions with the folks I work with
  30. A good vegetarian dish on a hotel room service menu.
  31. Days when I actually have time to blog.
  32. That my parents are still around and willing to lend a hand and provide insight.
  33. Instagram’s new profile pages
  34. Layovers I can actually enjoy
  35. Sunsets that fall into the horizon over a mountain or an ocean.
  36. Working with a bunch of professionals
  37. Any opportunity where I can teach someone something
  38. Waffle house breakfast with the family
  39. Medallion Qualifying Miles
  40. That I actually finished a book I should have read a long time ago.
  41. That everyday I have the opportunity to help solve problems
  42. Cloudy days which make for a good movie day.
  43. Falling asleep before the plane takes off.
  44. Watching live music with friends
  45. My fence which keeps the dogs from running around the neighborhood.
  46. Naps
  47. A cold unsweet tea on a hot North Georgia day.
  48. Corn mazes
  49. The cloud messaging from Apple.
  50. Any chance I get to catch a baseball game.
  51. A cold Fat Tire
  52. A good bottle of reasonably priced wine.
  53. That all my kids take every opportunity to learn new thing
  54. The team at Pragmatic Marketing
  55. Traveling to new places – I got to see South Korea and Thailand this year!
  56. Not having to travel for Thanksgiving this year – five years in a ROW!
  57. Each time I read a quote which just makes me think
  58. Every time I get the opportunity to have a thoughtful discussion
  59. Dinner with friends
  60. That most days I have no surprises and when I do, I’m up for them
  61. On time departures
  62. Cooking dinner with Emily for friends and family
  63. Every time I catch a Back to the Future marathon
  64. When the coffee maker in my hotel room actually works and doesn’t only have decaf!
  65. Every chance to catch up with those folks I’ve been hanging out with for the last decade
  66. The Kindle App – reading is fun
  67. My Sirius subscription has changed my ride to the airport
  68. The two product managers from DirectTV who showed me how to really view TV Anywhere!
  69. All the people that help me along the way in life.
  70. When I find a nugget of information I wouldn’t have thanks to folks I follow on Facebook or Twitter
  71. Anita who kindly volunteers to watch our kids so Em and I can have a life
  72. Catching up with folks IRL when I’m on the road.
  73. Any chance to take a ride in the country side on a saturday afternoon.
  74. That my mom understands when I forgot to give her a call on her birthday because I was on the road. Thx mom!
  75. Every time we random into a music festival.
  76. Google Maps, I refuse to update my iPhone.
  77. Being able to watch the same Mentalist three days in a row and never make it to the end. zzzzzzz
  78. The active Product Camp community.
  79. Any time I can get a cab in Manhattan at 5 PM
  80. DVR’s
  81. Every chance I get to play a game of pool
  82. Pinochle
  83. Neil Young on the iPod
  84. Opportunity to almost serve on a jury this year.
  85. That Gallaher’s isn’t really closing – maybe.
  86. The view of PHX from the Marriott Buttes.
  87. Golfing in the rain
  88. Woodworking projects
  89. A speedy internet connection at the Delta sky club
  90. Finding a new connection thanks to a re-tweet
  91. Math is just math
  92. No need to buffer streamed TV
  93. My creative and fun wife, Emily
  94. Anytime I get the chance to see someone practicing their craft.
  95. Command Hooks
  96. Doggie Doors
  97. Long term plans which come together in the end
  98. Sleeping kids
  99. That my twins are doing ok at the whole driving thing.
  100. A good haircut

 

Have a great and safe Thanksgiving!

 

Related Posts

November 21, 2012 by
(6)

Time to reflect: 100 Things I’m Thankful for in 2011

Thanksgiving already?!?!  There are lot’s of reasons this year flew, but mainly it’s been driven by family, friends and my career which has made 2011 fly by.  2011 has been fun and full of memories which I couldn’t have imagined would have taken place this year.

Since it’s Thanksgiving, that means I get the opportunity to do what my 5th 100 Things I’m thankful for post, which is my favorite post of the year.

 

  1. My family which just keeps getting bigger – kids, parents, brothers, cousins, nieces, nephews and my wife
  2. Watching all my kids grow closer as friends
  3. My automagic coffee maker which greets me everyday with fresh coffee when I’m home
  4. That kids provide a consistent reality check
  5. Breakfast at Chompies
  6. A crisp sunny fall morning.
  7. A block of time just to curl up with the kids and catch up on Umizoomi
  8. The way Hadrian slowly wakes up every morning
  9. That Kevren and Dijouri are setting goals already
  10. Catching up with Friends when on the road
  11. A morning walk
  12. A house full of dogs and kids with the BBQ going
  13. The day I realized that I really don’t have to respond to a given email in real-time
  14. Netflix, regardless of their price increase make my life easy – let’s watch Pocoyo again!
  15. Catching up on TV on a dreary day
  16. When I actually get time to use my iPad when I home
  17. Watching Hadrian try and swipe at the TV like an iPad
  18. The day I realized that gravity always wins
  19. The weekend I just lost to Cut the Rope
  20. A user interface that doesn’t require any documentation
  21. That I still believe most people are kind and mean well.
  22. Free Wireless in the airports
  23. Every time I get asked to be a mentor
  24. Opportunities to talk metrics
  25. The Georgia climate, I know it’s hot in August, but it all is forgotten on a sunny day in February
  26. Steamed asparagus
  27. Every time I get the opportunity time to read to my kids
  28. Instagram
  29. The folks that read spatially relevant
  30. Layovers I can actually enjoy
  31. Sunrises cresting over mountains
  32. Ideas that work
  33. Ideas that don’t work and learning from them
  34. Small businesses
  35. Any opportunity where I can teach someone something
  36. Going out to dinner with the kids at the local diner.
  37. Sleeping in to 6:00 am – it keeps getting earlier every year!!!!
  38. The day I realized most of the things that pop up in life are just noise
  39. Going to an aquarium
  40. Every chance I get the time to enjoy a city when I’m on the road
  41. That I was able go do fun stuff on Halloween this year with the family
  42. Walking on a beach
  43. Sunsets over the ocean
  44. Going the High Museum of Art on a weekend morning
  45. Being home and having nothing to do but chill
  46. Every meeting which starts on time
  47. GoGo Inflight wireless
  48. That everyday I have the opportunity to help solve problems
  49. Sunny Days with big fluffy clouds where I can imagine shapes with my kids
  50. The day I just decided to have an omelette this year for the first time
  51. Watching live music with friends
  52. My dogs – Lilly and Tewsy, plus the neighborhood dog Lucy which hangs out 16 hours a day.
  53. Every time I am reminded that history is important.
  54. Taking the time to walk to all my flights at hartsfield jackson
  55. Naps
  56. Watching my teenagers grow up, learn and become responsible.
  57. Any chance I get to catch a baseball game.
  58. A good bottle of random wine.
  59. That all my kids take every opportunity to learn new things
  60. Every chance I get to blog
  61. Playing Plants vs. Zombies
  62. Engaging discussions with the folks I work with
  63. 2 week long Words with Friends games.
  64. That Atlanta has such an active product management community with TAG PM and ProductCamp ATL
  65. The team at Pragmatic Marketing
  66. Traveling to new places
  67. That I’m able on most days to wake up excited and go to bed fulfilled.
  68. Everyday I have the opportunity to learn something new
  69. Every time I don’t forget stuff in a rental car – glasses again!
  70. Not having to travel for Thanksgiving this year – four years in a ROW!
  71. Each time I read a quote which just makes me think
  72. Every time I get the opportunity to have a thoughtful discussion
  73. Every time I get an amazing meal when I least expect it – that Marriott in Colorado has amazing catering
  74. Dinner with friends
  75. That most days I have no surprises and when I do, I’m up for them
  76. On time departures
  77. Cooking dinner with Emily for friends and family
  78. Desert bacon – thick cut bacon with brown sugar and orange zest – mmmm
  79. Finding that zone when writing a blog post.
  80. Shark week
  81. When the coffee maker in my hotel room actually works.
  82. Every chance to catch up with those folks I’ve been hanging out with for the last decade
  83. A good book which I can put down.
  84. 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep where I wake up on my own volition.
  85. When I don’t leave my coat in my car before I fly north
  86. Volunteering with my kids in the community on a Saturday
  87. Farmers Market – Phay does amazing crepes at the Alpharetta Farmer’s market – www.crepecottage.com
  88. Listening to talk radio on my way to the airport
  89. The rare occasion of watching live TV, instead of DVR content.
  90. All the people that help me along the way in life
  91. When I find a nugget of information I wouldn’t have thanks to folks I follow on Twitter
  92. Anita who kindly volunteers to watch our kids so Em and I can have a life
  93. Catching up with folks IRL who I only know online when I’m on the road
  94. Any chance to take a ride in the country side
  95. That my mom understands when I forgot to give her a call on her birthday because I was on the road. Thx mom!
  96. Every time we random into a small town festival and have time to just stop and mill around
  97. Any opportunity to share a happy moment with friends or family.
  98. Google Maps
  99. That I can get most of my holiday shopping done online without issue
  100. Any chance I get to tell a story which can help someone improve or avoid a pitfall I’ve hit before

Hopefully you are spending time with people you care about and sharing a great day with others!  If you are one of the randoms that show up thanks to Bing and Google, welcome and thanks for stopping by.

Have a great and safe Thanksgiving!

 

Related Posts

November 23, 2011 by
(3)

100 Things I’m Thankful for so far in 2010


I can’t believe a year has already passed since my last Thanksgiving post.  So now is the time for a little reflection on what has become my favorite post of each year.

This is now my fourth installment of 100 things I am thankful for.  While many of them are similar, I’ve got some new ones and new people I am thankful for this year.  2010 has been so much fun so far with new challenges and opportunities.  Thanksgiving is a great time for me, since I have the opportunity to chat with friends and family, share a great meal and call folks to catch up with others throughout the day.

  1. My family – kid, parents, brothers, cousins, niece, nephews and my wife
  2. That big brothers take care of little brothers
  3. A cup of coffee on a foggy morning day on my deck with just the dogs
  4. That kids are so resilient
  5. The totally awesome group of folks I work with.
  6. Friends that I just don’t see enough of Ruslan, Rick, Chris, Mark, Patti and Dave
  7. A nice walk on a tread mill with a TV
  8. The way Hadrian slowly wakes up every morning
  9. That Jen is a great mother to Kevren and Dijouri
  10. Catching up with Friends when on the road
  11. Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Hell’s Kitchen in Minneapolis.
  12. Walking home on a sunny day from the bus stop with Prescott
  13. That Dijouri is so thoughtful of others
  14. That Kevren is growing up to be a cool kid
  15. Every chance I get to see my parents and brothers
  16. That random people will often let you use their stuff if you ask nicely
  17. Watching Prescott do a puzzle.
  18. Watching Hadrian follow his big brother everywhere
  19. The day I learned the concept of 4 corners from JF
  20. The day I realized it’s all just math
  21. On time and on budget feature delivery.
  22. That I really believe most people are thoughtful, kind and mean well.
  23. A quiet snowy morning
  24. Free Wireless in airports
  25. That Prescott and Hadrian are best friends
  26. That Kevren and Dijouri are  best friends
  27. The day I got certified
  28. French Onion Soup
  29. Every time I have time to read to my kids
  30. Taking pictures of Em when she doesn’t suspect it.
  31. My readers
  32. Any chance I can get to visit my kids at their school.
  33. Layovers I can actually enjoy
  34. Back roads driving and looking at fields of amber waves of grain
  35. Ideas that work
  36. Ideas that don’t work and learning from them
  37. Any day I can go to a zoo
  38. Any opportunity where I can teach someone something
  39. That a neighbor was smart enough to make a snowman before it melted
  40. Sleeping in to 6:30 am – it keeps getting earlier every year!!!!
  41. That it all works out in the end, no it really does.
  42. Taking a walk someplace new
  43. Every chance I get the time to enjoy architecture
  44. That I was able to George on his 65th birthday
  45. When my teenagers can schedule me in when I’m in town.
  46. When we remember that a photo might be a good idea
  47. That I didn’t forget my Mom’s birthday – 3 years in a row!  Thank you outlook!
  48. Being home and having nothing to do but chill
  49. Being able to catch a random wedding from a distance
  50. On time departures
  51. That everyday I have the opportunity to help solve problems
  52. Sunny Days with big fluffy clouds where I can imagine shapes with my kids
  53. Oatmeal
  54. The fact I now have many people to be thankful I know in PHX, not just Ron and MJ because they aren’t always around.
  55. That you can always find something to do in Detroit
  56. My dogs – Lilly and Tewsy
  57. For discovering Yelp and how it can find a perfect meal in just about anywhere.
  58. Taking the time to walk to all my flights at hartsfield jackson
  59. Naps
  60. Watching my teenagers grow up, learn and become responsible.
  61. Any chance I get to be in Austin.
  62. A good bowl of soup on a rainy day and a good book.
  63. My mentors (Ron, Ken, John and Jim)
  64. The fact I’ll make platinum this year and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
  65. Playing Angry Birds
  66. Not being able to no to stopping at a random fair in a small town
  67. The fact that I have never played any of the “Ville” games or any other games on Facebook.
  68. Spending any Saturday at a Product Camp.
  69. Days I don’t have to shave
  70. Watching Live Music
  71. Finally catching up with MJ after almost 7 years!
  72. That I’m able on most days to wake up excited and go to bed fulfilled.
  73. Everyday I have the opportunity to learn something new
  74. Every time I don’t forget stuff in a rental car
  75. Not having to travel for Thanksgiving this year – three years in a ROW!
  76. The day I realized that creativity and logic are actually peer concepts.
  77. That just because something seems like a good idea, you still have to do the research to make sure
  78. Cool Bugs
  79. Real life conversations
  80. That unconferences have helped develop communities of learning.
  81. Watching folks who worked for me in the past doing well in their careers.
  82. Cooking dinner with Emily for friends and family
  83. Nicely done bacon
  84. Walking around the parks of NYC and looking at art
  85. That random song which pops up on the ipod.
  86. Halloween
  87. The whole group of folks in Atlanta who I’ve been hanging out with for the last decade
  88. European breakfast at just about any hotel – cheese – mmmmm
  89. When I am actually able to see a movie in the theatre, even if it is a cartoon.
  90. When I happen to actually pack the right clothes for the right climate
  91. Doing spring cleaning in the fall
  92. Just about anything BBQ with DD
  93. Sleeping kids
  94. The fact that the last member of my friends has finally had a kid and now know what it means to be to too tired to go out
  95. Those rare, but beautiful snowy mornings in Georgia.
  96. That Apple just knew the iPad solved a problem I didn’t know I had
  97. Sunny fall days in the park
  98. That I’ve finally come to the realization that I can no longer do 3 straight days of live music, it makes Monday a bunch betterer.
  99. Any chance I can get to do something for someone else.
  100. That the boys were able to find that perfect dog to take Panic’s place.

Hopefully you are spending time with people you care about and sharing a great day with others!  Have a great and safe Thanksgiving!

November 25, 2010 by
(11)

100 Things I am Thankful For – circa 2009

photo.jpg by you.

So this is my third installment of 100 things I am thankful for, the original continues to be the most active search post on spatially relevant and this always is favorite post to write every year.

The terms vary from funny things to be thankful for to what kid’s should be thankful for.  Regardless, this is the most rewarding post to write every year.

  1. My family – it just keeps getting bigger and bigger – better and better
  2. That big brothers take care of the other siblings
  3. That twins just know what to do
  4. The peaceful early morning drive to the office
  5. Frost in the country
  6. Coconut curry soup
  7. That the University of Michigan Medical Center doesn’t suck at any thing they do.
  8. That I will not achieve Gold status on delta this year and probably next
  9. The cheese in Spain is about the best anywhere
  10. The fact that Spanish wines are insanely cheap, compensates for the cost of cheese 😉
  11. Time off with no internet access
  12. A cab driver who doesn’t talk to me
  13. The ability to see the mountains everyday
  14. That my friends stepped up on the club seats for New Years with Panic
  15. That big brothers take care of all the other ones
  16. Pleased when people understand the difference between hallucinating and vision.
  17. Wireless on a plane, but only kinda.
  18. That Ron, one of my mentors, recovered from his stroke fairly quickly.
  19. That Chattanooga is about as pretty as anywhere else on an overcast day
  20. Hulu – at least when I am in the United States
  21. A new tie
  22. Fringe, the TV show
  23. Julia, the nurse with the Jello
  24. Karen, the nurse with the infectious optimism
  25. My readers
  26. The crew in A2 (Chris, Patti and Drake)
  27. Waking up to fog and just knowing the mountains are still there
  28. Any day Em doesn’t have a saved segment of Dr. Phil backing her up on something.
  29. My friends in and around the greater San Francisco bay area (Ruslan, Rick, Chris, Mark)
  30. That science continues to advance and the Discovery channel tells me so
  31. New Socks
  32. Working from home
  33. My new grill which is just way too much for the average steak, but I still use it
  34. Skype
  35. Emily’s cooking, specifically her pork paprikash and whatever new thing she has discovered online.
  36. The Hadrian Snuggle Mood every morning
  37. That Jen is a great mother of Kevren and Dijouri and a friend
  38. Everyday I have the opportunity to just take in the scenery, like colors
  39. The beach, not a lake beach, but a Gulf beach more than anything
  40. Catching up with Friends when on the road
  41. Old Town Madrid
  42. Not having to travel for Thanksgiving this year, 3 years in a row!
  43. My external hard drive which has over a decade of junk on it.  I just might need that presentation from 2001 for something
  44. That my parents, although grumpy are still good folk who I need to talk to about stuff. Wisdom is a good thing
  45. Not having to travel for Thanksgiving this year – three years in a ROW!
  46. That I still have my atlas from my 18th birthday, it has a SIGNIFICANTLY less pages now thanks to my kids
  47. That Em and I did actually get out to see some music this year that wasn’t Thomas the Tank Engine
  48. The moment I realized that there IS a speed limit on the autobahn and only got 1 ticket
  49. That the SEC has just crazy good tailgates
  50. A Sunday afternoon drive with the family
  51. That my kids trust me enough to actually “friend” me on facebook – SUCKAS! 😉
  52. That Auburn didn’t win and I was asleep by the end of the game
  53. That Ken’s 40th birthday party was not just good for him, but me as well.  Great to see friends and talk to adults.
  54. Watching Dijouri think
  55. Watching Kevren with his little brothers
  56. Watching Prescott dance
  57. Watching Hadrian “cook”
  58. I am well within 60 days of no more diapers until I am a grandparent
  59. A perfectly smoked turkey (fingers crossed, doing my first one today!)
  60. The day I realized that personal email is more or less junk, so no need to manage it
  61. Days when the clouds roll into my backyard, not that high up, but enough to get the occasional low lying cloud roll in.
  62. That I actually rented my old house for 2.5 years on a single lease.  2009 the Year of the Slumlord
  63. That Hannover, Germany, while not seen as a hotspot is filled with good people
  64. That Cold Play just happened to be in town when I was on a trip
  65. On time and on budget feature delivery.
  66. That most people are thoughtful, kind and mean well.
  67. Real life conversations with kids or adults
  68. Insights from My Twitter Stream
  69. Free Wireless
  70. That a broken iPhone can be easily transitioned in an iTouch for the kids
  71. That most people can still smile, even during hard times
  72. That Patti still has that special way of making me feel special after 15 years
  73. Looking at Canal’s can just make any day better
  74. That Prescott and Hadrian are pretty good friends
  75. That Kevren and Dijouri are pretty good friends
  76. Every chance I get to golf, I have to get ready for senior tour after all
  77. Street Musician’s with really good instruments
  78. Watching folks who worked for me in the past doing well.
  79. That I have time to read to my kids
  80. That Kevren and dijouri take the time to teach their brothers stuff.
  81. That rare reality when leftovers actually taste better the next day
  82. The recurring reality when Emily sneaks leftover ingredients in and doesn’t tell me
  83. The fact that I have 2 back up set of head phones in my briefcase, just in case Hadrian pulled one out
  84. That a day on the Hooch is as good as anything, just bring sunblock.
  85. That I have time to read to my kids
  86. Layovers I can actually enjoy
  87. Ideas that work
  88. Ideas that don’t work and learning from them
  89. Any opportunity where I can teach someone something – kids included
  90. Sleeping in to 7:30 am
  91. That it all works out in the end, no really does.
  92. Grey Goose and Red Bull
  93. That steak at Bones with John and John
  94. Every chance I get the time to enjoy architecture
  95. When I have extra room in my bags to compensate for the clothes I have to buy because I didn’t pack right
  96. Entertaining Tweets which pop up when I’m in a meeting and make me laugh out loud and then have to explain it.
  97. That Sheryl seems to always have what I need on her hard drive
  98. The other contributors here who make Spatially Relevant Better everyday than I can alone
  99. The random call, text, hand written note, facebook poke or other outreach that confirms we are all still connected
  100. Any opportunity to share, listen and be with people I care about

photo by you.

November 26, 2009 by
(3)