It's only Wednesday and already I've had a very up and down week.

I know I'm a bit [in]famous for going on and on when I write one of these things, but believe me when I say I'm 100% positive you don't have the time or the interest to read the whole story. So I'll do the other thing I'm famous for: pithy and colorful summaries. All right. Here we go.

Sunday
Fairly normal beginning. Drive to work barely on time in my shitty Mustang, once again wondering if this is the day The Beast is gonna break down and leave me stranded. Miraculously, I arrive at work unscathed. After working all night I look forward to . . . well . . . not working. But The Beast has other plans. Namely, not working itself. I'm forced to leave it at the gas station next door overnight and bumming a ride home from my buddy Chris. Instead of sleep, I spend the night cursing the car for not hanging on for a couple more months.

Monday
Once again bumming a ride from Chris, I arrive at work to see my car gone from the gas station next door. Did my sister come to get it? Has it been stolen? Did it decide to fix itself in Christine-like manner by wreaking havoc upon Arlington in a mechnical homicidal rage? No such luck. The bitch next door called to have it towed. Fuck all. My morning is spent crying, pleading, and (with a lot of help from my sister) screaming with people to resolve my car situation. Finally it happens, and my car is returned to its rightful place in the parking lot outside my work. Two major snags: what the hell do I do with this broken car, and how'm I supposed to get around until I can figure that out? In walk two more saviours to my day. First, my favorite co-worker and surrogate grammy Pat, who offers to sell me her old car. Second, my understanding and action-oriented dad, who fronts the money for the aforementioned car. The rest of the day isn't really any smoother, but at least I stop crying so damn much.

Tuesday
Chris is my ride (once again) to work and my morning is spent as it usually is, talking about pizza to hungry people. During my break I accuire a car, three new tires, two cookies, and a receipt for a paid cell phone bill. Return to work, then it's off to band practice where I get to pretend to be a boy because the singer's absent and I fill in. Terribly. I make a very bad male singer. Then again it might have been the three Starbucks Double Shots I downed at the beginning of paractice. Yeah . . . we'll blame the caffiene.

Wednesday
Now it's today, the day before Thanksgiving. I've spent a great deal of time catching up on the sleep I missed over the past three nights and making phone calls. But most of all I've done a lot of thinking. Thinking about the people who have helped me through the last few days. Hell, helped me through all these years. And I want to take the time to give my thanks to those people in my life I would be lost without:

Heather. You're my sister and I love you unconditionally. But I'm so blessed to have you as my friend as well. You're loud, crude, bossy, and you don't take shit from anybody. I love that about you. Your take-charge attitude and common sense has helped me through so many times when I thought all was lost. Thank you.

Pat. I am gonna miss you so much when I leave the phone center. You've always been there for me with a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen with, and warm and loving arms to hug me when I need it most. You are an incredible lady and I've been so blessed to get to know you these past five years. Thank you.

Dad. I don't tell you this nearly enough, but I love you. No one could have a better father than I do. There's no way I can adequately describe the influence you've had on me during my life and how much you mean to me not only as a parent, but as a strong man to look up to and admire. Thank you.

Mom. It's because of you that I can look at the world and see all the shiny things that can be hidden within it. You've taught me that perception has everything to do with happiness and that's a gift I've kept close to me my whole life. I wish you knew how important that gift is, and how your light shines on every person you meet. Thank you.

Chris. You have been there so many times to bail me out of a jam. You give and give and give and ask for so little in return. I am so proud to have you as a friend. If the people running this planet were more like you I'm pretty sure that we'd see a sharp decrease in poverty, famine, war, and ignorance. Everyone should know someone like you but more importantly, everyone should try to be that person for someone else. Thank you.

Meagan. How one year of being your friend can feel like twenty, I'm not sure. I am sure, however, that I'm richer for having you in my life. You give so much without keeping score. Your intelligence, strength, and warmth have helped me see that time has no say in friendship, only love and joy. Thank you.

Erich. I love you. That's a given. But I also cherish the person you are more than anything else. You've taught me so many important things about how to love someone fully, without regrets or boundaries, and with joy. You light me up and fill my heart just by smiling at me. I am so lucky not only to love you, but to be loved by you. Thank you.

And for all the rest of you out there I haven't mentioned by name, know that you are always in my thought and in my heart. It's the people we know that shape our lives, but it's the people we choose to keep close that show the rest of the world what's important to us. Thank you.

So this Thanksgiving Day, kids, when you're sitting around the table struggling to think of something to be thankful for . . . Well, just look around that table and I guarantee it'll be a lot easier.

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