Thanksgiving Morning

Happy Thanksgiving folks! Turkey: check. Gram's famous macaroni salad: check. Donuts: check. Coffee: check. (Okay, the last two aren't really to be part of my diet, but I did show a little restraint.) This will be the first time we try out Thanksgiving at home, by ourselves, in about 6 years. The last event was hardly a success, but was still a blast nonetheless. Hopefully, we learned something; otherwise, it'll be off to the diner.

Last evening's sleep was even better, with only 5 stops between 10:30 and 9:30 this morning. I feel much better rested and the homicidal thoughts that arise after days of sleepless nights have subsided (amazing what pops in your head when you haven't slept for a week.) It was the first night without pain killers since before the surgery and thankful for that. As much as I like them, living a life on them isn't something that I aspire.

Off we go to eat our faces off, stuff our pouches (some bigger than others), and share some time with family and friends. Enjoy and let the next year be even more thankful.

Things I am thankful for:
- My loving wife, for whom I could never do any of this.
- My little man, for whom getting better is a driving factor.
- My mother and my brother, who stand strong, even after the last few years. It does take someone special to look an NG tube head-on time after time.
- My family, who always stands by, checks in, and helps out. I wish I had more things for you to do, I really do. Next time, I'll have more $ and a honey-do list for you next time.
- My friends, who truly care and still can crack and laugh at potty jokes (thank god).
- The opportunity to live a normal and healthy life, which isn't granted to everyone with medical issues. Grab it with both hands and don't let go: You may not get another opportunity.
- The big picture: Not every instance or second is perfect in life. Thankfully, it's made up of thousands of them: If you're reading this, you've got more good than bad, sometimes you have to step back to see the forest.
- A job that offers me the ability to take care of medical issues without any headaches. Not everyone has this ability and it doesn't go unnoticed.