Giving thanks

At the beginning of this post, I still have three items left on my Thanksgiving bucket list: have Thanksgiving dinner (will be accomplished this week), see wild turkeys (yes, I have gone past the Bountiful golf course), and give thanks.

(It wasn't officially on my bucket list, but yesterday I took a short road trip to Plymouth, Utah. The story goes that the early settlers were walking down their main street, saw a limestone rock, and said "That looks like Plymouth Rock!" (Even though Plymouth Rock is granite. Maybe I got the story wrong?) Then they decided to name their town Plymouth. I thought it would be fun to go there during Thanksgiving time, but there really wasn't much there. My friend Shane and I also went to Crystal Hot Springs in Honeyville on this venture.

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I thought I would use this post as a means to knock out one of the items left on the bucket list--expressing gratitude for the blessings I have in my life.

I am thankful for the job I have had for almost four years now. My contract is up the end of the year and cannot be renewed. I don't know where I will be come January. I don't think I'll ever get another job as good as this one. While I'm sad to have to leave, I will take wonderful things with me. I have learned so much about the history of my home state, and it occurred to me today that I might very well know more about the first Mormon mission to Gibraltar than anyone else in the world. I have more experience with editing, writing, and research in a professional environment. I have my name on the cover of one book, will have it on the cover of another, and have it in the front matter of several others. 

I know everyone is thankful for their family, but when I watch court shows or read articles about crime, I'm glad I have sane parents who didn't raise lazy people, jerks, or criminals. (At least I think I'm not a jerk or lazy.)

Similarly, I'm thankful that I live comfortably in a respectable neighborhood. I have never wanted for food, clothes, shelter, or technology. I really am privileged.

I'm thankful that I have a cat, even if he is still skittish around us.

I am thankful for the internet. Seriously, how did you guys get anything done before the internet? We first got the internet when I was eight or nine, so I don't remember a lot in the pre-internet days. As I have been involved in doing research and writing, I don't feel like it's that big an accomplishment because the web makes it so easy. I admire the major books written in, say, the 1970s.

I'm thankful that ten (!) years ago, an overweight, socially awkward teenage boy packed up to go to Washington for two years. That changed the trajectory of my life in so many ways. I'm still socially awkward, but I can't bear to think of where I'd be now without that experience. I'd probably weigh three hundred pounds and spend my free time binging on obscure TV shows and cartoons.

I'm thankful that I discovered the hobby of trail running, which is both healthy and enjoyable. I can't remember the last time I've looked forward to an activity so much. At the risk of offending people, it's a much better hobby than video games, TV, drinking, or Facebook.

I'm thankful that I have lived a life free of addictions. I have never had coffee, tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs.

I'm thankful that I have vast quantities of music at my fingertips, through radio, streaming services, and things I buy myself. I'm thankful that I can collect songs for every holiday that put me in a seasonal mood and transport me in time. I'm thankful for lyrics that make me smile, like "It's not that I don't care about world peace, but I don't see how I can fix it in a swimsuit on a stage," or "Honesty and purity, beauty and sincerity--Doesn't that sound corny? Wish that I were corny!"

I'm thankful for the people I have met through the years who have befriended me. I have a hard time forming relationships, so thanks.

I've got plenty to be thankful for.

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The penultimate week of pumpkinundation roundup.

 I was disappointed that Corner Bakery no longer had a sandwich with turkey and stuffing, but I got a Corner Bakery Pumpkin Muffin. Basic but tasty. 9/10.

 I had a Bahama Buck's Pumpkin Spice Shaved Ice with condensed milk, but it was good enough that it didn't need the milk. I don't know how to describe what it tasted like. I don't even know if I remember what it tasted like. But I really liked it, and it's refreshing to have a pumpkin item that isn't baked. I'm not sure how I feel about the decorative reindeer, though--it's too early, but it's less wasteful than those paper umbrellas they usually have. 8/10.

 I had a Starbucks Holiday Turkey and Stuffing Panini, which isn't the greatest sandwich, but I appreciate the gesture. It's still a decent lunch. 7/10.

 So I went to Starbucks and ordered a Pumpkin Spice Creme Frappuccino ("creme" being their non-coffee drinks). Well, I didn't hear them call my name, even though I'd been there a while. They had some drinks on the counter that weren't being picked up, but I could tell they were warm, and I thought Frappuccinos were cold. So I stood waiting there forever. But then finally he read off the names again, and mine was one of those hot ones. I figured I had been mistaken about them being cold, since I've never had a Frappuccino before. #MormonProbs. But I think they gave me an ordinary Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Creme, because I did verify later that Frappuccinos are cold, so they just got my order wrong. #BaristaProbs. It's basically just warm milk with flavoring. It's OK. 7/10. I ordered a Frappuccino because it was one of the last warm-ish days.

 But then the next day was cold, and I had the opposite happen to me. I ordered a Kneaders Pumpkin Spice Steamer, because I was cold from my walk over. Just an ordinary steamer. But then they brought me an iced one! The server offered to heat it up for me, but I figured I'd try it this way. I think I actually liked it better cold! 7/10. I also had Kneaders Pumpkin Cheesecake, but apparently the picture didn't take. Not as good as Cheesecake Factory. 7/10.

 I bought this World Market Pumpkin Spice Cocoa Mix on Halloween but haven't had it till now. It was actually pretty good, and had real cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in the ingredients. 8/10.

 I bought a Barbecue Turkey Slim Jim so I could have turkey in Plymouth. It's OK, but I'm glad they're branching out into turkey, since it's more sustainable than beef. 6/10.

 Arctic Circle Pumpkin Pie Shakes have been around longer than the pumpkin spice craze. I had to get one before the season ended. 9/10.

I put this Blackberry Patch Pumpkin Spice Syrup on a pumpkin pancake with pumpkin spice-flavored morsels. I didn't notice the syrup on the pancake (I don't want to use much since the bottle is tiny), but I tasted some plain. Pumpkin is the second ingredient, and it really tastes like it. Somehow it's less sweet than regular syrup, even though it's really just sugar and water (and pumpkin). 8/10.