A hastily composed, unordered, random list of things for which I’m thankful.
- Mrs. Curmudgeon and various friends and relatives are happy, healthy, and none are currently pissed off; especially at me.
- I’m in a country and society where I’m allowed to pray or not pray on Thanksgiving. I can also eat Chinese food on Thanksgiving if I wish (that would suck but I’m all about having options). I can abstain from watching football and there’s no shortage of toilet paper. Truly a blessed land!
- I paid off my student loans. That happened many years ago but I’m still pretty damned happy about it.
- An entire 24 hours in which I’m not going to do any work. (Except I was on a ladder this morning, and did some dishes, and…. wait a minute. Damn it! OK fine it’s 24 hours in which I’m going to do not much work.)
- The mechanic finally managed to “reboot” my Dodge. I managed to “reset” my Kindle. My laptop is fading but functional and my shortwave radio is shit but due for replacement. Overall I call it a win.
- I have a job. Sometimes I bitch about it but at least I’m bringing money in.
- Deadly Ebola got to American shores lookin’ to make a name for itself. The CDC and the Federal Government more or less laid out a red carpet for it and a couple folks did their best to infect everything in sight. Despite all that, for the moment at least, it has completely crapped out. We owe this miracle to the fact that Americans take hygiene really seriously? Regardless of the reason, it’s good news so far. (No, I don’t think the Ebola story is over… but let’s enjoy the fact that the shit didn’t hit the fan just yet.)
- The electric power is on. The internet is functioning.
- The toilet is functioning. Nobody cares about lights and the internet if the septic is stopped up.
- The pigs were a success (which makes up for the field cultivation which wasn’t). Pork is on the menu today.
- Peaceful elections. Sure they won’t change everything overnight or possibly anything ever but times with elections are better than times without.
- Disco is still dead.
- On a personal note, participation in an undisclosed sporting activity has been rough on me lately, but not enough to stop me. I’m glad I’m still at it. I won’t provide details so don’t ask.
- I spent Thanksgiving in a hospital a few years back. I’m thankful the hospital was there when I needed it. I’m thankful I got there under my own power and cut through red tape before I croaked on the ER floor while the drones filled out forms in triplicate. I’m thankful the herds of morons throughout the entire system parted like the red sea for a surgeon who was skilled and forthright. I’m thankful that it probably won’t happen again.
- Deer season this year was simple, easy, and successful. Hunting is never a sure thing. Venison will be a part of today’s feast.
- I don’t have to plow the driveway today.
- I may be low on cash but we’ve squirrelled away nuts for the winter. Especially food; including plenty of chicken, pork, and venison. Plus enough coffee to keep society safe in my presence for an extended duration. I (probably) stacked (maybe) enough firewood (barely) for the season (if not I do indeed own trees). My stash of beer and liquor isn’t huge but it’s enough. Life isn’t so bad when “worst case scenario” starts with “coffee, eggs, and bacon for breakfast” and ends with “steak and beer”, all the while accompanied by “a cheerful fire”. We truly are a rich society.
- Mrs. Curmudgeon (inexplicably?) loves me. I should have put “a happy marriage” at the top of the list. That’s always the first thing.
- Cthulhu hasn’t risen.
- Among 3 tractors, a snowblower, and an ATV… I’m 80% sure at least one will start and work well enough to clear a path to civilization. (Al Gore will be happy to know that several are decorative yard ornaments that aren’t likely to emit carbon any time soon. I’m “green” like that.)
- Mrs. Curmudgeon made an apple pie.
- My dog is content and is doing a fine job keeping the imperious cat in check.
- Tomorrow there will be post-thanksgiving turkey sandwiches! (Most men agree that this is the real reason we like Thanksgiving.)
I am thankful for so much more. I could go on for hours; but I’m not about to spend all Thanksgiving messing around with a blog. There’s food to eat and homestead chores to ignore! Have a great Thanksgiving and stay the hell away from my “leftover turkey” sandwich tomorrow.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and the Mrs.
I’m thankful good writers provide me with free entertainment on the internet. Happy Thanksgiving, AC.
P.S. I’m going to assume the undisclosed sporting activity is soccer. Ha ha.
Thanks for the compliment.
Soccer? No!
“Cthulhu hasn’t risen.”
I thought that was who was in the White House.
• The adenoidal whines emanating from the Pop-Culture aimed at teens are, objectively speaking, no worse than the adenoidal whines that were aimed at the same market when I was a teen. It’s easy to forget that, but it really does seem to be true. Of course I consider Rap vs Disco to be a wash; some don’t.
• While I am becoming persuaded that the Inevitable Zombie Apocalypse (™) will begin when a retail clerk, pushed over the edge by being required to wrk on Thanksgiving, bits one of the customers, it doesn’t seem to have happened this year.
• No matter how bad the political situation is in the United States, we at least don’t have to deal with the British Labor Party.
• No matter how grouchy I get, my Lady seems inclined to tolerate my moods and love me anyway.
“stay the hell away from my “leftover turkey”
What are these “leftovers” of which you speak?
“the Inevitable Zombie Apocalypse (™)”
Don’t forget to lay in a supply of mayo and mustard for the turkey sandwiches. The little packets from fast food joints have a shelf life of forever at room temperatures and even longer if kept cool (in the crick, because no electricity, y’know).
Happy Thanksgiving hun!
I’m with Anon – what are those “leftovers”? I have no idea what you’re talking about.
SA doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving as such, but our equivalent is Christmas Lunch. With an Irish/Portuguese family… for some reason there are NEVER leftover roast potatoes. Ever.
One year, as a joke, I did a full pocket of potatoes in the oven – I was asked why I had skimped on the roasties. >.<
However, as I did spend three years with you lot, I did my own small celebration with a nice piece of salmon (which is expensive as hell here, one of the things I really miss about USA), some 'shroom rice, wine and gave my thanks 🙂
As for "the Inevitable Zombie Apocalypse(tm) – I have an A4 size ziploc bag full of fast food joint packets lol; it's handy for picnics etc 😀
I do need to start collecting my bug-out stuff together, sigh.
Un-named sport: if injuries are muscular-related (which they mostly are, with sport) treat with heat. Uncooked rice, in an old (clean!!) knotted sock, in the micro for a min, works really well. Vicks Vaporub also works well to speed up healing time and deal with any bruising. (sometimes having chronic conditions can be useful for my friends! lol) Epsom salts in a nice hot bath, scrubbed over the area and left for a few minutes to draw, before rinsing off, can be good too. (perhaps a gun magazine to read, along with a nice glass of whiskey?)
Would Mrs C be interested in an apple-pie-sponge cake that is pure sin?
Our Wonderful Overlords here in SA have decided to regularly remind us how grateful we should be for electricity by doing "loadshedding" when the power grid is overwhelmed due to (corruption/fraud) bad maintenance; we even get a schedule!!! (which they follow when they feel like it). So yes, having elec, internet, and working toilets are awesome.
As for having work, yes. I wish I could find work here, but I'm now heading to my fifth year of looking, in spite of a great resume. Fortunately I have a maternal-unit who looks after me and my various issues, so I'm grateful for her.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Happy Holidays to you too!
As for this: “Un-named sport: if injuries are muscular-related (which they mostly are, with sport) treat with heat.”
The injuries are muscular related but they’re not technically injuries; more a matter of age and a lifetime of wear and tear and me being a big whiny pussy. The Marines say “pain is weakness leaving the body” but they say it when they’re nineteen. So far I’ve gotten by on grit, Ibuprofen, and occasionally whiskey. (Not mixed with Ibuprofen of course.)
On the whiskey note, I’ve discovered a very dangerous thing. Decent 100 proof rye, mixes incredibly well with good apple cider… Dear god it mixes so well my head hurts just thinking about it…..
The only thing about me acting my age is my joints.