"Heppy Tanksgibbing!"

I walked the 5k portion of Detroit's Turkey Trot yesterday morning, and one of the best parts of the race is the huge population of little kids, standing on the sidewalks with their hands outstretched, waiting for high-fives from the runners and walkers. I am generally anti-child, but those little faces, with cheeks pink from the cold, and tiny little mitten-enveloped hands? Come on. I don't have a heart of stone. Plus, I remember standing in that position, just trying to stay warm and kill time until the Thanksgiving Day parade finally started. Ohhh, so f-ing cold.

Thanksgiving 2009 was a good one for me. The 5k was good (I don't, however, recommend taking Nyquil the night before an event like that...I felt like I was in slow motion!), and my post-race nap was marvelous. I was so sleepy that I didn't even take off my jacket. Shoes-- off. Running pants-- off. PJ pants-- on. Sweaty sports bra, tech shirt, jacket-- on. Hair still in braids and red Christmas ribbon. Very classy broad, I know!

Sister Carrie, Brother-in-law Dave, the parents and I went to my grandparents' house for dinner. It was wonderful. It was a pretty ideal number for the meal-- plenty of food to go around, plenty of wine to sip, and no one had to compete for conversation. I love those moments that come later in a meal, when bellies are getting full, and at least one glass of wine has been consumed, when laughing comes a little easier, when walls come down a little more, and you feel like you really belong at that table. (It's like the cheesy montage from Under the Tuscan Sun, when Frances Mayes has learned how to cook from her Italian neighbors, and she begins to cook large, rustic, and photogenic meals for her friends and carpenters. Just like that.)

On the way home from dinner, I received the following text message from my brother-- "Happy Turducken Day-- I'm thankful the Lions have so much room for improvement." Taking a cue from that, here are a few things for which I am thankful.

• the regenerating nature of nerve tissue
• the resilience of the human spirit-- general human badassness
• Grandma Mofo's stuffing
• my ceramic curling iron-- yep
• Eric Edelstein and his lovely parents
• Robin and Brandon-- future Mr. and Mrs. Digia
• my current co-workers-- Lisa, Annie, Leslie, Emma, and 106.7 The Beat
• Sam Lieberman, an unknowing enabler, and the other key Cincinnatians that I've come to really enjoy and admire
  
• Nemo's in Corktown, for their delicious burgers, for their Monforton-friendly nature, and for the good memories I've made there
• Pandora.com
• my Dansko clogs
• the fat-kid pants that Melissa Whorf sent me in a pre-surgery care package-- they are enormous, warm, and have pockets
• my family, near and far
• Politico.com
• everyone and everything that's gotten me through the past year
  

Happy belated Thanksgiving-- I hope at least a few of you celebrated Buy Nothing Day today. Damn the man, save the Empire!