Thanks. Really.

I don't pretend to corner the blogosphere in saying thanks this week. In fact, I've come to terms with the fact that Thanksgiving in the 2000s is more about the shopping yet to come than celebrating a successful harvest.

The only harvesting my family will do is at the local Kroger or Wal-Mart.

Since I'm still recovering from the holiday meal X-Mas 1981, which involved live chickens being 'fattened' in my parent's garage while I partied my way through my freshman year away at college... that's probably a good thing. No one told me a thing until I found the feathers.

Since the slaughtered-frozen-elsewhere-prior-to-appearing-on-my-table turkey is not done yet, I thought I'd toss out a few things I'm thankful exist in and out of my daily life. Trite? Maybe. But it also seems like the right thing to do since there's not a local tribe to which to extend my hand in friendship.

• Family. We'll eat three hours later than the appointed time, 'cause that's just what we do. The men and small fry will serve themselves first 'cause that's just what we do. My dad will say grace, cause that's just what he does. We'll draw names for the X-mas gathering one month from now. Someone will feel guilty and clean up the kitchen (another reason she-whose-name-shall-not-be-mentioned-here was once useful). And we'll go home.
• 'Other' family. Friends and the more significant of one sort or the other (you know where you fit, or should). While we may not spend the holiday together... it's still nice to know you're there. Checking in and/or waiting on me hand and foot during things like knee surgery.
• That it's LESS THAN ONE year to the presidential election.
• That I don't live in Saudi Arabia, where a 19-year-old woman is to be publicly whipped as punishment for being gang-raped. Yep. That's right. Blame the victim and then some.
• That I do live in a state that just elected a democrat as governor... okay, so that's just one. I'm hopeful. And I can always move back to Ohio if my vote looks like it's needed there next year.
• That this morning, I was able to connect a vendor I've been working with on a project with help for a family situation -- how cool did that make me, the non-social worker feel on my day off?
• That Women Out Front is trying hard to make being a lesbian in Cincinnati just a little easier with more/bigger/better events and opportunities to connect. There's even talk of a new book group that I'm kind of looking forward to helping get off the ground.
• That a conversation with some folks at work yesterday actually included more than one person (me) referencing inclusion strategies for GLBT folks.
• That Friday at 4 a.m. I'll be snug in bed while Rita and Robin are STILL sitting on the highway, waiting to get into the outlet mall. Tailgate snailgate.

It's not much. But it's a life. Happy Turkey!