Twenty-Two Things I’m Thankful For

The people have spoken! While I’ll admit that I wasn’t actually still awake at Midnight PDT last night to check the figures exactly at the specified moment, it turns out it doesn’t matter.  It was a surprisingly unanimous vote, with every last one of you expressing a burning interest for me to catch up on the list of things for which I’m thankful.

Then again, maybe it wasn’t so surprising. I mean, if you can’t muster any interest in the laundry list of things I appreciate, what are the odds you’d expend the effort necessary to actually click option B on the poll? Speaking as someone who has, after all, spent most of his life being apathetic to most things not related to food, beer, or video games, I think I my credentials in this area are impeccable.

But I digress.

The point of this post is supposed to be the catching up, not an analysis of why the poll went the way it did. We’ll leave that to someone like Nate Silver. Or, I don’t know, CNN’s crack news team. Or maybe someone from SNL’s Weekend Update.  Probably the same level of journalism at that level.

Let’s get to it, then. Twenty-Two Things I’m Thankful For:

1. Chocolate – Duh. This needs no explanation. Also, the darker, the better.
2. Twitter – The perfect tool for the modern day attention-seeking introvert *cough, cough*
3. Marvel’s MCU – Someone finally figured out a way to make movies just like comic book stories.
4. Sandwiches
5. Ghost stories – The good kind, the ones that leave you with a frozen spine and a shield blanket pulled up to your eyes.
6. Ice hockey – I may never be any good at it, but I’ve yet to play a game I didn’t enjoy
7. IO9.com – Proof that there are journalists out there that really, really get me. And get you, too.
8. Pickles – Everyone likes pickles.  Only the terrorists don’t like pickles.
9. The DVR – Because commercials suck and TV shows should wait until I’m ready.
10. Coffee – Specifically, espresso
11. Cincinnati chili – Yes, we know it’s not like Texas chili. It’s not supposed to be. Quit comparing it to other stuff and just enjoy. Sheesh!
12. Antacids – See above.
13. Chocolate chip ice cream – You might think there’s a better flavor. You also might think the world is flat. You’re wrong in both cases.
14. Brownies
15. Books
16. Any day where I get to all three of the above together at one time
17. India Pale Ales – Are they overdone? Maybe. But that doesn’t mean I still don’t thirst for a great one sometimes.
18. The Wheel of Time, Dr. Seuss, E.B. White, and Stephen King – Because every writer should be thankful for his/her influences
19. Gusts of chilly autumn wind at dusk
20. Having a dream, and the will to chase it, even at 41 years old
21. Literacy – Without it, all these words would be nothing more than confusing symbols and I’d have no way to communicate with you.
22. You all, the ever-changing flock of Puddintopians, who, despite my expectations, actually still come to read my nonsense and sometimes even share you opinions

That’s not a bad start, right? Now I just have figure out what eight topics I consider more important than anything in that list so I don’t end up suggesting that a roll of bubble wrap is better than a stack of books.

But don’t worry, I think I’ve got it.

So what’s on your list?

Pud’n