The Rambling RedHead

Happy Thanksgiving!!

It’s that time of year again.. As we kick off the holiday season with the arrival of Thanksgiving, I want to encourage each and every one of you to take a moment and really think about all that you have to be thankful for. I often complain about my lousy luck, the lousy turns my life has taken and about the lousy hand that love has dealt me but you know what? I have so very much to be thankful for.

I am thankful for:

My family who always loves me

My amazing, feisty, brilliant, challenging, funny little boys who are the whole reason I get out of bed every day

To my Usual Suspects for helping me see the humor in everything from Frat Boy Wanna Be’s to Roommate Switching Builder Bob to Dudes 1 through 3. You are the wind beneath my wings.. But, specifically, I am thankful for:

CoraBean and Hunny Bunny for always being willing to listen to me babble about the “Dude du jour” and loving me for who I am, no matter where I am in my life..

Dani for a shoulder to cry on and a hand to hold while walking to the cab as well as countless hours of consolation, analysis and love.. She’s saved me millions on therapy bills..

AJ, my "sister from another mister” for a place to live, a source of solace, for long, wine induced girl chats and for never giving up hope that one day I’ll be a Rules girl..

Big Brother for almost 20 years of friendship, through good times and bad, from B&E’s in our teens to MBA’s and CEO’s in our 30’s.

Kansas, my “brother from another mother”, a true “Handsome Bastard”, for being able to make me laugh when no one else can..

Merritt for baked goods and Buffy Musical Sing Alongs, further proof that not everyone lurking in chat rooms are psychotic.. OK, well, not all of them are dangerous..

Jenny Barnes for Ralph Wiggum impersonations and introducing me to kate spade handbags.

Jen and Rene for Bali Hai lunches, batchelorette parties and for letting me be the Best Man at their wedding.

Rich Ellis for remaining the gold standard for what we should be able to expect from a man.

My beloved Emmaus sister Donna for being willing to do the wave during communion and understanding that a song about “muff” is probably not appropriate during a religious retreat

The folks that helped me become gainfully employed, Conference Table Ken and my Evil Twin. I’m pretty sure I still owe them drinks, meals or possibly one of my unborn children.

My childhood friends that remind me that not all of high-school sucked; Kendrick, Jim and Geoff, the men who taught me how to drink beer and still have the pictures that will keep me out of public office..

My beloved bartender and friend, Gerry, for always having a Miller Lite cracked and ready before I can even sit down and for buying round after round of assorted “bombs” (O, Yeager, etc..) on our Monday nights out during my tenure of unemployment..

My various and sundry pub-pals, drinking buddies and peripheral Suspects; Clyde, Gina, Brother Wade, JD, Special Agent Smart Ass and Mary-Mary.. Good times, my friends, good times..

And for the other 92 of you (yep, The List is at 116 members) that are my far flung friends, from LA to NY, from the UK to Australia, and all points in between, North, South, East and West, thank you for being willing and even sometimes eager to read the ramblings of this redhead.. I’m always deeply amazed and incredibly touched that people from the other side of the country and the other side of the world take such an interest in my writing.

Happy Thanksgiving, Gang..

posted by Monet @ 1:35 PM