Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a quick note to remind myself, and all of you, how fortunate we are. I know it's almost become cliche to post/email/text message a generic "we have so much to be thankful" message, and it's usually grandiose, how great our lives are compared to the rest of the universe, how thankful we are for our soldiers, etc.

Now don't for a second get me wrong. I agree very much with most of the "stock" commentary. There isn't a week that goes by where I don't think about our forces overseas in danger, or that I hear about children in poverty in a 3rd world country, and I am thankful for what I have. But to me it misses the point. It's easy to say how thankful you are for those kinds of things. You damn well better be.

What about the little, mundane things? Or the things we appreciate for a time, but then quickly forget? Or the ones that we really, really appreciate, but don't always remember just exactly how much?

My 85 year old grandmother gave me a photo album a few years ago- with photos from my childhood, as well as some of my dad and grandfather when they were young men. I scanned all of them just in case something ever happened to the album, and came across them on the computer the other day.

I had pushed it to the back of my mind, almost forgot about them. But I will likely run across them every year or two for the rest of my life. Generations of my family will have the chance to see them. That means a lot.

April and I were able to run in a 5k race Thanksgiving morning- it raises money for a local charity. I am lucky to be able to help, and not need to be the one in need. I am thankful that I can help others.

So many of you, friends and family alike, mean a tremendous amount to me, and to April. Our wealth of people that care for us is so very deep, and for that I am thankful. But if all of you turned your back on me today, I am thankful that April would still be at my side.

Now don't get me wrong- in private she would use any means necessary (really, anything...) to figure out what I managed to do to turn all of our friends and family away, and make me fix it, but she would absolutely stick by me.

For that I am thankful.

Now all of you need to stop and really, truthfully, take a hard look at the person in your life who fills that role for you. Here's a hint- you would walk through hell with them and share your canteen. Probably give them the last swallow.

Do they really know how much you value them?

Time to make sure...

Major projects

I just hit send on the email carrying my newly written draft article to my principal investigator. She has given me a great opportunity, but it required a lot of my energy and focus, and I'm not sure it will be enough. The joys of life as a scientist, I guess. At any rate, this is where I've been parked for the last few days; in front of my laptop surrounded by outlines and articles. It's a good life, and one I enjoy. I get paid to make discoveries and learn.

But Meow has been feeling ignored, and the laundry has most certainly been ignored! As have a lot of things. I'm glad to be getting back to normal. And that includes getting some pictures posted!

We visited Jay's mom and attended a wedding in early November. Those pictures are up next. And then this week we have the 2009 Long Beach Turkey Trot (no, I haven't been training) and Thanksgiving, all of which will be getting a post. Whew! I've missed you guys.

Long time, no post... sorry! Things have been busy, busy, busy around our Los Angeles casa. I'm writing a review article, a major draft of which is due on Wednesday. And Jay just can't be bothered to post. So we'll be back after Thanksgiving, with more pictures and exciting stories about how much we work. Till then, I leave you with this recent exchange:

Scene: Our living room, watching the AMAs. Enter Meow stage left. She starts crying and staring at the couch.

April: Meow, stop it. Just get up here!

Meow: Meow! Meow! Meow! Meow!

April: (Patting sofa) Meow, get on the couch if you want to!

Meow: Meow! Meow! (Hops up on sofa and curls up next to April.)

April: I don't understand why she has to be invited up on the sofa every time she wants to sit with me. She's a cat. Why doesn't she just get up here?

Jason: She's a vampire. She has to be invited. I don't understand why you never see the obvious.