I am grateful:
1) for my bio-family
2) for my family of choice.
3) that I have had so many interesting experiences.
4) for the indulgence of my wonderful girlfriend, R.
5) for L.
6) for free transportation options.
7) for life without cable.
8) for music and singing.
9) for community.
10) that I know myself.
11) that I'm learning to cook.
12) for a good (non-leaking!) roof over my head, working utilities and public services.
I was telling N. about my holiday challenge, and she reminded me of all the things that we tend to take for granted. I remember reading about a problem in the Indian sub-continent where some people wanted to ban plastic bags because people would use them as makeshift toilets and it made a big mess. I'm grateful that I have working plumbing connected to a waste treatment system (that will probably dump sewage into the water because of the rain, but still). I'm grateful for my drinkable water that comes out of the tap, and the electricity that rarely goes out. I'm grateful for the trash pickup that comes regularly.
It's raining a lot today. All of the idiots who don't know how to drive in the rain were on the road, of course. Ruby's had their retro night, so R. and I went for $2.70 burger and fries (ours were more because she got cheese and I got onion rings), and we split a chocolate turtle shake. So good!