A Very Thankful Thanksgiving (and some other off the wall stuff)

Tomorrow marks Thanksgiving and I am thankful for a lot of things.  I am thankful for beginning to take care of myself.  Things got scary for a minute but I truly believe everything happens for a reason so maybe my neuropathy actually came as a warning to begin to take care of myself.  I am thankful to feel better.  I still have some bad days but mostly good.  I am thankful to my wonderful mother for helping me get through this. She won't read this because I banned her from reading my blogs so I'm sure she will hear from word of mouth.  I don't tell them enough, but thank you to my sisters for putting up with my shenanigans this year and helping me through my medical issues.  My dad is also very important in my life and without him I wouldn't be the man I am today, even though I still can't beat the guy in mercy and he lets me know.  He is the most intimidating sweet person I know and that makes him super cool.

I am thankful for my readers.  You all have seen my moods all over the map, mostly dry humor and sarcasm, but lately sad and angry posts.  This is my journal sometimes and I make it public so maybe I can make someone laugh here and there or help one person in some way.  I also like the attention and I like to share my writing talent.  I love every single one of you even the haters, because you improve my blog stats. And here's a little bit of a shuffle because I'm so happy you read!

I am also thankful for teachers sleeping with students because the blog I wrote on that subject became #1.  Here's the blog: Teachers and Sex Scandals Obviously that's my sarcasm coming in.  This is becoming a bigger and bigger problem in schools and I believe the cougar thing that is big now among teens and that along with teachers being super horny, and some teachers stuck in the still wanting to be in high school and those wanting more than what their marriage brings is a perfect recipe for these stories to pop up.  I'm not blaming either side.  I'm blaming society and the world we live in.  You can't make a teacher go look like the sub in Miss Nelson in Missing.  That's not fair to them. Yes I just referenced a children's book.  I took Children's Lit in college for a 300 level elective and I was the only male in that class which was horrible because I got called on every day because the teacher knew my name immediately.

I'm thankful for Arnold Schwartzanegger (doubt I spelled it right), and Samuel L. Jackson.  I'm thankful for being myself and being as patient as I am.  I'm thankful for my friends.  Without them I wouldn't have made it through the tough times. From the many fights about my blood sugars with Nic, to the partying at Bubba's. Even the talks with Elyse about my life at work.  Mindy saving me on the day I forgot my pump. April being there whenever I need to talk. Wow so many friends I owe a thank you to: Brad and Laura during the Halloween party for being with my while I was down, and so many more I'm leaving off but thank you all for being there and your prayers because without all of you I wouldn't be here and that's a fact.  I don't sweat the little things, and I let a lot of things go because I see the big picture and this beautiful life we are all blessed with so do something with it.  Make a difference.  Be a good person even when all of the odds are against you.  I will stop being philosophical now and get back to it:  I'm thankful for the discovery of cheese, or the invention of cheese.  I don't know what is considered to be the correct way of putting it and I'm too lazy to look it up.  I'm thankful for being cheesy.  I'm thankful for French Toast and movies that you don't want to end.  I'm thankful to have a job, and a roof over my head.  I'm thankful to make someone smile every day and I'm thankful that I'm here.  I'm thankful for God giving me a white beard. I was never able to grow a blond beard, even in my peach fuzz days. It's always came in white and that's cool.  I'm thankful for the way Breaking Bad ended.  It could have been better, but I'm glad it went out on it's own terms and didn't come to a slow death like ER or Grey's Anatomy.

I'm thankful for 25 cent wings after midnight at Applebee's even though sometimes they are super slow.  I will never a few weeks ago a few friends of mine, Justin, Jeni, Laura, Brad, and I went for the wings.  First of all I had to sit on the end chair which no one wants and I'm a big guy but I was the 5th wheel so I guess that's fine but it took forever to even order and then even longer to get the wings.  It used to be a big secret and there'd only be a few tables at midnight.  Then high schoolers learned about it and overtook Applebee's like the Swine Flu was supposed to take over America but never did.  Well during this time I hash tagged everything Jeni was wearing. I kept doing the "hash tag hoodie, hash tag PalmBeach, hash tag, pony tail," and doing the hand gestures like Jimmy Fallon and JT's segment on the Jimmy Fallon late night show which I don't know which one he's on anymore and I don't feel like looking it up.

Anyway, at Applebee's the waiter seemed to get Jeni a drink so fast it seemed he lifted his armpit up and squirted her strawberry lemonade out of the pitted area.  Anyway I said "hash tag shhhhhhhhhhhh" and did an arm movement simulating drink coming out of my pit and everyone died laughing. I know it doesn't translate well in writing but it was funny.  I'm thankful for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Raisin Bran Crunch.  I'm thankful for pasta and elevators so I don't have to walk 20 stories.  I'm not gay but I'm thankful that those who want to be can live the way they want to and they shouldn't be judged for it.  I believe they should be allowed to get married.  I'm a republican and I am saying that.  I'm thankful for cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving because its really the only time I eat it and I'm not really thankful it comes out looking like the can but I'm thankful I get to eat it because some poor people unfortunately aren't as lucky as I am to eat such a meal tomorrow.  I'm thankful for not judging anyone and living in a world that I can live with freedoms although I still believe we should only have to put on our seatbelt under our own free will. UGH, I'm still mad about that.  And that my friends is the first time I've used ugh on a blog.  I'm thankful for The Temptations and Notorious BIG; They are the two artists I turn to when I need some chill out in my life.  I'm thankful for football, even Andy Dalton.  He doesn't need to be Tom Brady on this team.  He just needs to stop throwing picks.  I'm thankful for Bronson Arroyo.  I believe he deserves to be in The Reds Hall of Fame when he retires.  He played on good Reds teams and bad but ultimately he never missed a start in the 9 years or whatever he was on the team and he was consistent.  You knew what you were going to get out of him.

I'm thankful for John Calipari and his amazing recruiting classes, restoring UK to where they should be.  I'm thankful for technology and the improvement of cell phones and laptops and ipads so fast I am always outdated.  That makes me seem retro fast which is cool.  I'm thankful that TMNT is back to being popular among kids.  I'm thankful for NKU going D1 and snapchat.  I don't know why I use it but I do.  I'm thankful for the sun not blowing up on us, and days when the humidity isn't high.  I'm thankful for Chinese buffets and there being a Chipotle on every corner.  I'm thankful for being me and I'm tired of writing so I'm going to stop there.  I will not be doing Black Friday, not only because its hypocritical of being thankful one day only to turn around and punch someone for a crappy stereo the next, but also because I'm cool with spending 10 extra bucks to not have to wait in line.  I may hit up the 50% off everything at Old Navy though. I need some new work clothes.  My pants are shredding, and ladies as much as you'd like to see that, it is not work appropriate.

Winner of the Day: Us.  Be thankful for the life you have and don't sweat the small stuff.  The greatest gift of all is life so be thankful for it.  Live the way you want.  Gosh I'm sounding like a damn hippie but I'm being real.  You don't have long on this earth so live while you are here and be thankful for what you have.  It's better than the alternative.  If you are reading this you have internet, so your life can't be that bad, unless you bored yourself to death reading this but if you have you probably haven't read this far.

Loser of the Day: Us.  We have been tricked in our history books about Thanksgiving.  The first Thanksgiving has one surviving letter about it and it says nothing about them for sure having turkey.  The Pilgrims also were firing guns which lead to the Indians coming to investigate. Then they let them sit in.  They weren't actually guests but because the Indians helped the Pilgrims make it through the first harsh winter they kind of felt obligated to let them eat the huge feast.  The hisory books make it more of a legend that we want to believe.

Quote of the Day: “In 1492, the natives discovered they were indians, discovered they lived in America, discovered they were naked, discovered that the Sin existed, discovered they owed allegiance to a King and Kingdom from another world and a God from another sky, and that this God had invented the guilty and the dress, and had sent to be burnt alive who worships the Sun the Moon the Earth and the Rain that wets it.” 
― Eduardo Galeano

Song of the Day: "Thank You" by Alanis Morisette 

California Gold Rush Drawing of the Day: 

VCCC

I have Peripheral Neuropathy and Throwback Thursday Blog,

Hello people,

In light of me retrieving my Myspace blogs and in the spirit of Throwback Thursday, here is one of my excerpts that I re-read and it helped me to get through these tough times I'm having with my hands and my feet.  I'm almost positive I have peripheral neuropathy.  At least my endocrinologist believes it to be.  It is common in diabetics and it just makes my life miserable.  It makes me feel tingling and pain in my hands and my feet.  I haven't written down these feelings at all and I have kept how I feel from most people.  Friday night I had a breakdown about it and I knew then that I have to spill out what I have been going through (Thanks to Laura Brungs, Brad McIntosh, Devan Daily, and Nicolette for helping me through that time).  I put a smile on my face everyday and I am doing my best to not let it affect my everyday life, but I am not going to lie, it's been in the back of my mind every moment since August.  I am on meds that are calming my nerves and tomorrow I will be learning a lot more about it at my appointment.  I am not going to lie, I'm scared. I'm not the type to seek pity from anyone.  I don't like talking about my problems or diseases and I certainly don't want people to treat me any different for them.  I just wanted to write this because this is my journal.  You guys have lived with me through the good times and bad while reading my words so I have no problem sharing this with you.  If I have treated you any worse in the last few months and you thought I wasn't myself, this is why.  It has driven me from being able to do things I enjoy doing but I still play volleyball but it just hurts more after.  I have had pain in these three months more than I have had since I first got diagnosed with diabetes in 1997.  It has driven me to tears several times and through it all I smile through the tears, because I want no one else to be affected by my issues and I just want my family and friends to get the same old me who cheers everyone else up.  I love and appreciate you all and I want you to know that I am going to beat this bastard body of mine and I will still be there to be the friend I am to all of you.  Please don't show me mercy.  I don't like that.  I just thought you all should know and it feels better already writing it down on paper.  Yeah I'm scared, but I made an oath to myself to take care of myself and I want to be here a long time and I will be.  I'm stronger than all you guys give me credit for I just hide what I'm truly fighting. I have only shared this with a few people until now and it feels like a relief to announce it this way.  Don't treat me any differently please.  That just makes me sad. And for some reason I'm tearing up writing this... What the Hell?  Now for what you've all been waiting for.  The Throwback Thursday part of the blog that inspired this blog. Sorry I wasn't a very good blogger back then.  I've definitely improved.

Peace

Now to my throwback blog from 1/24/2007-Written on Myspace

Straight Up Thoughts

What's up people?  I haven't just talked to you guys in quite some time.  I've been hiding behind awards, and Pat Diesel, and anything else, but here goes some straight talk.

I've been sitting here thinking... What is my purpose in life?  Everyone has a purpose I just don't know what mine is yet. 

Also, why do people go through life just being mad all the time?  At the beginning of the summer, when I became single, I made a vowel to never get mad.  For the most part that's been the case, I haven't been really that mad.  The only thing that has pushed me through the edge from now and then was the Bengals loss to the Steelers on New Years Eve, and I fixed that with tequila that night.

Another thing, why does the world have to be such a rough place?  Why does life happen to us why we are busy making other plans... Why are we always working?  Why not sit back and enjoy life every once in a while.  I do and it feels great.  It makes me forget about my diabetes and it makes me think of only good things.

Why is school getting less and less entertaining.  I've been there so long.  I'm getting tired of it.  I've been going since I was 5 years old.  I'm 21 now soon to be 22.

What is the point of life?  Is it to be happy? to have fun? to feel like you meant something?  Why isn't everyone doing that?  Whether you dont have a dime or have 18 million bucks it shouldnt matter.  Money is not happiness... Just live your life and be happy.

That's the problem I see with the social landscape today.

D.W.B.J.

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Winner of the Day: Juvenile Diabetics.  Yes all of you out there. Jonathan Stefanopoulos, Devan Dailey, That one Jonas Brother, Jay Cutler, The lead singer of Poison, Pfieff Dogg from my favorite Rap Group A Tribe Called Quest, Jay Leeuinburg, and anyone I forgot to mention.  Dude I get you all, and no matter how much you try man, no one else gets it but us.  This month is Diabetes Awareness month and we have one month to give ourselves pats on the back, unfortunately it follows Breast Cancer Awareness month, but this small blog is to give all of you out there with type 1 diabetes a voice and that I know how tough the grind is every day.  Keep grinding all of you!

Quote of the Day: God has brought you to it and he will bring you through it.-unknown

A Facebook Status I wrote at the beginning of the month:

Song of the Day: Tracks of My Tears by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles