Happy Thanksgiving

I just popped the bird into the oven. This is quite monumental for me because this marks the first time ever that I have stuck my hands into a turkey. I usually ask Jess to the job - I think it's because I tend to see it as a "butch" activity. Our ritual started at our first Thanksgiving. I wanted to impress her with my fine culinary exploits and bought a 22 pound turkey even though dinner was just for she and I. I cooked that poor bird for about 6 hours. As she was carving what turned out to be crustiest piece of poultry ever, she noticed something strange in the neck cavity. "Hey Val, what's this?" At that point she pulled out the giblet bag. "I'm pretty sure you're supposed to take this out first". I was flabbergasted. I was starting to cry tears of humiliation when she pulled the neck out of the breast cavity. All she could do is laugh. After chasing me around the house with that damned neck she dried my tears with I love you's. We then went to White Castle and gave thanks that we found each other.

From that year on it's been her job to make sure the turkey had no "innards". But this year she has decided to grow real cahones and turned me down. "Nope, you do it." Just great. Pulling the giblet bag out was not that bad. But pulling the neck out of the breast cavity.... OMG! Nothin' natural about that I'll tell ya. If I wasn't so grossed out and able to make dirty jokes at the time, this part of the blog would be much more interesting!

So what are you thankful for? I'm assuming you are thankful for your family, lovers, friends, children. For me, I'm grateful for my family. Jess is the best thing ever, ever, ever to happen to me. This lady has been through the fire with me holding my hand all the while. My children are, sorry everyone, the best kids ever procreated. So there. My thanks also go out to my employers; Karl Meyer, and Doug Holman, DC. Actually getting paid for doing things I love is a dream come true.

Two things happened this year that have humbled me and for that I am thankful. One, walking away from the should-have-been-fatal accident I had in April. Two, my mother surviving a heart attack earlier this month. Both of these occurances have made me re-evaluate my place in the Universe and I like the changes this has caused.

Hopefully you don't have to through life shattering circumstances in order to feel thankful. Look around; you are in the greatest country in the world, you are a part of the best massage school in Ohio, you have chosen a profession (or if you are like me - it chose you) that is the fastest growing in health care. Do I need to go on? Life is good.

I hope and pray that you feel all the blessings that you are due,
val.

PS: Pass the gravy!!