El Dia de Accion de Gracias

In case you were wondering, the title is how you say Thanksgiving Day in Spain, the country where I hope to live someday.  So today is Thanksgiving.  I wanted to copy Kendall (actually I had the idea first, or maybe the light bulbs that dwell floating above each of our heads turned on simultaneously) and declare some of the things for which I'm thankful.  I'm not usually like this, so excuse the sentimentality.  This may appear similar to Kendall's post (maybe because I'm using his as a template...jk), but these are actually my thoughts.

1. My family - the one and only true constant in my life.  These guys are always there when I need them and I know that they always want me around, me and all of my weirdness.  I am so happy to be here in Denver with almost my entire maternal extended family.  It's going to be a catastrophically gigantic thanksgiving dinner to which I think more than thirty people are going to attend.  It's so large that we're going to be eating at a church and all I can say is: oh man...I can't wait to eat.  
2. My beard - I've been given a lot of strange looks from the members of my family due to my large beard, and some have even come up with nicknames or things that I remind them of.  One cousin came in and said, "Who's the bear sitting on my mom's couch." I've been called grizz (short for Grizzly Adams) by more than one person independent of the others.  My mom and uncle called me a hippie (because yesterday I had on my tie dye) and everyone else just laughs at me - a reiteration of why I'm grateful for my family... 
3. The Gospel - the older I get and the more I experience life has made me truly appreciate having the gospel in my life.  I love being a Christian!  I love my Savior! And my knowledge of the Atonement is priceless!
4. My dad - I don't know if you can read blogs over there Dad, but I miss you so much!  Thank you for all of the things that you taught me and for somehow continuing to teach me through the way you lived your life and the lessons you taught me.  I love you!
5. Music - this includes so many things.  Music is the greatest escape that I have been given.  Anytime I need to get away from life, I either pull out my guitar and play (which is everyday!), turn on my iPod or push play on my computer, or drive over to the church (since I don't own a piano yet) and play until my fingers bleed.  Music has also brought me closer to friends.
6. Sitting and listening to music with a friend, watching the iTunes visualizer, talking and falling asleep during those unspoken hours of the night. :)
7. My friends - I could list you each by name, but I don't want to leave anyone out, and plus, I don't want to misspell anyone's name.  But this includes, but is clearly not limited to, my roommates and the ice cream that they all owe me, that girl that likes Dashboard in number 8, Mojito and the Shrivner, the guys that practically live in their apartment (the Taiwanese apartment) who are also co-emperors in the fish bowl (wait, did they die?), old roommates, my crazy friends who were our downstairs neighbors in Continental 22 a few years ago, my second cousin once removed and her awesome roommates, Snake, GWARD, my friend who made plans to go to Styx with me months in advance and who introduced me to the office and the concept of Alpha-males, my sister, the dudes that I grew up with (and apparently our friendship is so tight now that one of them had a baby and told me about it 4 days later on a whim), mission pals, the blonde girl from Bear Lake who has captivated me every time we have hung out for the past 5.5 years, my summer of '07 friends, the girl who doesn't like cheese, all of the people that call me Quertis, and the list goes on towards infinity.  Everyone of you has helped me in someway at different times, and you may not know it!  You've gotten me through the worst times and turned the good times into the best times.  And please, excuse the cheese!
8. Cheese (both literal and figurative).
9. Food - this truly brings people together, and I met so many of my friends as a result of BBQ's, Paella nights, etc.
10. Mountain Dew (orange, yellow, red, etc.), Diet Dr. Pepper, and Guarana - self explanatory - the hardest things I can drink to escape! :)
11. Video games - another great escape.  Lately I've had such a hugh Jones for Final Fantasy that it's about all I want to do anymore.  I'm grateful for this, but I also wish the Jones would go away so I could get my thesis done.
12. TV shows and movies - prolly the biggest reason I can say I'm grateful for these things is the social aspect of it.  I love getting big groups together and watching a movie, or having a couple of friends over and watching Arrested Development.  Also it's another way I can turn off the world and embrace...the world...
13. Scooter rides and drives - whenever I'm having a bad day and just need to think, meditate, pray, etc., these are always incredibly helpful.  Scooter rides with a passenger are good too because they enable others to get off steam and sometimes they're like a [insert time, in minutes]-minute hug. Uhh, but only when it's a girl on the back. Sorry, Seth. :)
14. Ostinato.

I could go on for a lifetime, but I've listed the stuff that I'm most grateful for, along with some silly ones, one that you'll most likely google or wiki.  And then you'll wonder why I'm grateful for that and I hope you do, and comment on it for crying out loud!  So if I were to go on, there would be heaps more silly ones and things that I would have to explain.  Also, I need to get ready. :)

Peace.