I AM THANKFUL : FOR THE TEENAGER WHO IS NOT DOING DISHES BUT IS WATCHING TV, BECAUSE THAT MEANS HE IS AT HOME AND NOT ON THE STREETS. FOR THE TAXES THAT I PAY, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I AM EMPLOYED. FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS. FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG, BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT. FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK, BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE. FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING, WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING, BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME. FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH. FOR THE PARKING SPOT I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT, BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING AND THAT I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION. FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL, BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM WARM. FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH THAT SINGS OFF KEY, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I CAN HEAR. FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING, BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR. FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES AT THE END OF THE DAY, BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD. FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OF IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I AM ALIVE. AND FINALLY... FOR TOO MUCH E-MAIL, BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE THINKING OF ME.

-- SK (mewquat@hotmail.com), April 25, 2000

Answers

I am thankful for people who don't post all in CAPS.

-- (nemesis@awol.com), April 25, 2000.

A gratitude list is always a good thing.

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), April 25, 2000.

I AM THANKFUL :

FOR THE TEENAGER WHO IS NOT DOING DISHES BUT IS WATCHING TV, BECAUSE THAT MEANS HE IS AT HOME AND NOT ON THE STREETS.

FOR THE TAXES THAT I PAY, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I AM EMPLOYED.

FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG, BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.

FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK, BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE.

FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING, WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING, BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME.

FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

FOR THE PARKING SPOT I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT, BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING AND THAT I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION.

FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL, BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM WARM.

FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH THAT SINGS OFF KEY, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I CAN HEAR.

FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING, BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES AT THE END OF THE DAY, BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.

FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OF IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I AM ALIVE.

AND FINALLY... FOR TOO MUCH E-MAIL, BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE THINKING OF ME.

-- SK (mewquat@hotmail.com), April 25, 2000.

Sorry about the caps. It came to me this way. I at least tried to fix the formatting. : )

-- SK (mewquat@hotmail.com), April 25, 2000.

SK:

I'm also grateful. I never thought I'd be unemployed for 15 months, but it gave me time to learn to cook; it gave my kids a feel for what it's like to have a mom without deep pockets; it gave me time to garden; it gave me time to think about something other than a job [or just technology in general.] Sometimes temporary life changes are like diamonds in a brown paper bag.

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), April 25, 2000.

Anita, I'd be thankful for unemployment also but I guess I can't afford it.

I'm thankful for the beautiful city in which I live, a wonderful family (including all the bickering), and a 401K that spells retirement is near.

-- Maria (anon@ymous.com), April 25, 2000.

SK, Anita, Maria,

You gals are great!

SK, thank you very much for this post. Some of my chronic Old-Age aches went away while I was reading it, and stopped to think how much better off I am than millions of others. Ok, so now I'll go back out and rake the front yard. AND, be thankfull I can still do it. AND, be thankfull I've got a yard to rake.

-- Richard (Astral-Acres@webtv.net), April 25, 2000.

Damn!! and I had come up with 40 different reasons why the garden didn't need hoeing today!! Well....so much for that, now where are my gloves?

Taz

-- Taz (Tassie123@aol.com), April 25, 2000.

I'll pitch in too.

I'm thankful for the all caps and bad formatting, because it means I own a computer hooked to the net, and I'm not blind ;-)

-- Ann A. Lyze (@ .), April 25, 2000.

Ann A,

No lie, bwana.

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), April 25, 2000.

I am thankful that no one has posted a long post in lime

Best wishes,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), April 25, 2000.

Z,

I tried to get irritated, but that *is* funny.

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), April 26, 2000.

Z,

You PROMISED.....(smile)

S, This was a beautiful post, very beautiful. I'm thankful for your effort, and also for the re-format.

I am also learning to be thankful for lime green.....Z, know why I hate that color? Had a 'wicked step-dad" who MADE me eat lime green jello. It had sat in fridge until it was rubbery......yucko.

----consumer to this day STILL WONT EAT LIME JELLO.

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), April 26, 2000.

mmmm lime j-e-l-l-o. =P

-- cin (cinlooo@aol.com), April 26, 2000.

Doesn't lime Jello work like green M&M's???

head tilted questioningly...

The Dog

-- The Dog (dogdesert@hotmail.com), April 26, 2000.

To: The damn dog (wink and swat)

Answer: HELL NO......!!!!!!!!!!!!!

cin: did that mean you 'really' like lime green jello?

Yuck.

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), April 26, 2000.

Consumer:

I also enjoy the taste of lime-flavored jello. Jello that has become "rubbery", however, is a horse of another color. We can compromise and suggest that the useage of lime as a font color be universally condemned as too "rubbery" for the eyes. How's that?

BTW, am I the only one whose mother in childhood said that children in Ethiopia would be grateful for the dinner provided? Going further, am I the only kid who suggested mom send it to them?

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), April 26, 2000.

Anita;

I GOT that lecture when FORCED FED the lime green jello.....Serious...LMAO right about now, TOO afraid to tell him where to send it..

Back then, you did as you were told, to complete the story, I had to sit at dinner table till jello was gone...Till midnite...

No dog around to feed it to. (*smile)

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), April 26, 2000.

Anita, my mother gave me that line also, but when I protested such as you did, she'd go ahead and take the food away from me. ALL the food away, and sent me to bed hungry. I learned to develop a taste for her less than perfect culinary skills (and never got overwieght.) I miss it now, after all these years.

-- (y@x.x), April 26, 2000.

Anita,

Mine was the "starving Biafrins". I still don't know where "Biafra" is or was, but assume it's/was in Africa somewhere.

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), April 27, 2000.