On this U.S. Holiday evening, there is a TON that I am thankful/grateful for…..
In addition to family:
- Friends. I don’t tell them nearly enough, either. 🙂
- FU5. A special group of most of my best friends. I first met 2 of them (J.R. and Allen) 14 years ago, 3 more (Angela, although we had been in band together since 2002; Jenny; and Michelle) over 10 years ago, and the rest (Scotty, Casey, Jacob, Nicole, Amanda, and Jo) 5-9 years ago. Along with ‘satellite’ members Chris and Ross, we have had some amazing moments, times, and memories together. Hopefully, there are many more years of those!
- Dr. Williams and the UofL/Jewish Hospital team: the team that performed heart surgery on me a little under 6 years ago.
- Kinetic The Technology Agency: In the fall of 2012, I had become absolutely burnt out on retail work. Hours were bad; I had grown weary of pushing store credit cards and extended warranties, and having that valued over most everything else. In January 2013, after 16 years, I stepped away. Enter Kinetic 6 weeks later. It has been a much-needed change of pace. 2015 has not been the best with work load but it has still been a great 32 months at Kinetic.
- Pep Band and Marching Band experiences. From my first time in Louisville Gardens and Rupp Arena (HS Pep Band) to a Final Four run in 2005 (University of Louisville Pep Band) to the football bowl games (2001-2007), there were some lifelong memories made through these bands.
- Derby City Knights (DCK) and Minnesota Brass (MBI). I’ve said it dozens of times before: I met some wonderful people, got some great instructions on breathing, playing, and marching, and made some incredible memories while involved with these two Drum and Bugle Corps, including:
– an encore performance in a parking lot in Nashville (2007; DCK)
– DCA World Championships performances (2007, 2009-2010; DCK)
– going to Minneapolis for the first time (2012; MBI)
– first outdoor drill camp (2013; MBI) - College: JCTC. In 2014, I had cleared up enough non-student loan debt to enroll at the University of Louisville again. However, the tuition costs were too much; instead, I applied to, and was accepted into, JCTC. It has not been easy – Fall 2015 has been busy and exhausting to the point that I’ve taken off chunks of days just to catch up on schoolwork and rest – but has been a great move, especially with long-term goals.
- Sports. Watching, and playing on occasion. Sports have been a good way to enjoy 2-3 hours, especially when it’s with friends and/or family.
- Music, in general. Very grateful for music – I cannot imagine my life without some form of it.
- World of Warcraft. I’ve been off and on WoW for a couple of years but when I’m on, it is a great distraction/cool-down moment from the rest of the day. I’ve also made some good friends from my guild and from various expansion packs.
- PC Video Games… but not in the ways you may think. In addition to the same reason as #10 (since I don’t have a console system), these games have opened up an interest in game programming/game design/sound design. This equals potential options down the road.
- Team Trivia. Very thankful for the people that I’ve met at Trivia on Tuesday nights and for the experiences.
- Walnut Street Baptist Church. I have seen a bunch of folks helped by them, with food, bill help, and even clothes, while I was living in Old Louisville. They helped me out a few years ago, too.
- Rides. Thankful that family and a handful of friends have taken me to/from various places in Louisville and So. Indiana throughout the years. One day, I will repay the favors.
- Warfarin. It is keeping me alive. That’s not an overstatement.
- Simple pleasures, such as the smell of freshly cut grass, walks, cool breezes in the summer, and warm buses in the winter.
These are just a handful of things I’m thankful for.
The Nexus 