I’m honestly not surprised I’m running a week behind. Last week was basically 100 percent chaos, and even though I posted last Tuesday, I never wrote my Top Ten Tuesday post.

But it doesn’t have to be the week of Thanksgiving to be thankful, does it?

Not familiar with Top Ten Tuesday? Be sure to stop by The Broke and The Bookish, who runs the meme, to see what’s officially on the docket today. 🙂

10. Knowing How to Break Mechanical Rules.

I cringed a little bit when I read my title, but whatever. It’s 2013, and we can end sentences on prepositions now. If it bothers you, just put your favorite derogatory name at the end. Example: What I’m Thankful For, Asshat.

9. Wonderful, Excellent, Awesome, Fantastic Holiday-Season Shopping.

I am not a Black Friday shopper. Never have been, and probably never will be. But this year I was a Saturday-After-Black-Friday Shopper and it was wonderful. One pair of Nine West Boots and one pound of Teavana Tea later, I was just getting started. I also snagged a great “Totes Ma Goats” bag, an awesome cat sweater, and a couple of lovely new dresses. All while saving money.

8. Music.

Music is such a huge part of my life. I started dancing when I was about four, and 21 years later you can still find my pirouetting in the kitchen in my socks. Even though I don’t dance in any organized way anymore, you can often find my rocking out driving in my car, working in my office, or even grading papers in the coffee shop. I almost danced into a worker at the Pie Company once, and I’m sure I’ve embarrassed my friends dancing through various stores and restaurants.

7. My Job, Colleagues, and Students.

I’ve always been very school-oriented, so I was (understandably?) nervous about my first year  out of school. It may not count (I am teaching, after all!) as being totally “out of school,” but I’m thankful for the break from being a student and for the opportunity to work in a department I love.

6. Finally Being able to Paint My Nails.

At 25, you would have thought I’d have mastered nail painting by now. I hadn’t. But I recently watched a friend paint her nails, and it was life-changing. Now, my nails no longer look like a five-year old painted them with one of those paint-by-numbers brushes.

5. A Car that Works, and the Ability to Keep it That Way.

I got Rowena brand-new back in 2009 when my Ginevra got totaled. Four years later, I’m so thankful to have a car that runs well and to be in a position to keep her running well. I’m not always mechanically-minded, but I know it’s much better to pay to keep Rowena fresh and happy than to run her into the ground in a few years.

4. Margaret Atwood’s Beautiful Writing.

I finally started MaddAddam and I’m so happy to be reading it. But I’m trying to make it last. There’s just something so engaging about Atwood’s writing style. I have never before been so interested in reading about a man surviving in the wild.

3. My Family.

Obligatory? Maybe. But sometimes it’s nice to remind people that you appreciate them, especially when you snap at them on. . .oh, a daily basis. It’s not easy moving back in with your family, but I’m thankful for the money-saving opportunity, and it’s nice to be close to them again.

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Those boots I was talking about earlier? They were suede. I had to walk out barefoot to meet my friend Mark in the rain. Luckily, I had spare shoes in the car!

2. You Guys! 🙂

Is this more cheesy or silly? But it’s very true! I love seeing new followers and getting comments, and I love reading blogs and seeing what everyone is reading, making, doing, dreaming, writing. So thanks for following and writing!

1. My Best Friends.

I honestly don’t know what I would do without them. I’m sure I could write a lot about them, but I won’t say too much here. Kaylin, Jenny, Kaleigh, Teresa, and Mark. The past couple of weeks have reminded me why they are so important.

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