On Giving Thanks

This Thanksgiving season was looking pretty bleak, and then I realized that "bleak" on the Mandi Scale is still "quite okay" on everyone else's scale. I then put on my big girl pants and forced myself to be thankful for the blessings in my life, because, quite frankly, I'm very blessed.

And so are you.

And that's why we should give thanks.

I mean, what would happen if you woke up every morning only with those things you had thanked God for the night before?

Positivity is a conscious choice. That's something I learned this year; you can choose to be positive which then, given enough time and repetition, can actually make you positive.

So with that I'm introducing...
Giving Thanks: 2011 Blessings, Mandi Style

1. The Packers are 10-0 - *discount double check*

2. Girl's Gotta Brand New Job - and I get to go zip lining this weekend for it

3. Family - Yeah, I got 'em, but they're also awesome. So there.

4. Friends - My friends increased by one this year when baby Gabby was born. I should probably file this under "family"

5. New Perspective - I just finished reading "Heaven is for Real" which gave me a different perspective on life. I highly recommend it.

6. Health - I'm healthy. I'm not yet due for my obligatory "once every 5 years" flu, so that's good

7. Marathons - Did my first half in July and doing my first marathon in January. "Avoid the Lap" - Jimmy Dugan

8. Hybrids - It's a good thing I've got that Prius seeing as how I'll be commuting every morning now

9. Tweeps - I had the chance to meet dozens of new Twitter friends at #ThrowbackWeekend this year, which was the bomb. diggity.

10. Using "Bomb diggity" in a sentence

11. The League - That stuff makes me laugh until I cry

12. Lakefront Brewery - If it weren't for Lakefront, we wouldn't have Lakefront Pumpkin Lager and then where would we be?

13. Kittehs - By investing in a small, living, white, furry space heater early last year I've been able to save on heating. However, all savings have been nullified by lint roller costs.

14. Hot water - 'nuff said

I may add more stuff over the Thanksgiving holiday as I think of it, but that's what I'm most thankful for at the moment.

What will you be giving thanks for tomorrow?

Let's all #hangwithtom...

If I get a day to #hangwithtom, I want ALL of you to join me.

Here's what I propose:


Are YOU in?

I WON $1.5 MILLION DOLLARS!!!

Today, I opened my Spam Mail folder and found this message:

Re: Your Payment Directive..

Attention: Beneficiary,

This is to inform you that the United Nations auditors are presently in Nigeria suppervising all contract payments, inherited and winning funds that originated from Africa.

Your names/email address appeared in the central computer among the unpaid beneficiaries that have not received their payment due to one reason or the other.
After the United Nations meeting with the Nigerian government, a part payment of US$1.5million was approved to all fund beneficiaries which you are among. The United Nations have instructed the Nigerian government to release your approved US$1.5million via ATM card for easy delivery to you. The only fee you shall pay to receive your US$1.5million ATM card in your possession is the courier fee of US$98.00 only.

Your ATM card authorization documents has been handed over to Mrs. Laura George of the United Nations, she shall facilitate the delivery of your ATM card payment to you but before she can release the $1.5million ATM card payment to you, you have to reconfirm the following information's to her so as to ensure her that she is dealing with the right person:

1. Your Full Names, 2. Residential Address,3. Age, 4. Occupation, and 5. Direct Telephone Numbers.

After her verification of the information with what she have on file, she shall contact you with information's on how to send the courier fee for the delivery of your US$1.5million ATM card to you.

You are to forward the requested information's to Mrs. Laura George with her below contact.

Here is Mrs. Laura's contact info:

Contact person: Mrs. Laura George (United Nations Oversight Agent)
His email: ( un.lauragg@mynet.com )

Do let us know once you receive your US$1.5million inheritance payment from Mrs. Laura for the updating of our record.

Yours faithfully .

Jenet Michael.
Payment Coordinator.
NOTE: YOU ARE ONLY ADVISE TO FORWARD REPLY TO Mrs. Laura George'S EMAIL : un.lauragg@mynet.com

O.M.Gee!

The "suppervisor" has my "names" as a beneficiary?!?!

But why, if the money is going to be sent to my ATM card, is there a courier fee? There's no courier-ing involved. It doesn't cost $98.00 to move money through digital space.

Hm, maybe this is a scam.

I see they want me to send the "information's" to them via Mrs. Laura George at the United Nations.

Hm, I never trust anyone with two first names...

They want my full names, and, after I give them the "information's" they will match it to what Laura "have" on file.

Know what's funny? Mrs. Laura George, who works for the United Nations, doesn't have a United Nations email address.

I didn't know the United Nations was so strapped for cash that they couldn't set up their own server and URL.

These government austerity measures are really wreaking havoc on Nigerian money scams...

To the Biker Who Told me to F*** Off

I believe your words were, "F*** off! You're supposed to stop!"

My reply, in short, is "STFU, asshat."

You don't know me. If you did you would know I am in favor of cars sharing the road with bikes.

I don't know you. If I did I'm sure I'd be more concerned about you a) not wearing a helmet and b) biking in the dark with no lights or reflective clothing.

I see that you, sir, were making a left turn on a red light into congested, oncoming traffic.

I can't imagine that's smart.

Or legal.

You, my rebellious friend, also happened to be using the sidewalk and seemed upset that I didn't treat you with the deference given a law abiding pedestrian.

However you, my earth loving (license-revoked?) fellow citizen are not a pedestrian. Yes, you are allowed the use of the sidewalk if traffic prohibits use of the street and the sidewalk is not otherwise occupied, however, as I mentioned above, this does not allow you to cross 8 lanes of traffic - from the sidewalk - to make a left turn when you, in fact, had a red light.

Don't you tell me to f*** off you jackwagon. I wholly approve of the use of bicycles and, in fact, often lament (and loudly) how our city is so unfriendly to those such as you. But you, dear sir, do little to further your cause by your inability to abide by even the smallest margin of etiquette on your two-wheeled fancy flyer.

That is all.