Summary: Okay, here I am writing the second annual “I am Giving Thanks” podcast. The first one turned into the “Giving Thanks, Happy New Year”. It was THDP4. We released it on December 30, 2013. I’m pretty sure we wanted to release it over Thanksgiving but if you recall……well how could you recall……..but I had to have emergency hernia surgery on November 11 last year. Recuperating they wouldn’t let me do squatola. Yep, you heard me s-q-u-a-t-o-l-a. They wouldn’t let me walk down my driveway….squatola. I bring all of this up because if you were on the outside looking in you would have to say this has been a really rough year. A REALLY rough year. Let’s start with last November and the hernia surgery. Then in June I had total knee replacement surgery. As it turned out, I waited so long to get my right knee replaced that I ruined my hips. Especially my left hip. I tried to take as much weight off my hurting knee as I could….well, it has to go somewhere …..and that was my left leg. Thus putting more pressure on my already arthritic left hip. Well, “they” always say that these things come in threes. So next month (December) I will be getting my left hip replaced. That’s three major surgeries in 13 months. Like I said, “a REALLY bad year”. I thank the guy or gal upstairs that has apparently decided I can yet be valuable here on this Earth and has not given me the ultimate recall. I am thankful that I have been lucky enough to be married to Patty who has done nothing but support me professionally, physically, and mentally. With everything that has happened this past year, I would not have been able to cope without her. I am thankful she was able to build a protective wall around me that still allows me to be myself and to grow in any way I desire. I dare say I wouldn’t have been able to turn the bushel of lemons I was handed into sweet lemonade. I am thankful I have two brothers that love me and occasionally put up with my …..well, let’s just call them my eccentricities. I am thankful for having met Barb who convinced me to get my IT certifications and start on my merry way toward the consultancy that I am currently enjoying. I am very thankful that I have a contractual relationship with the people I work with. They put up with my eccentricities, many of them have to put up with my constant hounding to combat my “pet peeves”. But most of all they have continued to put up with my current physical limitations. I am very thankful that I have you a loyal audience that keeps coming back with every podcast or blog we produce. You have been very patient with our up and down release schedule but you hung in there and Ed and I thank you for that. Sure, it’s been a tough year but it could have been worse. I certainly have medical technology to thank. Without that I would be a crippled mess right now. Thank you.
