In my post last week, I talked about my difficulties with positive thinking.  This week, our amazing blog-maker, Mary, asked us to focus on the theme of “abundance.”  While this is a perfectly reasonable Autumnal request, I balked.  Money is tight right now, and my stomach is the size of a peanut so it’s not like I can even enjoy the uptick in baked-good availability*.  My life isn’t bad right now- not in the least-but it doesn’t feel abundant.  It feels pared down.   I wanted to honor the idea of abundance though, so rather than write a cranky post about all the foods I can’t eat, or the things I can’t afford, or even more to the point, the fact that my family is scattered or gone, I decided to play the Thanksgiving game, and think about the things I am grateful for.  I tapped this list into my iPhone this morning (SPOILER ALERT, the iPhone totally made the list).  Here it is, somewhat annotated, so that it makes sense to brains other than mine:

I am thankful for…

…books, for giving me worlds to live in

…Lena Dunham, writer of the HBO show Girls, for being willing to skewer people like me to my squeamish, blushing delight when I need a break from this one.

…Bariatric Surgery for helping me to lose 45 lbs since August, for getting me off my diabetes medication, and for giving me hope that I will be able to live healthily in the years to come.

…My dad for coming from Chicago to help me through my surgery.

…My best friend, for making me laugh, for being sharp, fierce, and original, and for always knowing exactly what to say to make me feel better.  (Case in point: I told her I was having trouble explaining why someone was angry with me, and she said “Because he’s a crazy asshole.”)

…Ira Glass, Scott Aukerman, and Dan Savage for giving me three hours of podcast bliss every week by hosting This American Life, Comedy Bang Bang, and The Savage Lovecast.

…My weird little apartment for feeling like home.

…My cat, who eats my hair and sleeps on my laptop.  I love her anyway.

…My iPhone for doing everything (There is even a “self massager” app that uses the phone’s vibrate function.  WTF?!  Want some self-pleasure ladies?  There’s an app for that!)

…OkCupid, because even though you put me through the ringer, you finally let me meet my boy.  He calls me Poops (officially Poop 3–Poop 1 and 2 were his childhood dogs). I love him more than I know what to do with.

…My college friends for being the funniest and cleverest and weirdest people on the planet.  Knowing them has been one of the most consistently rewarding experiences of my life.

… Coffee shops, wireless internet, streaming content, cool fall days

…Doorbells, and sleigh bells, and schnitzel with noodles.

…Babies who are just learning to walk.  They look like drunken sailors, and it’s hilarious.

…My facebook friends, who really are an awesome lot, because they read this nonsense and tell me they like it.

*I had a procedure called a Sleeve Gastrectomy August 20^th to help me lose weight. I won’t describe in detail what it entails, but it makes it impossible for me to eat more than ½ cup of food every couple hours.