One crossed off the list.

One is officially off the list - the Atlanta Half Marathon on Thanksgiving Day. Great weather. Great race. 13 miles is a long freaking way to run, but I met my goal time (pretty sure no relay teams will be recruiting me!). 1 hour 58 minutes 27 seconds. Done.

Thankful.

I’ve been inspired by the month of thanks posts several of my Facebook friends are doing, so I thought I’d join in. One for each day of the month, but all at once – just in time for Thanksgiving.

1.     I’m thankful for my family’s health. It’s easy to take that for granted, but I’m very aware that we are incredibly lucky and others are not as fortunate.

2.     I’m thankful I live in the neighborhood I live in, with many close friends. I’m sure a few would bail me out of jail if needed.

3.     I’m thankful for football. SEC football. Specifically, the Georgia Bulldogs.

4.     I’m thankful for a great job, where I’m valued and like what I do. Millions can’t say that.

5.     I’m thankful for 70 degree days in the middle of November.

6.     I’m thankful for our military – brave men and women that put it on the line for us every day.

7.     As an extension of #6, I’m thankful for freedom.

8.     I’m thankful for my 11 year old daughter, who hasn’t embraced the mean girls middle school culture and still loves to play with stuffed animals.

9.     I’m thankful for my 7 year old son, and his new found love for all things football.

10. I’m thankful for Rosemary Beach.

11. I’m thankful for our puppy, Luna, and richness a dog can bring to a family.

12. I’m thankful for Bourbon. Seriously.

13. I’m thankful for my parents and in-laws, and that they are a huge part of our kids’ lives.

14. I’m thankful for the opportunity to travel, and look forward to future adventures.

15. I’m thankful for solitary Sunday mornings with coffee and a newspaper.

16. I’m thankful that our country is coming around to the idea of marriage equality.

17. I’m thankful that on Friday, when much of the nation is shopping, I won’t be.

18. I’m thankful for our home, and how we’ve made it our own.

19. I’m thankful that, every once in a while, I see a really good movie.

20. I’m thankful for teachers.

21. I’m thankful for long runs in nice weather.

22. I’m thankful for tailgating on October afternoons.

23. I’m thankful for (kind of) lazy summers.

24. I’m thankful for babysitters.

25. I’m thankful for great music, especially if I’m hearing it live.

26. I’m thankful for incredible meals, usually with my best friend.

27. I’m thankful for baseball, especially in April.

28. I’m thankful that Kayla likes to snuggle.

29. I’m thankful that Garrett and I read Harry Potter every night.

30. And finally, I’m thankful I have a soulmate I can share everything with. My wife. My best friend.

Um, about those Challenges.

In September, I published a dozen challenges that I was aiming to complete over the next year. Well, 2 months have passed, and although I've given them a lot of thought, I've completed a grand total of zero.  Wow, not too impressive, I know. Don't worry, I've got loads of excuses. You see, we have two kids, both play soccer, work has been crazy, and it's football season. Those are tough circumstances to complete challenges under. But, I'm renewing my commitment, and still think I'll get them done prior to 09.12.12. Here is where we currently stand...

In Progress:

Run a ½ marathon -  This one I'm planning to get out of the way on Thanksgiving day at the Atlanta Half Marathon. I was going to wait until Spring, but decided to go for it. At this point in my training, I can run about 9 miles without dying. 

Do something fun and new with your wife and kids each month - In October we did something crazy new -- we got a 6 week old Weimaraner puppy. So far, that's been a bit crazy, but we all love Luna. She's going to be a spoiled dog. In case you missed it, here is Kayla meeting Luna last month. I'll never forget this moment...

Then, we visited Savannah for a family wedding for the first time as a family. We walked all around the city, and despite a bit of 7 and 11 year old drama, it was a lot of fun. 

Climb a mountain. A big one. - This won't happen until next Spring or Summer, but I've got a couple of experienced hiking friends working on it for me. It'll happen. 

Perform. On stage. - This one is in the works. Scary. 

The other challenges are still percolating. Some I'll just have to DO (like going vegetarian for 10 days). Others will be tough. 

Stay tuned. More to come.