"Don't worry," said Ford, "they haven't started yet."
"Thank God for that," said Arthur, and relaxed.
"It's probably just your house being knocked down," said Ford, downing his last pint.
There you have it. A short moment of thanks at the beginning of Hitchhiker's, right before the planet Earth is blasted into oblivion by the Vogons.
Welcome to Thanksgiving Eve in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. And I have a lot to be thankful for.
The winter storm that was supposed to hit the U. P. today didn't disappoint. Actually, it did disappoint because . . . well . . . it kinda sucked. I was up and on the road to work at 5:30 this morning. The snow had just started, and the winds were just beginning to roar. It was a white-knuckle drive, but I made it safely to my desk in the medical office. First thing to be thankful for.
I had a busy day of busy work. Scanning papers. Registering patients. Saying "Happy Thanksgiving!" to as many people as I could. (Trying to take a page out of Mr. Rogers' playbook--being nice to everyone. Even the crabby bastards.) Worked eight hours, and then my boss decided to close early due to the inclement weather. She wanted everyone to be safe. I feel very blessed to have such a caring boss. Second thing to be thankful for.
Then the drive home. If my drive to work in the morning was white-knuckle, my drive home was just this side of full-blown panic attack. The highway wasn't plowed, so I was pushing through drifts of white cement for about 20 miles. Every once in a while, I would feel my car being sucked toward a ditch, and I would have to slow down, readjust, and pray. It took me almost twice as long to get home. And I did get home, without accident or injury. Third thing to be thankful for.
When I got home, I faced two-foot banks of snow as heavy as boulders. All the cars and trucks in my driveway had been transformed into sculptures of white. With the help of my wife, daughter, and her boyfriend, I dug out, and Bob the Plow Guy (that's his official title in my iPhone) took care of the rest. He even hooked up chains to my daughter's boyfriend's pickup and helped get it unstuck. In about two hours, I had a front yard and driveway again. Fourth thing to be thankful for.
Then I went inside and drank some special hot chocolate, prepared for me by my daughter. The special was butterscotch schnapps. It warmed my cockles and was a perfect way to slip into Thanksgiving Eve. Fifth thing to be thankful for.
Tonight, my wife and I made pies. I made pecan. My wife, double-layer pumpkin cream cheese. (I do not consume pumpkin. Not my favorite. However, I am told that my wife's double-layer pumpkin cream cheese is the stuff of which dreams are made.) Pie baking with my wife is one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions. Sixth thing to be thankful for.
The snow has tapered off now, although the wind is still very strong. Just poked my head out my front door, and I could hear the trees bending and sighing and rattling. However, there wasn't a falling snowflake to be seen. Tomorrow, the big dig-out begins, but, for tonight, the worst seems to have passed. Seventh thing to be thankful for.
So you see, despite about 24 inches of new snow and winds as strong as elephants in musk, I have a lot to be thankful for tonight. I'm safe. My family is safe. Thanksgiving pies are cooling on the front porch. And I have Ibuprofen.
Saint Marty is ready for a long Thanksgiving Eve nap now.
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