There is Much to be Thankful For

Today was not an extraordinary day for me, but there was much to be thankful for.

Not the least, of course, is that this morning I woke up and managed to put my feet on the floor and start functioning.

My greatest joy these days is my dogs.  They are great companions for someone like myself who lives alone.  And I would say that their long life and health and welfare are these days my greatest priority.  Like all wise dogs, they stay in bed and snooze under the covers even when I get up around seven and start pottering around.  Yes, they sleep in the same bed with me.  And let me tell you, on a cold winter night their warm little bodies snuggled up to me a very welcome.  If you are shocked by the idea of sleeping with one or more dogs, then you probably don't have dogs.  Everyone I know with one or more dogs sleeps with them.  Or perhaps I should put it that everyone I know with dogs lets them sleep in the same bed.

There was too much today to be detailed about every single pleasure I enjoyed.  But several simple ones stand out.  First and most important, I think, was my reading.  I have been reading several volumes in a series called "The Best American Mystery Stories.  Each year another volume is issued, and each volume contains some terrific stories."  Scott Loring Sanders' "Pleasant Grove" and Ed Kurtz' "A Good Marriage" are just two that stand out.

At any rate, if you are a mystery fan, seek out this series, because it is wonderful.  I might add that you should get on the mailing list of an organization called Daedalus Books (www.Salebooks.com) because they sometimes have past years' volumes at hugely discounted prices -- such as $5.98 instead of $14.95.  If you like books of any kind, you really should get on Daedelus Books' mailing list.  (P.O. Box 6000, Columbia, MD 21046).

I did my reading today largely at Nellie's Coffee shop in the Montclair section of Oakland.  Nellie's is my favorite coffee shop in all Oakland.  Nellie, herself, is a wonderful person, kind and very caring. When you talk to her, you quickly learn that what she cares most about is the comfort and satisfaction of her customers.  The coffee is all organic, which I think shows in the flavor.  The seating consists mostly of comfortable armchairs.  And quite a few people go there regularly, park themselves at a table, and work on their computers while sipping coffee and eating some of the treats Nellie sells.

So today I had my good cup of coffee and some leisurely reading time at Nellie's.

Another enjoyment I had was lunch at one of the local Subways.  A five-inch sub of sweet onion and chicken is a very satisfactory meal.  By the way, did you know that there are more Subway outlets in the world than there are MacDonalds ?  That bit of trivia came up on the Internet a week or two ago and surprised me greatly.  Subway is usually quiet and inconspicuous, even in its TV ads. MacDonald's is making a lot of noise these days as it slowly loses market share.

By the way, did you see the Internet feature a month or so ago in which the authors bought a hamburger at each of perhaps a half dozen fast food outlets, then let the hamburgers sit for a month just to see what would happen.  I can't tell you which ones rotted most quickly or in what order they degenerated in fuzzy moldburgers, but I can tell you that they reported that after one month, one burger was just about unchanged -- no mold on it.  And whose burger was that ?  The authors said it was MacDonalds'.  Just a bit of interesting trivia you devotees of fast food might wish to think about.