Offensive grandmas, ‘Gilmore Girls’ reruns top the list

Every Thanksgiving, TV shows feature holiday episodes, and more often than not, we will see a family sitting around the dinner table each taking turns saying what they are thankful for.

My family has never done this. We all get together, eat way too much food, watch football and do a lot of talking, mostly over one another.

Sometimes my dad or grandma or maybe one of my aunts will stand up and at the dinner table and do a toast, thanking everyone who is there, and those who could not be. My aunt Cathy always cries, or if she̢۪s not there, my sister will.

But never do we go around the table and each say what we are most thankful for.

So this year, I came up with a list of things I am grateful for.

Most of all I̢۪m thankful for my family. They are a crazy bunch, but I doubt most families have as much fun together as we do.

My grandmas can always make a pleasant situation awkward by accidentally insulting someone without even realizing it. Some people might get mad at this, but we are all so used to it that it̢۪s become humorous.

I am also thankful for my health, which is important now more than ever.

My 23rd birthday is also on Thursday and I am getting kicked off my dad̢۪s insurance, which means full medical bills for me if I get sick, full priced prescriptions, forget about teeth cleanings, and I don̢۪t even want to think about a trip to the ER.

I am also thankful for my friends. They really know how to cheer me up when I̢۪m down and entertain me when I̢۪m bored.

But after these fairly typical things to be thankful for, I kind of got stuck. I don̢۪t have a lot to complain about in my life, so I thought it would be easy for me to come up with a list.

I really had to dig deep though.

Luckily, I am a firm believer that it̢۪s the little things in life that really make it worth living. So after a few days of really focusing on what makes me happy, I found all those little things, or some of them at least.

Girlmore Girls reruns, found everyday on ABC Family at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. I love that show, for no reason in particular other than it makes me happy.

The fact that Hallmark sells cards for Thanksgiving. I always get mad because they take down my favorite “Fresh Inkâ€Â cards to make room for Christmas cards every year right after Halloween.

One thing I can̢۪t stand is decorating and celebrating Christmas before Thanksgiving. The holiday gets no attention. I think I̢۪m a part of the minority that prefers Thanksgiving to Christmas, but still, I don̢۪t think it should be so overlooked.

My mom̢۪s yams really make Thanksgiving for me every year. Even if I̢۪m not with her for the holiday, she whips up a batch for us to enjoy all week long.

Unfortunately, my little brother has recently taken a liking to the yams too, which means more people I have to share them with.

But this is the season for giving, so I guess I won̢۪t complain, at least not too much.

I am thankful for the sale rack at Urban Outfitters. It may have always been there, but I just recently found it and have spent a good portion of my paycheck on its items. I love a sale.

I̢۪m thankful for the girl in one of my classes who runs in late everyday and tries to sneak in quietly but is rarely successful. She is about as clumsy as I am and trips over desks or backpacks on her way almost every time. It really just amuses me, and I always wonder where she must have come from to be so out of breath and so late everyday.

Christa, the assistant web master at The Collegian, has a sixth sense for sweet treats. She always knows when it’s been “one of those daysâ€Â and brings us home-baked cupcakes or cookies. It makes production nights much more enjoyable.

Finally, I am thankful for Partini commercials. They are so awful I can’t help but laugh. The game claims to be “The party game with a delicious twist!â€Â I think it’s like Cranium, but you have to play it with alcohol. I’m too busy laughing to actually hear what they are saying, but I do love board games, so I may have to invest.

It could really make this Thanksgiving one for the books.

Kelly Lucus is a senior at Fresno State majoring in mass communication and journalism with emphases in print journalism. Her favorite day of the week is Wednesday. When asked why, she says “I just like the way Wednesday feels.â€Â