I am waiting to pick Trixie up from the Memphis airport.

In the mean time, tradition dictates that I take stock of my life, count my blessings, and express that which I am thankful for.  Ok. Cool.

My own little twist on this is to do it like I am playing Boggle.  I’m going to try and list the stuff that is unique to me.  That no one else is saying. This is not to say that I am not grateful for family, health, no-good bastard friends like you all, God – in whatever version you perceive her, him or it to be…all that stuff. It is just that I think you all have that covered already.  I am particularly thankful this year and I want to keep the tradition breathing.

At the risk of being cliché,  I am thankful for my wife. You really don’t know what an amazing person she is because most of what she does for me, for family, for friends, for her idiot cats is done quietly and is only the kind of thing anyone would notice if it wasn’t done.

But, me, I’m a professional observer. I watch. I see. She is really something special.

Ok, but enough about her. I am thankful to be living a life-long dream! I am on the road and seeing America. The beauty. The ugly. The unremarkable. The quirky. The normal. The astounding. There is so much that I see and even more that I miss.

I meet a lot of folks and about 1 in 3 tells me that they have always wanted to do what I am doing. And, I see in them that quiet desperation and I know that they will never do this or anything like it. It is a pipe dream – meant to go unfulfilled. And they will go to the grave never realizing it.

I know because I didn’t realize it either.

Back in July, Trixie asked me to ride over to Dundalk with her after work. She wanted to look at a van that some fella was selling.

This wasn’t the first kooky request my girl had ever made, so I just went along.

We test drove it and she struck a deal on the spot.

Only then did I ask her what she planned on doing with an old van.

She said, “You’re going to start getting it ready for your big trip.”

“What big trip?” I asked.

She explained, “For years now I have listened as you have told me about all the cool places you have driven by while you were working. And, how you wish you had time to stop and see some of this stuff. Well, as soon as you get this fixed up, you are going to quit your job and drive around the country and live your dream! Or was that all talk?”

I was dumbstruck. I didnt even know she was paying attention. Hell, i never came right out and said that i wanted to do this. But, I really did.

Since that time I have wrestled with many emotions and questions about what it is I am supposed to do. What a marriage is supposed to be. I can’t just break off and go…can I?

Everytime I would have doubts she was there to quash them.

I didn’t break off and go. I was pushed. At times I was dragged kicking and screaming through the buttressed walls of convention.

Now I am doing it. And I am thankful each day for the opportunity and the indomitable spirit of the woman who made me do it.

But, tradition dictates that today I express that gratitude.

Thank you, babe! You are one-of-a-kind.