The annual list of things I’m thankful for; Football picks

The annual Thanksgiving list

A tradition was started many years ago by my former boss and one of my best friends on Earth, and I carry it on once again today. By the time you read this, Thanksgiving will have come and passed on Thursday, and I’m sure everyone will have had their fill of turkey, dressing and every other Thanksgiving treat you could imagine, but as I write this on the eve of one of the best holidays on the calendar, I sit back and truly treasure everything I’m thankful for. ( Hopefully, if you’re reading this around 12:30 or 1 p.m. on Saturday, Georgia Tech has about a three-touchdown lead on the rival Bulldogs, but we’ll get to that later.)

Without further ado, here are a few things I’m thankful for (in no particular order):

—I’m thankful for the office I sit in right now, the job that goes with it and the incredible people I get to work with every day here at the Calhoun Times.

—I’m thankful for the local high school coaches, athletic directors, administration and teachers that I have a relationship with and allow me to connect with the great student-athletes we have in this community.

—I’m thankful for my family who may not see each other every day but never doubts how much we love and care for each other.

—I’m thankful for special people (one person in particular) that makes every day that much better.

—I’m thankful for the new truck I started driving a few weeks ago which makes this short guy feel pretty tall when I’m riding up and down 53 every day.

—I’m thankful for photo stringers that take a lot of worry off my shoulders (and save the Calhoun Times readers from seeing too many terrible, blurry photos). Larry, Tim, Frank, Barbara, Ken and anyone else who has ever shot local sports events for me, you have no idea how much I truly appreciate you, and I’m not sure how I could do my job without you.

—I’m thankful for the prep basketball and wrestling season to come, the prep football season that is still going ( as long as Calhoun keeps advancing in the playoffs) and the prep softball, volleyball, cross country and cheerleading seasons that were this past Fall. There’s already been so many unbelievable moments I’ve covered so far this school year, and I’m sure there are plenty more to come.

—I’m thankful for all the delicious local restaurants we have in Calhoun and Gordon County. I couldn’t keep this impressively round physique without you.

—I’m thankful that Microsoft Word or Adobe InDesign hasn’t crashed yet today. (Come on, Al. Don’t jinx it.)

—I’m thankful for college basketball season arriving (Go Heels!) and providing me with an escape from the frustrating college football season (ugh, Jackets) it has been…unless Tech goes and totally redeems itself with a win over Georgia, but I think we all have a good feeling how that’s going to go.

—I’m thankful for my first boss and mentor in this business who turned out to be one of the best friends I’ve ever had and still have to this day. Dave, you may not be in this specific business or geographic area anymore, but the impact you made on me and others still lives on to this day.

—I’m thankful for brothers and friends that always keep me up to date on what’s happening in the sports world on a daily basis or just talk about completely random stuff through chain texts.

—I’m thankful for DVR. I honestly can’t remember how I functioned as a TV viewer before it.

—I’m thankful for the country that I live in, the flag that represents it and the rights and freedoms we have in the ol’ U.S.A. And I wish we could put aside all this pettiness and come together before it’s too late. (There’s my small political statement of the column.)

—I’m thankful for the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s like Christmas except without all the stress of gifts and probably the better food.

—And last and most importantly, I’m thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I hope that as we go into the Christmas season, we truly understand how incredible a gift His birth truly was.

I want to wish every- one a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope it’s a great day of food and fellowship with family and friends.

Quick football picks

I’m running out of space so I won’t go into too much detail, but I’ve got Georgia over Georgia Tech, 38-21, (lame) and the Falcons over the Bucs, 31-23, this weekend.