In no particular order, here are the various things I’m thankful for this year.  Some are insipid. Some mindless. Most invaluable.

*I’m wildly thankful for my friend Mithra … a very cultured, well-educated, jovial Indian woman who reminds me every day to take time to just breathe and appreciate life.  For well over a decade, she’s kept me sane and kept my belly full.  She’s my wise sage.  What the hell she’s doing hanging out with me — I’ll never know.

*I’m thankful for a job I love. Every weekday morning I have the opportunity to entertain the masses on “Kansas City Live”.  Why this couldn’t have happened 10 years ago when I was thinner, younger and before high-def TV, I’ll never know.

*I’m appreciative that no matter what city I travel to … I inevitably have a good friend there that I can crash with or offer to take to dinner.  Eric in Austin. Tracey in Ft. Lauderdale. Kiki and Don in Orlando. Deirdre in Sacramento. Steve in Chicago. Kris in D.C. Don in Palm Springs. And the list goes on and on.  Why my cousin Brandon moved from Hawaii, I’ll never know.

*I’m oddly thankful for Facebook/Twitter. I can keep up with what everyone is doing on a minute-by-minute basis … and share what I want with the world.  I try to make every one of my status updates/tweets pithy, charming and insightful.  Why more people don’t follow me — I’ll never know.

*While I’m thankful that my Mom and Dad are doing well, I’m more thankful for their dog Weezy.  That dog singlehandedly gives my folks a reason to get up in the morning and keeps them active and mobile.  They love Weezy with every fiber of their being, even though she’s often ornery and hyperactive.  When that dog replaced me as their favorite child, I’ll never know.

*I’m thankful I’m a proud Midwest boy.  I put corn in everything.  It’s fun to visit the East Coast and West Coast and play Joe Tourist … it’s even more fun to come back home and put on my fat pants.  Speaking of, why fashionistas don’t create designer fat pants, I’ll never know.

*I’m thankful for my personal motto: “Avoid negativity at any cost.” It’s become my mantra for the last 5+ years. It’s a simple sentence, but it’s made a profound impact on my life.  Why people constantly surround themselves with drama — I’ll never know.

More things I’m thankful for … long naps, green tea, spray tans, ant poison, soy Chai lattes, pedicures, airfare sales, fleece blankets, prickly pear margaritas and fluffy slippers.  Why more people aren’t more thankful for more dumb things, I’ll never know.