Top 10 Things I'm Thankful For This Thanksgiving

As we gather to celebrate another Thanksgiving, I feel as if this is another year where being reflective has much more meaning than it has in the past. While I'm sure many of you have taken more than your fair share of hours to sit and be grateful, my time for reflection is 365 days a year, I can't help but think the more you hear the unemployment rate rise by another percent, the more your hand rests under your chin and you sigh. Well here's a little secret....I do it too. So let's begin with the Top 10 Things I'm Thankful For This Thanksgiving:

10. Loyalty- Now you may be scratching your head but hear me out. Loyalty is hard to come by today when people are working and doing for themselves. The "me me me" attitude has overshadowed camaraderie, working together, and sticking together. I'm thankful that the people I work with and the friends I have are all about sticking together and not throwing one another under the bus.

9. Optimism- It takes a lot of work to consistently find the silver lining in every situation and while I haven't been perfect in always being 100% positive, I've tried my best to always think that there's a reason for everything. So far, I think it's done me well to keep smiling.

8. Wisdom- I've seen a lot and have encountered life changing moments and while the majority of what I've seen and encountered were because of what you all may call "mistakes", I call them unnecessary/necessary events. What made them unnecessary was their timing but what made them essential was that I was able to see past the event and analyze it for what it really was. So, I haven't made mistakes but I've made some unnecessary/necessary happenings.

7. Opportunity- The opportunity to love, be loved, and blessed is sometimes a luxury that many can't afford. I make it my mission in life to exhaust all energy to give back. I'm thankful for the energy I find to do this.

6. Health- I couldn't exhaust energy to give back if I didn't take care of my immune system. It's quite the routine eating healthy, getting 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and I try to achieve this and am I'm proud of the results. So, I'm thankful that my body has survived the chicken pox when I was 5 and continue to survive the common colds I get. Yes, I've never gotten the flu, broken any bones, etc so I hope to continue that streak.

5. Education- Those who know me well can tell you how I am a champion of education. All I talk about is how to reform and revamp the school system and how I'm working on writing a proposal to Congress. It's clear that my passion for all is the ability to succeed in an academic setting. I was blessed to have received a great education from kindergarten to college and I wish that for ALL children.

4. Shelter- Now while this may be #4, it still holds high importance. I'm thankful for the fact that I can rest and wake up in the same bed...in the same apartment that I've known for nearly 22 years. Many can't say they had such stability but whatever the situation...refer back to #9 and find your silver lining.

3. Religion- The past 2 years have shaken the spiritual and religious core of folks. Having to make decisions between paying the rent/mortgage and feeding the family really made people question their level of faith and belief in God. I've had my moments where my faith packed up and left and I'm proud my faith returned. I know without my belief in God and my spirituality that I would be completely broken.

2. Family- I'm certainly not a one dimensional woman, there are definitely many angles that make up who I am. I attribute that to my family. I'm thankful for their loving, caring, blunt, outrageous, and downright sincere nature. Without that array of qualities to choose from, I would be bland and boring...eww those words are nasty.

1. Love- There's no way I could have the ability to reflect on anything if I didn't reserve a huge chunk of heart for love. The ability to love and in turn be loved back is indescribable. You truly have to experience it to begin to help me define it. There's no greater feeling than telling someone "I love you" and having them saying it back and hearing the genuine emotion. I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world.

Well there you guys have it. These are things I'm grateful for. I would love to hear what you guys are grateful for this Thanksgiving...after you find the energy from stuffing your faces of course.

XOXO,
Whitney

Oh Let Me Count The 800 Ways...To Win That Is!

Tonight the Duke Blue Devils faced the Kansas State Wildcats in what was the championship game of the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic and boy oh boy did my little devils not disappoint. Duke held commanding leads throughout the night to win the game 82-68 as well as the Championship. While I jumped for joy at another incredible win, the real moment to celebrate was the fact that revered coach Mike Krzyzewski won his 800th game with Duke! Claps claps and more claps for you Coach K as you climb the ladder to beating Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith, and dare I say it...Bob Knight...

Congratulations boys...you made mama proud!

XOXO,
Whitney

What A Folkin' Miracle!

Today's game between the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns was by far one for the ages...or at least one for the Sundays. Brace yourself folks because what I'm about to recap will have your adrenaline pumping. Let's dig in:

The Browns out a score on the board early with a field goal to give themselves a 3-0 lead. As the first quarter moved along, the Jets gained some leverage and Nick Folk, his name will be dragged through the mud in the post, kicked a beautiful FG to even the game out 3-3. With nearly 16 seconds left in the 1st quarter, Cleveland scored a touchdown and the Browns led 10-3. Not too much damage done right? Wrong! Nick Folk missed his first FG of the game that would give have out the Jets back 10-6. Ok ok that was a little harsh...let's move on to the 2nd.

In the 2nd quarter, the Jets made some noise as Cotchery scored a TD to even up the game 10-10. Cleveland answered back with a FG of their own and the score was 13-10. As the quarter was coming to a close, the Jets found an opening and scored another TD for a 17-13 lead. Us fans were either in the mood for a drink or.....HALFTIME!

We're back from the half and this quarter left me ready to throw and everything at my television...besides me throwing curses and insults. Bot the Jets and the Browns looked clueless and just when I thought I could find solace in my trusty kicker, Nick Folk missed his 2nd field goal. Yes...you read that right. On to the 4th we go with the score still 17-13.

Nick Folk seemed to redeem himself by kicking a FG which gave the Jets a 20-17 lead. The Browns then answered back with a TD to tie the game 20-20. There was no way that Nick Folk could miss a 3rd straight goal in this game but low and behold...Folk missed his 3rd FG and as I collapsed my head into my hands, I prayed for something. I prayed for a miracle. Overtime was my miracle. 

The Jets were on the brink of a loss until a momentum shift happened, the Browns fumbled the ball. Phew...it was safe to breathe. But, here comes the kicker, no not Nick Folk, but a positive one. With 16 seconds left, Mark Sanchez passed the ball to Santonio Holmes and Holmes brought the ball home for a  TOUCHDOWN! Jets win! Jets win!

The Jets won the game 26-20.

Jets....don't ever scare me like that again!

XOXO,
Whitney

Gold Gloves Come To Those Who Wait

The baseball season is over and while one award has been handed out, the San Francisco Giants are champions of baseball, fans have been awaiting to hear the winners of the other coveted awards. Well today, the Gold Glove Awards for the American League have been announced and it looks like Robinson Cano is leading the pack. Wait...does this mean what I think it means...Robinson Cano will win his first GG Award! Sweet! Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit the good, bad, and the ugly side of Robinson Cano's fielding.

Remember when Cano came up in 2005 and we were all a little weary of his skills? Remember in 2006 and 2007 when all of our suspicions were warranted because Robinson Cano went through a case of the "lazies"...laziness to be exact. Cano's fielding and effort was abysmal and with constant hammering from Joe Torre, Larry Bowa, and somehow himself, Cano turned that around and from the 2009 season onward, he has been an unstoppable force. Now, he makes fielding look like a walk in the park...yes a baseball pun =].

Congratulations to Cano and the other AL winners, including two other Yankees, Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira. You guys did well this year and I hope you continue to make us all proud next season.

XOXO,
Whitney

Jets Rule Everything Around Me!

What a way to start a Sunday off by bleeding green...gang green that is. This afternoon viewers were treated to  a game between the New York Jets and Detroit Lions. After a crippling loss last week for the Jets, we fans couldn't bear another loss, let alone a loss at home. Let's dig in to see if gang green held on to infect the competition.

In the first quarter, the Lions came out roaring, yes roaring...stay with me, as Stafford threw a 10 yard pass to Pettigrew to give the Lions a 7-0 lead. The quarter was not kind to the Jets as they couldn't find their footing. The players and the fans just wanted it to be over. We asked and our wish was granted. On to the 2nd quarter.

In the 2nd, our very own Nick Folk kicked a pretty FG and the Jets were on board 7-3. The quarter wouldn't be over until Braylon Edwards scored on a B-E-A-utiful 74 yeard pass from Sanchez. The Jets finally had the lead at 10-7. HALFTIME!

Coming back for the half, it seemed as if the Lions found their inner Leos and were out to kill their prey. In the 3rd, Detroit was up 13-10 and once again, we fans asked for the quarter to be over and it was granted. On to the 4th.

In the 4th, things became interesting. Detroit managed to score a TD and took control to lead 20-10. Then the Jets came back to score and the game became 20-17. Now, here comes the magic, with nearly nothing left on the clock, Nick Folk kicked a sweet FG to tie the game 20-20...OVERTIME!

How's your heart so far readers? Is it beating back and forth? Are you biting your nails? Well if you were watching the game I was watching then you were. To finally close out the game, Nick Folk kicked a FG and the jets won the game 23-20.

I liked the way my Sunday kicked off =]

XOXO,
Whitney

San Fran Didn't Stop Believing

Congratulations San Francisco Giants you're the 2010 World Series Champions and not only is San Fran elated, baseball is elated as well...yes even us Yankee fans proudly admitted that we were rooting for you. Our tweets were dedicated to you and your team. Our approval of you guys even went far beyond the fact that we wanted the Texas Rangers to lose, we grew to appreciate and respect the hustle and grind, grustle, you guys put into your crafts.

Congratulations to Edgar Renteria for being named the 2010 World Series MVP.

The final score was 3-1 in San Fran's favor. 

It's only fitting to end this baseball season with some beautiful words of inspiration from a group called Journey. This should provide some hope for all the teams in 2011:



XOXO,
Whitney