Just a little Thanksgiving weekend thought

I was reading a company blog from a new website shown to me to help you manage your financial life, and I was happily surprized to find that they question other parts of life as well.

While we all know that Thanksgiving was a feast celebrated by pilgrims and Native Americans, have you ever stopped and wondered why we’ve come to celebrate it by gorging ourselves with a 3000 calorie meal, which is often followed by a marathon $3,000 shopping spree the next day?
Somewhere in the not-to-distant annals of history, Thanksgiving has veered horribly off course. The Pilgrims and Indians started the tradition as a way to give thanks for the the fact that they weren’t going to starve to death that winter. Yay! We’re not doing to die! Yet it’s gone from being about giving thanks for what you have to being about wanting more.
From the moment you turn on your TV to watch the Thanksgiving day parade you’re bombarded with messages of consumption, It runs the gamut from a pretty lady on TV telling you that you need a 498 piece Craftsman tool set (because your 348 piece one just doesn’t cut it anymore), or your Aunt Margie trying to get you to finish the last of the cornbread stuffing, even though you feel like you’re about to pop.
So how do we get back to giving more thanks and wanting less things?
On this auspicious day in the middle of one of the worst recessions in recent memory, think about all the people and things you’re thankful for and let them know. Instead of worrying about where to seat crazy uncle Lou, be thankful that you have a family at the table.
Instead of stressing about the parking situation at the mall on Friday, be thankful that you have the money to spend and a car to get you there in the first place. And if you’re not able to go to the mall or give gifts this year, give a gift of thanks. A simple card with all the reasons you’re thankful for them is probably the best gift anyone can get (if you can’t think of any reasons, maybe they shouldn’t be getting a gift in the first place).
Oh… and if you must join the fray on Black Friday, be thankful that you’re not working the registers and give those unfortunate souls manning the registers a heartfelt “thanks” for throwing themselves into a war zone so that you could get your holiday shopping done.

My Favorite Hobby Put to Use

So I decided to "man up" and change my own oil and air filter in my truck. I figured that for the money I spend to pay someone else to put cheap oil in, I could put more expensive synthetic in myself. That went great, but when I went to replace the air filter I found a surprise. Apparently the filter box had broken away from the intake hose and the previous owner had tried unsuccessfully to glue it back on. I can't believe that I missed it, especially after I have been off-road in the mountains and sand dunes of Utah. Finally my want became a need!!!

Cold Air Intake!!

It took me a while, and it was dark by the time I finished, but here it is!! My K&N cold air intake. I was hoping it would fix the reason for a check engine light, but it's still on. Regardless, this intake sounds good and there is definitely a little more pep at about 3000 rpms. Even better, there is hopefully less dirt and dust being sucked into my engine now.

Food, Food, Food.

We were out shopping and I found this HUGE piece of meat that I had to have. I think it cost five bucks and weighed just under five pounds. I brought it home and put it on the grill for about an hour and look how amazing. Initaally Rachel thought I was crazy, but as you can tell, the results easily changed her mind.

We started eating to our stomach's content. We started at different ends thinking we would meet in the middle, but that never happened.

Rachel says that I am mean, but I just want Maddie to have a good idea of what she is missing out on. Besides, if its not good for me, it's probably worse for her. So really I am selflessly sacrificing myself for her. Where's the grattitude?