Happy Thanksgiving

I have been neglecting this blog of late, so here's a quick list of things for which I am thankful. This year has treated me well, and I am grateful, first, to all the people who have helped make that happen.

My fiance is wonderful, and amazing, and I love her. What can I say? I lucked out here. I'm getting married next year and that makes me happy in ways I can't put into words. Thanks, Laura.

Mom, Dad, Katie, Nick, Mike. Getting married brings up all kinds of opportunities to gripe about the family. But mine really makes life easy. My parents are supportive without being overbearing. When I said I couldn't make it home for either holiday this year, they never complained. My siblings and I have only gotten closer as we've gotten older. I know a lot of people who can't say that. Thanks.

I have this job. Sometimes I complain. Oftentimes it's stressful. A lot could be made better. These are good problems to have, especially in this economy. I'm grateful to Dave Gustafson, who happened to be up late and on Twitter at just the right time to invite me to apply. Thanks, Dave.

Now the nerdy stuff...

I have a pile of free tools to use, made by people who are smarter than me and generous enough to give it away. I have a group of friends in DC who will happily talk tech over beer (and sometimes talk beer over tech). I'm thankful I live in the internet era, where I can legitimately say I have close friends on the other side of the world. I'm glad I can still have 20-long email threads with Alex and Rick, even though I haven't seen either of them in person in almost two years.

And I'm thankful for you, whoever you are, reading this blog. I promise there's more content coming.

Before: China's big day, the short version | After: Building a Better Ecosystem for Transparency