the annual column

I meant to post the Week 13 picks tonight. I finished them at work, sent them out on email … and forgot to send it to home to post on the site. (Yup, this site is now blocked at work. Dammit! The powers that be have figured out my diabolical scheme to avoid doing anything work-related every day …)

So those will go up tomorrow, assuming I remember to, you know, email them to home.

Until then, this will have to do, my annual Thanksgiving traditional “I’m Grateful For” post that I meant to get up sooner, only, well … it didn’t happen. What can I say, I’ve been lazy the last couple weeks.

So …

* As always, I begin by thanking the two folks whose night of fun, tomfoolery, and hijinks way back in March of 1976 … is still haunting them to this day. Those two folks, of course, would be my mom and my dad.

In all seriousness, I could not ask for two better people to call my folks. I think my favorite moment of the past year, honestly, was Thanksgiving night. Me, my dad, a couple cold ones, and the Jets game. I went to bed that night smiling for the first time in a while. It felt like old times last week at this time. And my mom, I can’t say enough wonderful things about her. So here’s raising (ugh, the diet, mom, come on, you gotta let him live a little) a couple non-alcoholic brews raised to the two best parents in the world.

* Also gotta give thanks to my brother. I think its beyond awesome that you can be brothers and best of friends. It wasn’t always like that. True story – when we were growing up, we really never got along. One day, my mom had finally had enough of us fighting, and forced us to move into the same bedroom. It literally lasted one hour. After a slew of stitches next to my left eye and some bandages on Drew’s arm, that experiment was scrapped.

So to see our relationship evolve from him bashing my head into the window sill, and me repeatedly hitting him with some kind of foreign object in the arm … to what we have now, is just really cool to me. And I hope it just continues to get better.

* And of course, his better half, his lovely wife Ashley. How she puts up with the Couch Trio of me, Drew, and Chris, I have no idea, other than she’s got the patience of a saint. Then again, you’d have to if you’re raising …

* My special little guy. The awesome Ayden. I live for that moment when I walk in the door to their main room, and he hears the door open, runs down the steps, and peeks around the corner, and yells “Teve!” before running up and hugging my leg (since he can’t reach any higher yet). I still don’t want kids … but that guy makes me think that someday I might change my mind on that. I love your sisters too buddy (they’re next on the list) … but you’ll always be Uncle Teve’s Favorite. Even if I never admit that anywhere else.

* This year, I gained two special little girls to go with the A man. Ayden’s younger sisters, Reghan and Fallyn. It was a monumental night the night before Thanksgiving – “Uncle Teve” finally could tell the two apart! That only took three months and a couple cocktails in to happen, but hey, it’s a moral victory.

Then again, it was a monumental weekend when they arrived. I pulled a typical Steve move – saw Ash was ready to deliver any moment now, didn’t want to miss it … and fled for Float Trip 2.0 last summer. Thankfully, it all worked out. The Floater was awesome, and the text arrived at 5:46am on Sunday morning: “it’s go time”. I made it back to KC with a couple hours to spare.

Welcome to the world, chicas.

* and of course, the Mangy dog. The world’s laziest bloodhound. One thing I don’t live for, is being sound asleep in some kind of a drunken stupor at 5:34am … and hearing a grunt / bark, then feeling a paw, then another paw, and then finally, a 120 pound dog lay across you trying to wake you up to feed him. Oh who am I kidding, I do miss that. “Rufus” / P Diddy / Priest was the best dog a guy could ever have. But Major isn’t far behind.

* Our buddy Chris! Anyone who pauses after being asked a semi-legitimate question about his personal history, pauses some more, and then replies …

“Yeah. I don’t think I’ve ever had sex when I wasn’t drunk, high, or both” …

Gets a spot in the “thank you” post. If only for the laugh factor.

Actually, he’s an awesome guy who deserves some good things to happen to him going forward. (Yet another development I never saw coming 15 years ago: my brother’s best friend … is one of mine as well. Wow, how hard did my head hit that window sill the night Drew chose to make my forehead / left eye socket it’s up-close-and-personal friend?)

* A huge thank-you to my buddy Gregg, not just for being the “Voice of Reason”, but for somehow setting aside all my screw-ups, failures, and (eff) ups, and continuing to be the best friend a guy could have. Not much else needs to be said. If you’ve stuck by me this long, I think Pope Benedict needs to speed-track you on the road to sainthood.

* And to his better half, Ashley, who somehow puts up with the ridiculousness that is her husband, his friends, and his love of sports, and just rolls with it. That takes someone special. Which she is.

* And their special little guy. The awesome Garrett. I’ve known G for most of my life … and the happiest I’ve ever seen his parents, was the weekend Garrett entered the world. They literally could not stop smiling / fighting back tears as they showed me pictures, shared stories, and bragged about the family’s newest (and best) addition before that 49ers game. Even I was kind of choked up by it. You’ve got an awesome family kid. You’re gonna make this world proud.

* And then … there’s the ex. Who still is one of my best friends, and someone I can’t imagine living this life without at this point. Boy, that’s some effed up logic, but thanks to Katie for her friendship, and support, and please, try to hit the godd*mned headpin more often, ok?

* And one of her bestest buds, Kellie. (Who I dig as well). Who happens to be engaged to one of my bestest buds, Dusty. Last night at bowling, for some reason our table got off on a “remember when” tangent, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that DJ couldn’t spell Kellie’s name right for like two months after they first met. Still cracks me up. So I’ll just say three things and move on to the next lucky persons / peoples on the list:

1. You two absolutely deserve each other, and the best life can give you.
2. I’ve known the guy I affectionately call “The Kid” for almost ten years now. Even lived with him for a couple of those years. And the only time in that decade of friendship I have ever seen him nervous / rattled / completely shaken, was when he was going to ask Kellie out for the first time. That’s when I kind of knew, “hey, this thing might lead to something”. Dusty may have that “Napoleon complex” at times … ok, ok, 99.99% percent of the time … but that’s kinda what I like about him. He’s so self-confident it’s irritating, and yet inspiring, at the same time, if that makes sense. (OK, it does to me). So, to see him (nelly voice) “scurred” at simply asking a girl out … that said something to me. Glad this thing turned out well. Oh, and DJ –
3. Don’t f*ck this up. (dusty voice) thank you Captain Obvious!

* To my buddy Brent – for the third straight year, I’m really glad you’re back in KC. Somehow, the 2000s feel kind of empty without you here to share most of them.

* To Damien – you’re absolutely my favorite of DJ’s closest friends. By a wide country mile.

* To my secondary parents, and there’s three of them, in truly Steve logic-style. I still remember the first time I spent a Sunday afternoon at the pool. It was the Double Header day in 2003. We had our separate tailgates back then, but made it into my seat, and Russ and Mona were like “come on over tomorrow, it’s gonna be hot as hell, enjoy it in the pool”. Eight years later, I can’t imagine a Sunday not spent at (either) a NASCAR track or their pool. You two truly are my second parents. I can’t imagine life without them.

And then, there’s Nancy as well. Words cannot describe how I feel about her, she is that freaking awesome. How does one screwed up guy like me get so blessed in life to have so many amazing people that care about him?

* To “the wife”, I think. Hell, it’s been a couple years, I’ve probably screwed up “The Trilogy” a couple thousand times by now. But Megan … you rock. Glad you’re back Stateside. And you’re one helluva pool volleyball player to boot! I’m drafting you first overall in the 2011 Summer Volleyball Pool League draft that I’ve just created to ensure I can do that. That, and I think we still have your sunglasses, so we’re holding them hostage until you agree to show up and play for my winning team. Because I’m sneaky like that.

(And because every time I see you, it always makes me smile. Aw, here’s hoping “The Crush” might blush at that … maybe … hopefully … possibly … wait let’s just move on before this goes into a nosedive crash …)

* There’s so many other people I’d like to take a paragraph to praise … but for lack of time … thank you Anthony, your better half Megan, Scottie, your better half Rachelle, Phil, your better Lacey, Heath, your better half Sarah, the really cool Lucas, Troy, Cassie, Kelsey, Chad, my “Special Little Girl” Ryleigh, Emory, Phill, your better half Jenny, Jenni, Chris, your better half Heather, Mallory, Cam, Ashley, Fred, Jan, Sheri, Angela, “Get Well Soon” Greg and the amazing Chris, Ray, Tyler, Will, Susan, Debbie, Bill, Vessie, Beth, “Joe Knows Football”, Robert, the awesome Monty and the incredible Sheila, Davey, Tracey, and the best post-game-hugger ever, Jennifer.

* Some professional stuff. I’m thankful for a new job. I could not be happier working where I am right now, which is a complete 180 from this time last year, the year before, and the year before that. I am extremely grateful to be working with not one, not two, but (at least) 8! Former colleagues from “Steve’s Former Employer at the Town Pavilion”! I sit next to a lady I used to love to shoot the sh*t with, and get to do it again, in Madeline. My direct boss … used to work for my brother. So when I become “that guy” who shares all the photos of his nephew and nieces, she doesn’t mind, because she knows who they are. My next report … was my boss at “Former Employer”, an awesome lady I’d follow through the gates of hell. We’re getting the gang back together. And it freaking rocks.

* Sports wise: I can’t even begin to put into words how much this Chiefs season has meant to me. 2010 will not go down on the Steve-o-Meter as one of the better years. But to see this team of misfits, wanna-bes, and outcasts gel and enter December as a divisional leader, as a legitimate playoff contender … just absolutely makes me smile. Something I’ve done far too little this year.

I’m thankful to the Big XII for giving us not one, not two, but three legitimate Final Four contenders … all of whom play within 90 minutes of KC.

I’m thankful to my alma mater for (once again) being one upset away on Championship Saturday from playing for the BCS Championship. Thirteen years ago, my roommate Frank and I were the only people sitting in section 11, looking across the field at the only person sitting in section 3, Dr. Bamford, as Mack Brown’s Number Four ranked Tar Heels led 52-0 midway through the third quarter. Now? TCU is one upset away from playing for the national title. In the words of me, “un-f*cking-believable”.

* But finally …

If you’re a reader of the site and I left you off, I apologize. I could have written 55 pages in Word thanking everyone, but I chose to keep it somewhat short.

And I choose to close with this.

I love these six weeks of the year, more than any other.

I know, that makes no sense. I hate cold weather, which I define as any day in which taking your shirt off seems ridiculous because of the temperature. But I love these six weeks, from Thanksgiving to New Years.

Because it represents the best that we are.

You give thanks for what you have. You give thanks to those you love. And you begin to change the things you hate.

I love Thanksgiving, because you do give thanks for the many blessings you have in life. I love Christmas, because you honor those who mean the most to you by giving them gifts of your thanks.

And I love New Year’s … because of Strokey Dick Clark.

(Just kidding. Somewhat).

I love New Year’s, because even if you’ve screwed up 1,089,546 times like me in the prior 364 days … you can see that ball drop, put some cheap champagne in your glass, raise it up, and think …

“Tomorrow starts it all over again. Only, it doesn’t”.

Thank you to everyone who made my 2010 a year to enjoy. Thank you to everyone who stood by me, defended me, supported me, even kicked me in the ass when I deserved it.

And here’s to believing 2011 is the year we remember on our death-beds as the Greatest Year of Our Lives …