Turkey Day Countdown: #7

I'm not gonna lie: November is turning out to be an absolutely craptastic month. It's been a constant onslaught of frustrations and disappointments, heartaches and headaches. Because so much that has happened in the past month has been negative, I've been struggling to find anything positive in my life. But, with the Day of Thanks just one week away, I've decided to make a more concentrated effort to recognize the blessings in my life.

So here is my first of 7 posts on the things for which I am grateful...

Today, I am grateful for MUSIC. I realize this is not breaking news to anyone who frequents this blog, so please allow me to explain.

For more than two weeks now I have been driving a rental car, and have therefore been deprived of my XM radio and my iPod auxiliary hook-up. And since I had a ridiculous amount of burned POW (Playlist Of the Week) CDs in my truck, they are now lost to me forever. So I've been forced to listen to *gasp!* FM radio. And no offense to The Presidents (although, I guess The Buggles said it first), but I believe it was XM, not video, that killed the radio star. Let's just say that I've been driving around in contemplative silence a lot these past couple weeks.

However! I recently rediscovered some very interesting mix CDs that I made circa 1999-2002 and Oh. My. Goodness. I consumed an unhealthy amount of Alanis Morissette back in the day. Other musical staples included Eve 6, 3 Doors Down, Fuel, Orgy, Lifehouse, 311, Vertical Horizon, Creed, Good Charlotte, Tantric, Ataris, Backstreet Boys, Staind, Incubus, Nickelback, Strung Out, Lit, Dollybraid, Foo Fighters, Live, Linkin Park, Jimmy Eat World, Verve Pipe, Matchbox 20... and the list could go on. And I burned sooooo many CD mixes, too: N. Mix I-VII (N as in Napster. Ah, those were the days!), Pop Mix 1-2, Kt. Mix 1-6, Rugby Mix I-II, Thug/Hip-Hop Mixes, Bedtime Songs. And let's not forget the BCIS Babes Soundtrack (much love, Megan S and Michelle G-W!); and of course, Katie's Great Mix (made especially for me by the high school boyfriend during my punk-wanna-be stage. Good times!).

Today I popped in "Katie's Mix I" and couldn't help but smile when I heard what I had put on it:

1. Semi-Charmed Life, Third Eye Blind
2. Californication, Red Hot Chili Peppers
3. Kryptonite, 3 Doors Down
4. New Beginning, Stir
5. I Apologize, Splender
6. My Own Prison, Creed
7. Bent, Matchbox 20
8. It's Over Now, Neve
9. I Walk Alone, Oleander
10. Don't Be Afraid, Smoking Popes
11. Du Hast, Rammstein
12. Wounded, Third Eye Blind
13. Back To Me, Nine Days
14. Aliens Exist, Blink-182
15. Over Your Head, Marvelous 3
16. Nasty Little Thoughts, Stroke 9
17. Slide, Goo Goo Dolls
18. Everything You Want, Vertical Horizon

Basically the Soundtrack of My Teenage Life. Listening to these old familiar friends made me so happy as I drove to campus this afternoon. So, for today, I am grateful for music. Grateful for artists and musicians and lyricists. Grateful for the grand memories that listening to old favorites always brings to my mind. Grateful for the joy that singing along to old and new favorites brings to my life.

Turkey Day Countdown: #7 - I am grateful for MUSIC. What are you grateful for?