Post-Thanksgiving thanks

Some things about Thanksgiving you can appreciate in advance -- getting together with family, leftover turkey on the weekend, whispering about what to get the spouse/parents/in-laws for Christmas.

But some years the best parts are the ones you didn't expect to appreciate.

This year I'm thankful to my wife's parents for never turning on the TV all weekend, because it spared me from the Panthers game.

I'm thankful for having to get up early Saturday morning to let the dog out, because that meant we got to see the deer in the woods. This was without a doubt the greatest event in our dog's life that did not involve treats. He is on point now even when he's asleep.

I'm thankful for the traffic jam outside of Asheville, because it got us on the back roads and off the interstate. It turns out that downtown Canton is sort of lovely.

I was thankful for old copies of the New Yorker, little kids showing off their new bikes, sandhill cranes chattering on their yearly trip south, and the good sandwiches at the only restaurant open weekends in downtown Dayton, Tennessee.

And of course I'm thankful for all of you who have already responded to Project Joy, my drive to provide Christmas gifts for Mecklenburg County's foster kids. If you're interested, more details here.

Thanks for thinking of us.