Thanksgiving Day is one of those strange U.S. holidays. It’s a day of being thankful via… gorging on food? Well, sort of.

Thanksgiving is all about being appreciative of the things you have in life. With that, here are a few that I single out today:

Thank you to my cycling friends. You’ve seen me at my best and my worst, and all the while you have kept riding with me. I appreciate the camaraderie, the challenges you give me when you ride a little faster and harder, the sense of humor when things go awry on the road, and the mutual love of the bike. Whether folks I ride with regularly, or folks for whom cycling advocacy is a calling, I relish the opportunity to call you friends.

Thank you to my skiing friends. You love to share the bounty: the powder stashes, the best lines through the bumps, the beers and toddies after the day is done. I try to return the favor, in kind. Skiing has taken me many places and introduced me to wonderful people, worldwide. And special thanks to Liberty Mountain Race Team for allowing me to give back to a future generation of ski racers.

Thank you to my DC friends who have been in my life for over a decade. You guys rock, and keep DC sufficiently interesting (and weird) when I start to feel ho-hum.

Thank you to the DC government for providing ample material for discussion, commentary, criticism, and laugh-out-loud humor (whether intentional or simply situational).

Thank you to coffee houses, far and wide, big and small, for caffeinating my life.

Thank you to beer brewers, especially the DC and Utah ones, for providing hoppy goodness that is seldom boring.

Thank you to Absolute Radio, NPR’s “All Songs Considered,” Stereogum, various “MP3 of the Day” feeds, and other outlets for keeping me up-to-speed on great music that I otherwise wouldn’t hear.

Thank you to my cats – Posey, Jeremiah, and Corey – for bringing your love and mischief into my house and life.

Thank you to my family. They provide challenges, it’s true, but they also provide unconditional love and support.

Thank you to sprite: my love and partner in adventures, big and small.

And thank you to all of you reading this (even the NSA… sorta).