I love Thanksgiving. The older I get, the more I appreciate this holiday. It's all the yumminess of Christmas dinner, minus the hustle and bustle and gift-buying and party overload. It's truly a day to take a time out, relax with family, eat good food and reflect on the good things in your life.

This year I have a lot to be thankful for.

My health. It's easy to take for granted--you wake up in the morning and go through the day without thinking, "gee, it's awesome that I can walk around and breathe and function." Well, it IS awesome. If I feel like it I can go outside and run five miles or spend a day walking around the city. I'm not restricted physically and that's a beautiful thing.

My family. No matter what's going on, they are supportive. They listen to me rant and they don't judge. I don't understand people who say they hate their parents or their siblings.

My job. Sure, I wake up in the morning and I moan and groan about having to get out of bed and go to work and sit through this or that meeting or conference call, but at the end of the day, the work is challenging, projects are fun, and opportunity exists. I have chances to advance and grow. There's a ton to learn, and I love that. I hate the feeling of knowing everything there is to know about something, and I have been in jobs like that before--jobs I could have stayed at for 20 or 30 years without learning anything new. That's not the case now, and that's something I'm happy about.

My soon-to-be-husband. In 10 days I'll be married and H2B is lovelier every day. I couldn't be more thrilled about getting to spend every day with my best friend and I'm very lucky.

Little things. I'm happy I live near a grocery store and a coffee shop and a bookstore. I'm happy my car has a temperature gauge in it. I'm thankful for mornings when H2B makes me poached eggs for breakfast so I don't have to eat cereal for the 9527328556th day in a row. I'm thankful for getting real mail that doesn't involve bills or flyers. Leftover Timbits at the office. Seeing a cute dog on the drive home from work. The smell of burning leaves in the fall. Evening walks. Having a treadmill in the building. Midday texts. Every day, I could (and should) be able to write a list of things I'm thankful for, and I wouldn't even have to repeat a thing for many, many days.

I'm lucky and I don't appreciate the good things enough. I need to show more gratitude.

What are you thankful for?

On Saturday I bought Spanx. There's really no point trying to intro that statement any other way. It's one of those things you've just got to come out and say, so there you have it. I bought "shapewear". Industrial beige and everything. Percolate on that for a second.

Here's a little background: My wedding dress isn't a big, poofy, structured affair. It's not a froufy gown that will stand up on its own without a hanger. There's no taffeta or tulle or whatever other frilly fabrics you'll typically find busting out the window seams at Winchester's. It's pretty sleek and fitted and while it's lined, it's a relatively light fabric.

In the interest of not giving some of our older, frailer guests a heart attack by an accidental peep show, I decided I should invest in a slip. That being said, my dress doesn't have a ton of leeway for a baggy loose slip. As well, it's got a pretty deep v-neck in the front AND back, which limits the lingerie one can sport underneath it to some pretty specific styles. Girls, you know what I'm talking about.

I scoured the lingerie stores in the mall but was unable to find any slips that didn't have more ruffles than the potato chip aisle, or fur-lined hems, or "HOTTIE" emblazoned across the ass in neon (what's up La Senza!) Disgruntled, I resigned myself to the fact that I would get married looking like a tramp in a see-through dress. Then a coworker, who was a bridesmaid in a wedding recently, opened my eyes to Spanx.

"They're awesome," she raved and went on about how Spanx make you feel tighter and trimmer and hold everything in place. This girl weighs about 80 pounds--what the hell did she need Spanx for? "You should always wear them under your dresses!" she insisted. Well, if she's buying Spanx, maybe I should suck it up and buy Spanx, too. It's not that I need to be sucked in, but it would definitely be a good alternative to the baggy rumply granny slip, right?

On the weekend I hoofed it to a dressy-clothes store that I normally associate with grandmothers. Right away I saw it--The Spanx Display--Spanx of all shapes and sizes hanging limply like a bunch of rabbit skins tacked to the wall of a shed*. I sidled over and looked around to see if anyone was watching me. I pretended to be looking at old-lady suits and blouses and kept glancing furtively at the Spanx-es.

It was really reminiscent of that feeling you get when you're 12 and you have to buy maxipads for the first time and you have to make sure none of your friends are in the drugstore--total flashback. You pretend to be looking at the Clearasil and the Bonne Bell lip smackers, and then, quick as a flash, you snatch the Always or whatever the kids are wearing nowadays and toot boot 'er for the cashier with the shortest line, with the pads hidden under your YM magazine? Remember that feeling? I just got the nerve to face the Spanx-es head on when out of NOWHERE a saleslady screamed in my ear, "CAN I HELP YOU!?"

"Imgettingmarriedandineedaslipandthisgirlatworksaidtheseweregreat!" I hissed back at her, breathless with embarrassment.

The saleslady was very nice and helped me pick out a half-slip that wouldn't interfere with the cut of my dress but would provide some coverage. She also made a point of giving me a size small, which I appreciated. We got to the cash and she started to ring me through. I began to relax. I was going to get out of the store without being noticed!

"JEAAAAAAAAAAN, ARE THE SPANX FINAL SALE?" she suddenly shouted and held the Spanx OVER HER HEAD WAVING THEM BACK AND FORTH at one of the other store staff. I looked around. A couple customers glanced over. Shut up, shut up, shut up...I felt my face go red.

Of course, Jeaaaaaaan couldn't hear her, and she had to yell it AGAIN across the store. Jeaaaaaaaan said she thought they were final sale but to check with management. I didn't care if they were final sale, I just wanted to get them wrapped and paid for and get the hell out.

"RAAAAAAAAEEEE! ARE THE SPANX FINAL SALE?" she yelled again at the store manager. Raaaaaeeeee was, of course, tiny and trim and very snotty looking. She gave me a piercing look--I swear to God, she looked from the Spanx to my GUT to size me up--and said "Yes, we don't do returns on any of the Spanx," with a little lip curl, as if I looked like I planned on going home and cleaning my toilet with the Spanx and trying to return them. I turned redder. Then I realized my Spanx half-slip cost $80. EIGHTY!!!!! They better make my ass look fan-effing-tastic, I decided.

Finally I escaped with my Spanx. My little secret. I got home, and the first thing I did was rip the Spanx out of their tissue paper nest and tried them on.

They do the trick. They hide any VPL. They prevent see-through issues. My ass doesn't look fan-effing-tastic. But it's OK. I was happy with my purchase.

Now you know all my secrets. I wear Spanx to formal events.

*I've never actually seen rabbit skins tacked onto the wall of a shed but I can imagine they look like Spanx.

I've been super slack at blogging this week, but with good reason. Things are CRAZY, mang. The wedding is in 15 days. FIFTEEN DAYS!!! Our honeymoon starts in 16 days--can I get a WOOT WOOT. Work has been pretty intense, I've been feeling under the weather, and there's just been a lot going on, waaaaah waaaaaaaah, I'm so busy.

Lindsey at Like a Hamster on a Wheel has given me a blog award, so I feel quite special and happy :)

The rules for accepting this award are to answer the questions below and pass the award to 6 of your favourite bloggers and alert them they have been awarded.

1. Where is your cell phone? Right next to me.
2. Your hair? Flat and boring.
3. Your mother? Probably at home...
4. Your father? Needs a vacation
5. Your favorite food? Sushi
6. Your dream last night? I didn't dream. I was in a wine-induced coma.
7. Your favorite drink? Coffee, water, diet Coke
8. Your dream/goal? Author, screenplay writer, Internet personality, columnist, inventor, lottery winner. It changes every day.
9. What room are you in? Office
10. Your hobby? Running, cooking (they balance each other out)
11. Your fear? Suffering, fire, owls
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Having fun.
13. Where were you last night? at the Cunard Centre for the Winemakers' Dinner.
14. Something you aren't? Shy.
15. Muffins? I like to make them from a mix and add little things in, like walnuts or chocolate chips. It's easy but looks harder than it is :D
16. Wish list item? A new bedroom set and dining room set. I have furniture on the brain.
17. Where did you grow up? Sackville, NB--the good one.
18. Last thing you did? Drained my coffee mug
19. What are you wearing? Jeans, cardigan, t-shirt
20. Your TV? 42 inches of goodness.
21. Your pets? Sophie and Patches. I miss my girls!
22. Your friends? Harder to keep up with now that everyone's so busy :(
23. Your life? Can't complain!
24. Your mood? Worried (always)
25. Missing someone? Fammy and friends
26. Vehicle? '07 Mazda3
27. Something you're not wearing? socks
28. Your favorite store? So many: Banana Republic, Michaels, Aldo, RW&Co, Attica
29. Your favorite colour? red
30. When was the last time you laughed? Coworker just said "Your mom smells like dead fish"...I always laugh at "your mom"
31. Last time you cried? Monday...I had a little fit.
32. Your best friend? Is THE BEST
33. One place that you go over and over? The bathroom to wash my hands. I have swine flu paranoia.
34. One person who e-mails me regularly? Clients and coworkers.
35. Favorite place to eat? Sushi Nami Royale