Happy Thanksgiving!

Today, let’s not talk about women’s rights or gay rights or not even about religion or politics. I promised Annelien I would keep it mellow after our friends declared on Sunday night that they were starting a socialist party in our living room over some chewy brisket that I had just prepared and that turned out to be wonderfully tender – but only the next day. All right, Annelien. No worries. Let me talk about random things that happened to me over the last couple of days that made me say “thank you!”

Thank you to our new bus driver who diligently brings us to the office. She opens the bus doors with a big smile and lightens up our cranky morning faces. She even pulls little fashion jokes on us. Yesterday, she had short hair. Today, she had long blond hair and still the same big smile. She is more than a driver. She is an entertainer, just like one of her predecessors. He enjoyed using the microphone on his bus so much that he wished us every morning a good morning, right before we made it to the office – in all the languages that he knew and there were a lot. He was concerned about us forgetting our laptops on the bus. In his words they were “our lives.” Unfortunately, the bus company didn’t appreciate his friendly reminders and language skills and after a couple of weeks, someone else drove the bus along the I-280…

Thank you, Rachelle, for introducing me to Anusara yoga. Ever since you took me to your class in what my colleague just called “the hip Mission district of LA,” I have been practicing Anusara yoga. I do it mainly in our kitchen and living room, because I am still a little afraid of falling off my mat and onto my co-students. I practice the downward-facing dogs and cobra poses until my arms hurt and my hamstrings tell me it’s time to stop. I could never have become a real San Francisco girl without yoga. My drawing of Yoga Mouse is for you!

Thank you, Mike, for bringing me some heavenly salty caramels: thank you! The caramels knocked me off my socks. My dentist doesn’t like them, but I don’t care.

Thank you, Sivan, for teaching me helpful streetwise swear words (that I use with moderation) and correct English. I just used the term “from the get-go” and I will never forget who taught me that nice expression. Your other words are not suitable for publication though, sorry! Thank you, Brian, for being such a sweet cube mate and for keeping our swear jar tradition intact.

These are just a couple of things that I had to think of this week. But there is a lot more. There are so many people who continue to make my days so wonderful! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. My friends in the Bay Area; my colleagues at work; my friends in Belgium and the rest of the world; my wonderful siblings Iris, Saskia and Jeroen; David, Inge, Erik, Melina, Jonathan, my sisters and brothers in law in Brussels and Leuven; Marianne and Herman, my wonderful parents in law – I send you a big hug today! And thank you to my parents for the values they taught me.

Thank you, Annelien, for being the love of my life!