Earlier this month was Canadian Thanksgiving. And even though I live in the US and I’m as proud as Toby Keith to be an American, I spent some time being thankful. Not only because my coworkers and I took the opportunity to partake in turkey and side dishes and share what we’re most thankful for from Canada (three guesses what I voted for), but because my BFFAEAEAE (best friend forever and ever and ever and ever) and his lovely wife survived a stray bullet ripping through their front door and ricocheting through their home on Saturday night.

Now, I know I’ve been more than a little bit of a hippie lately, but there’s something about loved ones surviving a near-brush with death that makes you feel like you have a lot to be thankful for. And impossible as it may be to list it all out, I sure tried to:

- Both of my arms and legs work.

- I am tall and can reach pretty much anything.

- I have friends all over the world that I love, and none of them have yet been shot with a stray bullet.

- I met Hulk Hogan when I was 10. He gave me a toothbrush and a tearaway Hulk-A-Maniac shirt for my birthday. He also called me brother because I had a bowl cut and he thought I was a boy, but whatever.

- My parents claim not to have a favorite child but I’m pretty sure I’m at least in the top two.

- I have a job, a roof over my head and plenty of food in my fridge. Sometimes more beer than food, but that’s not exactly a complaint.

- I have spent a year falling in love with the sweetest, funniest most amazing guy I’ve ever met, and I’m moving into his little house with him and his dumb dog.

- I found a gift certificate for a free car wash in my wallet that I had completely forgotten about.

Did you catch that one? That’s right. I’m crossing yet another thing off my "I’ll never do this" list and shacking up with the guy who inspired me to run a 5K in a Minnesota winter, got me to play a video game where people pretend to shoot each other and once made me spit beer through my nose.

Okay, thrice made me spit beer through my nose.

Somewhere, in an alternate universe, 17-year-old Nora involuntary shuddered while taking notes in her “Christian Lifestyles” class, which taught her the dangers of pre-marital cohabitation.

But guess what, 17-year-old Nora? You don’t know what you’re talking about! You’re wearing two colors of glitter eyeliner to school and you’ve only kissed one boy in your whole life! Stop judging me!

No matter what the teenage version of myself may think I have a lot to be thankful for, and a lot of good things still to come.

What’s on your belated/early Thanksgiving list?