Thanks, World.

I am, generally, a cold and unfeeling person. I tend to save shows of emotion for a select group of situations, like my best friend's wedding, saying goodbye before college, or the end of Marley & Me. 

I know a lot of people celebrate Thanksgiving by going around the table and sharing what they're thankful for, but in the Lombardi household, we show that we care about each other with constant, unrelenting teasing, so such a sincere exhibit of love and gratitude would just be weird.

That being said, in a time where it seems like so much is wrong with the world, I actually think it's necessary to stop and take stock of all that is right every once in a while — plus, I complain a lot, so, short of magically halting all the negativity that comes spewing from my mouth on a regular basis, this seems like the best way to counteract that horrible habit of mine.

So, without further ado, I am thankful for:

1. A mom who owns a Pope bobblehead and loves me enough to make two gallons of spaghetti sauce for me to take home and hoard away in my freezer for the next six months.
2. A dad who will take me out to lunch on my birthday, thinks that I should run my own business, and always tells terrible dad jokes, even in front of my co-workers.
3. A brother who is one of the most sweet and generous people I know.
4. Another brother who has become someone I go to for advice and sharing jokes.
5. Grandparents who continue surprise and inspire me all the time.
6. Best friends who are there for me 24/7, whether I'm having a mini emergency or just feel the need to randomly quote Friday Night Lights without looking like a weirdo.
7. A job that challenges me and provides new opportunities for growth and learning.
8. A commute that's short and sweet...most of the time.
9. The existence of Wayne Gretzky Highway and the Canadians who decided to name it that.
10. Niagara Falls. (The Canadian side.)
11. The slow-but-very-real revitalization of Detroit.
12. High school friends who give a fuck.
13. Random people who, for some reason, wish me a happy birthday.
14. Hedgehogs eating birthday cake.
15. Pope bobbleheads.
16. Mulled cider.
17. Random acts of kindness.
18. Nerds.
19. Netflix.
20. Really good Italian food.
21. New friends.
22. Dogs. A thousand times: dogs.
23. Pine-scented candles.
24. Storytelling and imagination.
25. Generous return policies.
26. Free parking spots.
27. Long road trips.
28. 90s hip hop.
29. Rocks, trees, rivers, lakes, and all the beauty there is in nature, everywhere.
30. Ugly Christmas sweaters.
31. Acoustic covers.
32. Comic book heroes.
33. The freedom to be a smartass.
34. Cheeseburgers.
35. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of other things, which in itself is a blessing.

Eating Our Way Through Boston

I distinctly remember having a conversation with my mom a couple years ago where she made this telling statement:

"That's what our family is all about: going to church and eating."

I'm not going to touch the first part of that declaration, but you'll get no argument from me about the latter half.

Meals are the major pillars that define my family's time spent together. Don't get the wrong idea; it's not like we're these skilled food connoisseurs looking to hit up all the "It" spots or dine on delicacies. For us, food has a more subtle, ingrained presence: my grandma making daily trips to Shop Rite every time we visit, even if just to replace the four bagels consumed that morning; lengthy discussions about the quality of this year's Jersey corn and tomatoes; debates over where to go for dinner based on the possession of strategic gift cards and coupons.

It's even more than that. Treasured memories always seem to take place around a dinner table or in the kitchen, and the first step to entering the ranks of the adult women in my mom's family is mastering the art of making Easter bread. (For my dad's family, it's spaghetti sauce — or "gravy," if you're talking to my aunt Rosie.)

So it only makes sense that when my parents visited last weekend, our time together was planned around food. It's the Lombardi way. 

• Rino's in East Boston was the perfect place to stop on the way back from the airport. My mom heard about it on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives (not sure that it fits any of those three descriptors, but okay), and eating here was one of her two only requests for the visit (the other was visiting the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum; check and check). It easily stood up to my favorite Italian place in the North End, and the portions were massive, so my parents blessed me with the greatest gift of all: their leftovers.
   
• Saturday morning, we walked a few blocks from my apartment to The Paris Creperie for breakfast because my dad (1) hates eating too much "heavy" food and (2) turns into a hangry monster if he has to wait too long for his meal. I have yet to have a bad meal here, and they get bonus points for having a Liz Lemon-themed crepe! Word of warning: this place is always packed during peak hours, so be prepared to get your crepe to go if all the tables are taken.
   
• Post-museum, we took an ice cream break at FoMu in Allston. Each flavor is dairy-free, made with either coconut or some other nut-based milk and, more importantly, is ridiculously good. I'm not lactose intolerant or vegan, and I'd still pick this over other traditional ice cream joints in the area any day.
   
• The Publick House in Brookline was a place I'd heard good things about, and this was my chance to give it a shot. My grilled pork chop with maple chipotle glaze didn't disappoint, but the clear winner was my mom's soy braised short rib with asian pear risotto and napa cabbage slaw. I'll be getting that next time.
   
• Sunday morning was spent in the South End, getting brunch at The Gallows. We started with a shared blackberry lavender donut from The Gallows' sister shop Blackbird Doughnuts and admired the giant Ouiji board wall while waiting for our meals to arrive. I tried to offset the weekend of crazy eating by ordering the kale salad (with crispy ham and fried egg — I'm not dead) but was eyeing my mom's wild mushroom frittata the entire time.
   
• We had just enough time to wander around the SOWA market and share a snack from The Cookie Monstah before it was time to head to the airport. 

At the rate I'm going, I may have hit all the best food spots in Boston in, oh, let's say 100 years.