Thankful Thursday | February 2, 2023

WRITE THIS WAY
Hello and welcome to this very special Groundhog Day episode of Thankful Thursday. Such a quintessential American holiday when we all get together, feast, sing songs and exchange gifts in honor of Bill Murray.
Breaking News… Apparently Punxsutawney Phil predicts six more weeks of winter.
Today’s deep thought: They should announce a sequel to the Bill Murray classic “Groundhog Day” and then simply release the original movie.

THANKFUL FOR THIS
One of my favorite actors, Ryan Reynolds continues to make the world around him a better place. A major partner of Aviation Gin, Mint Mobile and co-owner of the Welsh Wrexham FC, the star of the Deadpool franchise saved the day again. A player’s mom on FC United of Wrexham U-12 futsal posted an online fundraiser for new kits (uniforms). Reynolds donated triple to outfit the squad. 

For those clamoring, here are my top-four Reynolds roles: 1) Deadpool 2) Definitely Maybe 3) Hitman’s Bodyguard 4) 6 Underground 


TWO SCOOPS OF AWESOME
What began as a mom paying back and paying it forward to an ice cream shop owner has turned into a terrific community tradition. Meet Charles Foreman, the owner of Everyday Sundae near Washington D.C. One day a youngster didn’t have any money for his cone, so Foreman gave him a scoop on the house. Days later the child’s mom returned to the store with $100 to take care of less fortunate kids. This started the “scoop it forward” campaign. 

BEST THING I SAW ON THE ‘GRAM TODAY
Come to think of it, this is exactly the look I still have whenever I eat pizza →  ENJOY

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BEST THING I SAW ON THE TWITTER TODAY
In honor of Groundhog Day… I submit this important, albeit cranky report from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania → WATCH

TIKTOK YOU DON’T STOP

Caught on film during a cold plunge… this could not have been scripted or captured any better. No notes! → WATCH

ON THIS DATE – ROUND AND ROUND AND ROUND
Boxing is one of the most physically taxing of all sports. If you need proof, stand in front of a mirror and throw a punch every five seconds for three minutes. Then take a break and repeat nine times. Then add in avoiding the other person in the ring throwing punches at you and, well it’s not easy.

When Harry Sharpe and Frank Crosby entered the ring in Nameoki, Illinois they probably had no idea they were about to make history, turning in the longest fight under modern rules. Much to the relief of all in attendance, not to mention the two pugilists, Sharpe scored a technical knockout of Crosby in the 77th (!!) round in 1892. In news that should surprise no one, George Santos claims he was the fight referee.

By my admittedly shaky math 77 rounds at three minutes with one minute between rounds comes out to about 307 minutes or more than five hours. With fighter intros, that’s long enough to watch the first three Rocky movies. 

LIVES GIVEN
Last week Ukrainian Olympic Decathlete Volodymyr Androshchuk was killed in action in a firefight against invading Russian troops near the town of Bakhmut. Although Androshchuk could have taken the exemption granted to national level athletes, the 22-year old volunteered and paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend his homeland.  

WHAT I WATCHED
After finally breaking down and signing up for Disney+ I have rolled through The Mandalorian, Book of Fett and the breathtaking Andor, but on I watched one of the OGs, “The Empire Strikes Back”. This is a movie I saw in the theater as a kid and also as an adult when it was remastered. It still holds up beautifully and when Han Solo tells Chewie to “Laugh it up, Fuzzball…” it slays me every time.

And now a story: I got my Empire Strikes Back lunchbox for Christmas when I was in third grade. Could not have been happier… eating lunch with the Force was a big deal. At the first lunch break my classmate, Erik, came up to me, serious as a heart attack and said, “We have the same lunchbox… Don’t steal my lunch.” Truly words to live by.

All Star Wars content is streaming live on Disney+. Recommend!

TODAY’S GROUNDHOG DAY SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE
In breaking news from Quebec, we regret to inform you that Fred la marmotte was found dead just hours before he was due to make his annual weather prediction. The CBC News headline captured the moment perfectly: “Sudden death of Quebec’s Fred la marmotte casts a shadow on Groundhog Day”

GROUNDHOG DAY MOMENT OF ZEN
“I sure as heckfire remember you…” → SAVOR

QUOTABLE
“This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather.” 
– Phil Connors, Reporting live from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania 

MIND THE GAP
Thanks for reading. Tune in next Monday for another edition of the Work In Progress newsletter.