Tag: gratitude

1. Fall. Full disclosure: I took this picture a couple weeks ago when it still felt like summer outside. It no longer feels like summer outside. But hey, at least there are more leaves like this springing up all over the place.

2. Colorful leaves. Because they can be really beautiful. Stopping to smell the roses is overrated. Stop and look at the leaves once in a while.

3. Fall jackets. Because when you wake up at 4:00 in the morning to walk the dogs, sometimes it’s in the 40s with a strong wind blowing and that extra layer of protection is pretty awesome.

4. Dressing in layers. It provides insulation from the cold and can look quite spiffy, too.

5. Foam rollers. I probably mentioned this gratitude a while back, but I’m very grateful for it again. My quads have been really tense since the soccer game two days ago, so smooshing them into submission made it a lot easier to stretch my leg muscles tonight.

1. Solid dog poop. Because sometimes dogs have accidents inside the house and non-solid material on the bedroom carpet would be a serious pain to clean up.

2. Seeing the solid dog poop. Letting it sit on the floor would become stinky and harder to clean. And stepping in it would be worse.

3. Plastic bags. Sure, they might seem wasteful, but they’re pretty handy when I have to pick up dog poop inside the house.

4. Having enough time before work to clean up dog poop. When we’re outside on a walk, take out the poop bag, scoop it up and you’re done. Taking care of the carpet is a slightly more extensive project.

5. Falling asleep quickly. Even if I’m not super-duper tired, I can usually nod off in a couple minutes, which is much more restful than tossing and turning all night.

1. Ibuprofen. When dull pain, stiffness and soreness still inhabit your body the day after playing sportsball, ibuprofen is your friend.

2. Berkley’s patience. My limp has been reduced to a hobble, which helps for walking dogs. However, my discomfort is not Berkley’s main concern first thing in the morning. His first concern is “I FINISHED PEEING, I NEED TO GET BACK IN THE HOUSE FOR FOOD! I LOVE FOOD!!!” And then he’ll sprint back to the house as fast as his little legs can carry him. But when I had trouble walking this morning, his sprint turned into a slower run. Because why strangle himself with his harness if I’m not going to move any faster?

3. Filtering Excel sheets. When I started this project, the numbers weren’t organized at all. I rearranged them, then started working… and then I realized I was looking at some items a second time. I rearranged the numbers again to find duplicate items (and there were a lot), then started copying answers. I changed the filtering back and now a majority of the spreadsheet is done. Yay for not doing the same problems over and over and over again!

4. Buying poop bags at Target. Because running out of them is a bad idea when you have two dogs that poop on a regular basis.

5. Buying potato wedges at Target. Because they’re yummy. They’re not pizza-level yummy, but still yummy.

6. Buying rotisserie chicken at Target. Good for dinner and then lunch. And potentially several lunches after that.

I’m back! One funeral and one wedding are in the books, so hopefully it’s back to the usual grind again.

1. The usual grind. There aren’t any joyful weddings, but there also aren’t any “celebrate a person’s life” gatherings because said person just died. It’s a time when things can feel neutral, but it also allows you to make your own happiness.

2. Funerals. I know, #1 kinda conflicts with this, but I’m grateful that I got to see a bunch of people there who I haven’t seen in… it’s been a very long time. It’s a sad reason to be there, but having a chance to talk with so many of them—even for a little bit—was really nice.

3. Weddings. An even better opportunity to see a bunch of people there who I haven’t seen in… well, the one yesterday was a friend’s son, so I only knew a few people, but for weddings in general, it’s a happier reason to visit with a lot of distant friends and relatives.

4. Ice. Today was my first soccer game in almost seven years and I didn’t used to feel the same tweaks, bumps and bruises. (Funny how not being in “soccer shape” can do that to a person…) I’ve always been a fast healer, but I’m still grateful for putting an ice pack on my knee to limit the achy soreness that rears its ugly head after the adrenaline wears off.

5. Adrenaline. I can take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’ for about ten minutes after the final whistle blows. That’s when I start feeling all gimpy. But even with my limping while walking the dog tonight, it was totally worth it.

1. Printing the wrong file. I felt sad and miserable when it happened, thinking I’d have to spend extra time at work to get it finished. Then I went back to my computer and realized that I’d printed the wrong file. What I thought could take over an hour ended up taking 15 minutes instead. Making a mistake is a bummer, but realizing what I’d done, understanding how much less work it’d be and feeling like a weight had just been lifted off my shoulders? Definitely grateful for that.

2. Getting out of work early. Not “playing hooky” early, just “I got here early, so I can leave early” early. I was planning to head straight into town for the epilepsy support group meeting, but I had enough time that I went home to take care of the dogs for about half an hour. And I’m sure their little doggy tummies and bladders were happy I did, too.

3. Dog food. See: happy doggy tummies.

4. The lawn next to the house. See: happy doggy bladders.

5. Having enough gas in the tank. Driving straight into town without having to stop for gas is good when I’m in a hurry. Because my time management skills are amazing.