Thursday, February 21, 2013

February 20th & 21st, 2013 - JJ


I typed the first five yesterday and then forgot to send them! Oops!

1. Organization. It's taken me a while to get used to this new job, but I'm finally starting to get my schedule, my paperwork, and my responsibilities nice and organized so I know what to do when and where to find everything I need.  I've got a lot more work to do, but I'm glad I've decided on a system. I love being organized!

2. The new way we've organized our house. I moved my office into the guest room which freed up a bunch of space in our bedroom and makes working at home a lot easier since I'm in a room that's pretty much dedicated to work. Now if only I could turn off Facebook so I could get more done when I'm in front of the computer! :)

3. That I haven't killed any plants in the last month or so. Well, okay I killed one, but I'm not counting it because it was one of those "live herb" things you buy at the grocery store. We tried to plant it but I'm pretty sure it was really dead before I even got it home. Also very thankful that I've managed to keep all the plants Tammy has given me alive so that when she comes to visit next month I won't have any explaining to do! :P

4. That Ripley has been accident free (at least outside of her crate) for several days in a row and is going 5 hours between potty breaks at this point. Gotta love climbing the stairs less and less as she's getting older. My knees are VERY thankful!

5. Productivity. I got a lot accomplished today which feels great! Here's to hoping I get a lot accomplished tomorrow and Friday too. I have a lot of work on my plate at the moment!

Okay, here starts today's things:

1. For our Vitamix.  A while ago Nika recommended it to me and boy was she right! This thing is amazing!!  We will be eating so many more fruits and vegetables because of this thing. We made "sorbet" last night that had carrots in it and it tasted amazing. I'm pretty excited to see what we come up with for it next. 

2. Spaghetti Squash. Who knew it was so delicious?! The stuff is amazing! I'm also very thankful that Derick not only ate it, but liked it. It's not a perfect pasta substitute, but it's a pretty good one!

3. Pea puree. So yummy!

4. Lush products. They make my skin soft and they smell so good!

5. A mostly clean (don't look at the floors!) and organized house. I have been staying really on top of chores lately and I'm loving coming home to a tidy house. 

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Valentine's Day, 2013 - JJ

1. That there was hot water in the bathroom as soon as I turned it on this morning. Usually our hot water takes 3 to 5 minutes to get hot, but Derick got up first this morning and must've ran the water while he was getting ready. I can't tell you how amazing it was to be able to wash my hands and face in hot water instead of cold water first thing in the morning. Gotta love the little things in life!

2. For puppy conditioner and dog brushes.  Ripley's ear fur gets SO tangled especially after a long play session with her bff, Cody. I'm glad I picked up some conditioning and detangling spray. Best stuff ever! And it makes her smell less dog like and more yummy.

3. For a job where I'm in total control of my schedule. I woke up this morning feeling really crappy and under the weather so I've decided to work from home today and make up today's observations tomorrow. I love that I can do this.

4. For our dog watcher, Elena.  She got us each a Valentine's Day cupcake and I can't wait to eat them with Derick tonight when he gets home from work. One is a chocolate cupcake with bourbon bacon frosting and the other is a chocolate cupcake with a champagne buttercream. They're beautiful and I'm betting they're also delicious. 

5. For Derick, my forever Valentine. I'm so thankful that we found each other and that we get to celebrate our first Valentine's Day as a married couple together today. Smooooooooosh!

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

February 13th - Heather

1.  Getting a handmade Valentine's card from one of my student workers.  So sweet.

2.  Remembering that I had "extra" research last semester and being able to use it for my assignment for tonights class....saved myself some time and some panic since I just noticed that part of the assignment in my notes late last night!  I pulled about ten articles last semester while I was working on my critical review and only used one or two of them.  Perks of an overacheiver!  :)

3.  That my mom almost enjoyed watching the SOTU last night...she only left it on because it's something I like to catch when I can.  CNN won't be asking for her political commentary any time soon...but we had an interesting conversation throughout.

4.  That JJ was willing to come rescue my mom and I from I don't know what part of Chicago after I foolishly got on the the train that came at the correct time (ish...it was three minutes early, should have been my first sign!!!).  Also thankful that it had warmed up to balmy and slightly above freezing  so that we weren't human popsicles while JJ hurriedly followed her GPS in aforementioned rescue mission!

5.  A sick day at home with mom and kitties.  After getting on the wrong train we missed the other train and ended up on the last train out of Chicago which ended up delayed.  We ended up waiting for over two hours in a sauna of a station.  Mom and I both got overheated and ended up sick the next day.  So we hunkered down on the couch watching/sleeping through shows and movies we had dvr'd.

February 13th, 2013 - JJ

1. That I am making the time to write this today. It's been such a long time and I have been a terrible slacker, but I am very thankful that I always come back to writing these e-mails, even if I'm not perfect about it.

2. Scented candles. Right now I have a piƱa colada scented candle burning in my "office" while I work. It is making me think of tropical climates instead of frozen ones which is good these days!

3. That Derick is turning into such a good cook! He's been experimenting with all kinds of new recipes and I've really enjoyed eating them all. :)

4. For the little pot of mini daffodils that Derick bought for me. Daffodils always make me think of sunshine, which is why they're my favorite flower. I hope I don't accidentally kill them! 

5. That Derick made the bed and locked the front door this morning. Usually Derick leaves before I do, so those two things are on my to do list but this morning I left early so it was nice to come home to a tidy room and a locked house. 

6. For Ripley and how adorable she is. I never thought I'd love a dog so much, but she has stolen my heart!

7. For a working heater. The lady who watches Ripley has to rely on space heaters, so every time our heat turns on I am so thankful that we don't have that problem! 

8. For sleep. I've been feeling a little under the weather and it's nice to be able to sleep through the night and let my body get the rest it needs. Hopefully tomorrow I will wake up with no sore throat!

9. Derick's tarragon chicken. We have so much of it left over and it is so delicious!!  I've gotten territorial over it and find myself getting upset any time Derick has some. It's so good I don't want to share even though he made it!!

10. For facebook, fb messenger, facetime, e-mail, gchat, text messaging, etc. for helping me keep in touch with family and friends so far away. I've started missing home almost all the time so it's nice to be able to get my fix of you guys even though I can't be there with you! :)

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

February 6th - Heather

1.  I'm thankful that Joel, who I have considered my mentor since 2007, is willing to be my official mentor for my masters thesis!  I'm so excited to have his insight along this journey.

2.  That song that comes on the radio when you are feeling completely under the weather...that you still turn up and belt out.  This was that song for me this morning: Musiq Soulchild - Yes  I have loved this song since the first time I heard it on the radio.  I had not seen this video before today, however, when I pulled it up to link it to my post.  Brought tears to me eyes.  Makes me love this song, that much more.

3.  This video.  Because after watching Musiq, I needed to laugh! #fwp

4.  The onion dill bagel I chose for my breakfast sandwich...so good!

5.  The Labyrinth set up on campus today.  It was a lovely and peaceful walk.  And even though it was just in the ballroom, if you walk with peace and imagination, you can hear the sounds of nature around you...birds twittering, wind whipping through leaves, water gurgling through a babbling brook.  It really was a lovely break from my desk.

I hope you found peace and joy in your day somewhere.