Thursday, January 9, 2014

January 9th - Heather


1.  Impromptu lunch with a coworker.  It was nice to eat lunch away from my desk!

2.  Warmer weather...even though it's really depressing overall to think of 25 degrees (still 7 degrees below the freezing point) as "warm".

3.  The small boost in confidence gleaned from scanning over the jobs that Linked In thinks I'm qualified to apply for...this could be some really handy info as the grant wraps up in the near future.

4. A rekindled infatuation with Words with Friends.  So fun!

5.  This little face looking at me, ready for bed.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

January 7th - Heather

Happy New Year!  I hope you welcomed 2014 safely and warmly!  My life is full of distractions (namely this pesky little masters thesis thingy) and while I haven't been very good about posting my 5 things everyday, I have much to be thankful for as the holiday season winds to an end and the bitter winds of winter make the weather outside something well beyond frightful.  Here's what's topping my list today of the many things I'm thankful for:

1.  My car is paid off!!!!  I'm so excited about this.  Financial woes be what they may, two job hunts, and three jobs later (more if second jobs are included)....and my car is fully paid for!  I'll get the title in a few weeks and I kind of want to frame it!  This isn't my first car, it's my second.  But it is my first new car!  Now I can say that every mile on the odometer is mine and it's paid off!!!!  I kind of feel like a bratty toddler dancing and screaming "It's mine! It's mine! It's mine, mine, MINE!" 

2.  Electricity!  As mother nature is doing her best to cryogenically freeze me (without the cryogenics), I'm thankful for the electricity that powers the heaters, blankets and tea kettles.  I can honestly say that I never thought I would see temperatures this cold in my life.  The low last night was around -17 degrees Fahrenheit (almost 50 degrees below the freezing point) with wind chills in the -40's.  The high today is 0 which we'll reach for about an hour before the mercury plunges back into negative territory.  And it breaks my heart to know that there are people and animals out there without electricity or working furnaces.

3.  A full length mirror.  This may sound like a very odd thing to be thankful for.  But it's something I've shied away from buying for years.  I joke that if I can't see it, it doesn't exist.   And I've finally decided that I'm not going to make better health  and lifestyle decisions until I'm literally faced with my weight gain.  It's too easy to find clothes that fit, flatter and mask my bad decisions.  So here's to facing my fears and self in the new year!

4.  Hot chocolate, hot coffee, hot tea, hot cider....you can see the pattern here.  On this cold day, I'm thankful for the bounty of hot beverages at my disposal.  There's not a PolEx troupe singing and dancing while pouring hot chocolate into my cup...but it's piping hot nonetheless (thanks to the electric tea kettle in my office).

5.  The little Memorex speaker/docking station that my iPod plugs into.  I love it for bringing my music to life during the work day and for being pink and for having a cute little pink remote.

6.  And last, but not least, the brave and bundled student worker, Austin, who brought me my campus mail today.  I hadn't remembered he was on campus taking a winter term class and working until he strolled into my office with my mail.  I had been mentally preparing myself for the cold block and a half between my office and the mail room.  And then elation set in when I realized I didn't have to trek out in (literally) sub-zero temps today.