tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46825307118008975632024-02-21T22:41:16.795-08:005 Things...Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09849748551375778968noreply@blogger.comBlogger285125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-45766413462520686552014-03-15T23:55:00.001-07:002014-03-15T23:55:52.060-07:00March 15th - Heather<p class="blogsyText" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; background-image: url(file:///var/mobile/Applications/26C6BA92-4DE2-425F-812C-A7CC80198B0E/Blogsy.app/typing_icon.png); background-size: 10px 25px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> 1. A new keyboard and case for my ipad. My old little (cheap) clam shell keyboard decided it no longer wanted to type the letter T. As the letter is one of the most common letters used, I thought it best to look for a new keyboard. A few months ago when I was looking for a new case, the ones that included keyboards and allowed the ipad to sit both in portrait and landscape only came in black....I'm not that severe of a person. So when I saw a case that did everything I wanted and came in colors, I was a bit excited. It came in the mail Friday and I'm enjoying it very much. Once inspiration strikes, I'll be able to whip out my thesis with quick, smooth key strokes....and yes that inspiration can strike any time now...I am facing a deadline after all.</span></p><p class="blogsyText" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; background-image: url(file:///var/mobile/Applications/26C6BA92-4DE2-425F-812C-A7CC80198B0E/Blogsy.app/typing_icon.png); background-size: 10px 25px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">2. That my mom purchased the aforementioned new keyboard case for me. :)</span></p><p class="blogsyText" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; background-image: url(file:///var/mobile/Applications/26C6BA92-4DE2-425F-812C-A7CC80198B0E/Blogsy.app/typing_icon.png); background-size: 10px 25px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">3. I'm also very thankful that she has been been willing to gift me with the funds for my class ring for graduation. It's slightly surreal to think about purchasing a class ring and graduation announcements, but they have been ordered and should arrive in about a month. I'm so excited!</span></p><p class="blogsyText" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; background-image: url(file:///var/mobile/Applications/26C6BA92-4DE2-425F-812C-A7CC80198B0E/Blogsy.app/typing_icon.png); background-size: 10px 25px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">4. Spring break. I'm not traveling to any exotic locale...but it will be nice to have a week without classes in which to (hopefully) catch up on my writing while still getting some sleep at night. I know, it's a crazy notion.</span></p><p class="blogsyText" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; background-image: url(file:///var/mobile/Applications/26C6BA92-4DE2-425F-812C-A7CC80198B0E/Blogsy.app/typing_icon.png); background-size: 10px 25px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">5. Google Drive. I know it will not replace Word or Pages any time soon. But I love being able to get to whatever I'm writing or working on no matter what computer or tablet I'm logging on from. </span></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09849748551375778968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-15653605588290045152014-03-11T14:36:00.000-07:002014-03-11T14:38:53.659-07:00March 11th - Heather<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On campus today, there was a canvas labyrinth set up for anyone to walk through. Below are 5 of my meditative thoughts and reflections from walking the labyrinth. The first three are thoughts that percolated during my walk and the last two are responses to questions posed for reflection afterwards.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1. As I began walking the labyrinth, I thought of my journey through life, the way my life goals build on what’s come before. The path, like the labyrinth, isn’t a straight line, but it is continuously connected. Only I know all the bends my path has taken, and, like the labyrinth, you can’t always see the bend that’s coming up next. The path doesn’t always lead you where you think it will, but it does deliver you to where you should be.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2. On my walk there was a young woman walking the labyrinth as well. She began after me and at the point we would have met she looked around her and jumped sideways to the path she thought would lead her directly to the center. It did not. Instead of following the path, she jumped again and reached the center. After reaching the center she jumped off the labyrinth. Maybe she achieved her goal faster than I did. Maybe she didn’t have enough time. But it made me wonder about the things we miss out on because we’ve convinced ourselves to change course.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Along my walk I also came upon some candle wax that had been spilled along the way by another walker. I began to think about how the experience would be different at night and by the light of a sole candle. I’ve always loved candlelight. When I was a child I secretly wished for the power to go out so we could light all of the candles. It’s always just seemed magical to me somehow.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">4. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What words, symbols, feelings, or sounds best express what occurred?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Calm. Peaceful. Tall trees and green grass. Birds chirping. Squirels scattering. The feeling of calm entering the labyrinth is interesting. I also feel as though the labyrinth should be bigger so that there is room to do a few yoga asanas when you reach the center. There's just something about the meditative nature of the labyrinth that makes me want to do yoga. The only sound in the room was the shuffle of the cuff of my pants against the canvas pathway.</span></span></div>
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</b><br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09849748551375778968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-85674512408108643492014-01-09T21:51:00.001-08:002014-01-09T21:51:28.831-08:00January 9th - Heather<div><br></div>1. Impromptu lunch with a coworker. It was nice to eat lunch away from my desk!<div><br></div><div>2. Warmer weather...even though it's really depressing overall to think of 25 degrees (still 7 degrees below the freezing point) as "warm".</div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div>4. A rekindled infatuation with Words with Friends. So fun!</div><div><br></div><div>5. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">This little face looking at me, ready for bed.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuGcxTT3TGtuZR1JOHQ2gtFbVwI3dx4soGMHaCUM7kkYm8gxE7Gu3vYnFdlUMxYD-HQEjZxBlLRcOEj763J7zodPeyiuf0wwT2N7h-c3Zdzqz9QhfwVGCKJdzV-A-bVLkGyJnHuMto1Pz/s640/blogger-image-1092919937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuGcxTT3TGtuZR1JOHQ2gtFbVwI3dx4soGMHaCUM7kkYm8gxE7Gu3vYnFdlUMxYD-HQEjZxBlLRcOEj763J7zodPeyiuf0wwT2N7h-c3Zdzqz9QhfwVGCKJdzV-A-bVLkGyJnHuMto1Pz/s640/blogger-image-1092919937.jpg"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09849748551375778968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-69998552310800505952014-01-07T12:20:00.000-08:002014-01-07T12:20:32.741-08:00January 7th - HeatherHappy 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:<br />
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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!" <br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaD8O2RiVIc" target="_blank">PolEx troupe</a> 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).<br />
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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.<br />
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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.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09849748551375778968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-71174288370188230902013-10-31T13:28:00.000-07:002013-10-31T13:28:47.185-07:00October 31st - HeatherMany of you know that I love to feel like I've been helpful. Sometimes that manifests in untraditional ways. After a fire damaged the house of an aquaintence, I made sure to be a more frequent patron at her business. After the expected passing of a friend's father, I talked to a few colleagues and we put together the funds for a spa gift card. A trip to the spa is the last thing on someone's mind after a loved one passes, but I knew she had spent several of the preceding months caring for her sick father and her husband and her children and working a full time job...I felt like she needed some peaceful time to feel pampered. <br />
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The point is that the ways in which I find to be helpful are sometime a little unconventional. But I hate feeling heartbroken for someone and not being able to do anything to help them. And while the things that I do aren't earthshattering, major things, I like to think that they bring some small level of comfort or reassurance to the person in question. Halloween is an odd day to feel especially thankful for anything in particular...but over the course of the past few days a few unexpected opportunites to be helpful have presented themselves.<br />
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1. While I'm getting craftier...I've never really considered myself crafty. A few weeks ago, my mom started telling me that she needed to think of a Halloween costume for work since the staff were encouraged to dress up. My mother has never dressed up in a costume for Halloween before....so this was a bit to overcome for her. The parameters were that the costume should be rooted in one of four decades: the 50's, 60's, 70's or 80's. Being a fan of the 80's and the Wedding Singer, my mind when straight to Holly and the 80's jewelry and lace, funky hair and blue eye shadow. <br />
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My mom was not jazzed about this idea. But, to humor me, we had started buying a few key pieces of jewelry. Then we went to dinner. There was young girl dressed in a Twister costume and I looked at mom and said, we could make that! And so we did. When I got home from class last night, she was still elbow high in iron-on pieces that weren't working and Sharpie paint to fill in the letters that the craft iron would not successfully transfer. I was able to help her finish her costume last night and get up early this morning to help her with her makeup (I still got the blue eyeshadow in there)!<br />
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2. The reaction of coworkers to the crocheted hats I (in conjuction with coworkers, family and friends) have been working on. A colleague was so appreciative when I was willing to make a hat for her friend who is journeying through life with breast cancer.<br />
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3. There was a group of students facilitating small service projects on campus today. When I saw "write a letter to a soldier" on the list of activities (on Halloween) I was reminded of playing with my dad's Army camo face paint as a small child. I knew that I had to go write a letter to a soldier. I shared that story and that I used to wait until my dad fell asleep to get out my mom's crazy palette of 100 eye shadow colors and "paint" my dad's face like the Ultimate Warrior. I hope it makes someone smile when they read it. It made me smile remembering it.<br />
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And on a much more light-hearted note...<br />
4. Starting tomorrow I'll officially be insane....if there are still one or two of you out there not yet convinced of my insanity. I'm doing NaNoWriMo again this year. This will be my second attempt at the National Novel Writing Month compettion. Yes, amongst the full time job, thesis writing and crazy queue of crochet projects, I will be attempting to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. Check back here periodically during the month to see how many days in November I'm thankful for having reached my daily goal of 1667 words!<br />
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5. I just found out today that my corrections for my second chapter of my thesis aren't due until December instead of the middle of November! Best news ever! Now I just have to crank out chapter 3 in the next few days (yes, for those paying attention, as I start my NaNoWriMo word counts, I'll also be writing one of my thesis chapters)! Needless to say, friends and family, if you see me staring intently into the eyes of my computer screen AND typing at a feverish pace...don't break the mojo. If, however, I'm just staring blankly at my computer screen....you might want to throw something at my head and tell me to keep writing!!! :)Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09849748551375778968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-35667335788784506112013-10-23T14:55:00.001-07:002013-10-23T14:58:27.091-07:00Oct 23rd - HeatherI created a comic of the five things I'm thankful for today. Until I get this figured out a little better, you can view my comic here: <a href="http://pixton.com/ic:272s78n6" target="_blank">http://Pixton.com/ic:272s78n6</a><br />
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09849748551375778968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-7614478239297311142013-10-07T08:41:00.002-07:002013-10-07T08:41:45.932-07:00October 7th, 2013 - JJ<span style="background-color: black; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: white;">1. For weekends. They're really the best!! It's nice to have time to do fun things and get chores and projects done and still be able to relax. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. For good movies. We went and saw Gravity this weekend and it was SO intense! It is amazing the things they can do on film these days! I highly recommend going to see it, but also scheduling in time for a nap afterward because you will be tired after stressing out for two hours in the theater.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. For a tidy house. Not clean, but tidy. Don't look too close. Just glance and notice that things are put away, counters and tables are cleared, and clutter is minimal. But don't go in the guest room or the garage or the closets. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. My Halloween coffee cup. Makes me happy.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. That Derick is not home right now, because I definitely turned the heat on this morning. If I have to work from home, which means I'm sitting down and not moving at all, I'm going to be comfortable, darn it! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">6. On that note, I'm thankful that it's finally cold outside. I wasn't really thankful for this when I took Ripley out this morning wearing sandals and my pajamas, but I'm thankful for it now that I'm inside with the heat on, thinking about which scarf and which boots I'm going to wear today. :)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">7. For friend time. My social calendar has been surprisingly full the last few weeks and it's been so nice to connect with friends. I'm starting to feel like I could handle living in Chicago a little longer than planned if I have to.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">8. That an old friend just asked for our address, because I'm pretty sure it means we're getting invited to his wedding. I wasn't sure if we'd make the guest list cut, but now that it appears we have, I'm really excited about it! Hopefully the scheduling will work out that we'll be able to make it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">9. For games. Derick and I played Catch Phrase and Boggle last night and it was hilarious and a lot of fun. :) Happiness is wearing sweat pants in a candle lit room with music on while playing silly games and drinking pumpkin beer with your husband.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">10. For warm fuzzy socks. Because the heat wasn't making my feet any less icicle like. </span></div>
JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199883080248830605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-24385670652461570512013-10-03T08:08:00.000-07:002013-10-03T08:08:15.566-07:00October 3rd, 2013 - JJ<span style="background-color: black; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: white;">1. Yesterday, which was the best day ever. Got to spend a few hours with Anna and then I got to spend a few hours with Jenna. I love those ladies!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. Craft night where crafts were actually worked on. Not completed, mind you, because that would be craziness! But we each got 3 duct tape roses made so that's progress. :)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. Health insurance. I finally have it and all the stress around getting it is over! Wahoo!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. Rain. It's grey and rainy out today and I'm going to pretend it's cool outside and that it's not supposed to be 80 again today. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. The leaves are starting to turn fall colors! Not on all the trees, but on some and this makes me very very happy! I can't wait until Sunday when it's supposed to be 60 degrees. </span></div>
JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199883080248830605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-73168152868931478912013-10-02T09:29:00.002-07:002013-10-02T09:29:53.333-07:00October 2nd, 2013 - JJ<span style="background-color: black; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: white;">1. I GET TO SEE ANNA TODAY!!!! I'm so excited! Can you tell?!?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. Pumpkin beer. Derick bought some from a brewery in Maine and it's delicious!!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. That we unpacked all of our picture frames and put some of them up. Further thankful that none of them fell down in the night (we used command strips and I am far from confident in them).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. Taco night! Derick cooked a pork shoulder in the crock pot earlier this week and we shredded it and used it in tacos last night. Amazing. Especially with his guacamole and creamy lime slaw. So good!!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. Waking up to a clean house. For a while we were putting off doing the dishes after dinner until the morning, but it is SO much nicer to wake up to a clean kitchen than it is to wake up to half an hour of scrubbing dried food off of dishes. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">6. For poutine and making dirty jokes about it with Raymi. The Tap House Grill that we go to for cheap beer every Monday recently added it to their menu and it is amazing (fries, gravy, and cheese curds. What could be better?!)! It always makes me think of Raymi because she introduced me to it for the first time on one of our Pike Place trips last year. I don't know who came up with the word "poutine" but it sounds dirty even though all it is is delicious.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">7. That I got Derick hooked on Temple Run 2 on the iPad. It's hilarious to watch him play because his reactions when he loses or has a close call are just so funny. It's almost better than playing the game myself!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">8. For Heather's help with a table in Word that I couldn't quite figure out. I hate tables in Word. I feel like they created Excel so that no one would ever have to bother with a table in Word again, so when I have to use them I get upset and it makes me want to drink. Heather saved my smoothie from tequila the other morning by offering to fix the table for me, and for this I am very thankful! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">9. Craft night with Jenna. Maybe we'll actually craft this time! :)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">10. For carpet cleaner. Having 3 pets I really should buy stock in the stuff. It's crazy how often we end up needing to use it even though our pets are all house trained. </span></div>
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JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199883080248830605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-38575154650178136642013-09-30T08:08:00.001-07:002013-09-30T08:08:39.325-07:00September 30th, 2013 - JJ<span style="background-color: black; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: white;">1. For puppy play dates. Ripley got lots of time with Ben this weekend and even got some time with a new friend, Alton. I'm also thankful that Ripley helped Ben and Alton to get along better for a few hours. I'm so used to hearing about how she's caused problems, so it was really nice to have her be part of a solution. :) </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. Zucchini "lasagne". SO delicious and also not too bad for you (except for the ridiculous amount of olive oil in the pasta sauce we made.....oh well!). Very thankful to have left overs for this week and that there's another batch in the freezer for an easy meal on a day when we don't feel like cooking.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. My espresso machine and salted caramel sauce. My mornings are delicious.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. For lots of movie dates this weekend. We saw Don Jon and Prisoners, both of which were really good.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. For adorable babies. I got to see week old Alexandria Grace yesterday and she is so stinkin' cute!! Can't wait till I get to see her again. And her parents are pretty awesome, too. :)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">6. For the pumpkin Derick bought me so we can get our house decorated for Halloween! It's so pretty! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">7. For all the veggies and squash Derick also bought for me. I loooooove Butternut squash and I'm excited to try some new Spaghetti squash recipes. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">8. That we started moving on unpacking the rest of our boxes. Yesterday we tackled the two giant ones that have been sitting in front of/next to my desk and it's so nice to have extra space in my work area today! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">9. For an extra morning of getting to wake up slowly and snuggle with Derick. Unfortunately this only happened this morning because Derick isn't feeling well and stayed home sick from work, but it was still a nicer way to wake up on a Monday than usual.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">10. For FaceTime. Got to talk with Pam and Kelly on FaceTime this weekend while my parents were at their place for dinner. I miss them! It was so nice to be able to see their smiling faces and chat even if it was only for a few minutes. </span></div>
JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199883080248830605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-46782899785922719782013-09-25T19:55:00.001-07:002013-09-25T19:55:22.750-07:00September 25th - Heather1. A small group collaboration evening that was both fun and productive....okay, maybe we could have been a bit more productive, but we all made progress so I call it a win!<div><br></div><div>2. The discounted car wash when filling up my gas tank....I love it when Sadie is sparkly clean!</div><div><br></div><div>3. The look on Alice's face when I came home tonight. She was perched at the top of the loft stairs looking at me like yeah, so where have you been all night! I'm here and ready for bed.....which really translates to ready to chomp on your fingers while we play the feline version of dancing phalanges!</div><div><br></div><div>4. Using coconut oil as face wash. I've been using it for quite awhile now and I'm still pretty amazed at how well it works.</div><div><br></div><div>5. The yummy cupcakes that Mary Beth brought in yesterday in honor of my birthday. So malicious and delicious! :)</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09849748551375778968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-510493623144209902013-09-24T08:36:00.003-07:002013-09-24T08:36:28.294-07:00September 24th, 2013 - JJ<span style="background-color: black; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: white;">1. For the new iOS7. I hated it at first and it definitely took some getting used to, but now I feel like I have a brand new phone which is pretty fun. :) I changed my lock screen and home screen photos so now every time I get to look at my phone I get a little excited. Sometimes it's the small things in life.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. That Derick took Ripley to daycare for me today. Helped me get a lot more done this morning than I would have otherwise.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. For the oreo peanut butter I made from a pinterest recipe. It's so good on apples, guys. So good!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. For books. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. For having a very productive morning.</span></div>
JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199883080248830605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-3831352177633499602013-09-23T10:49:00.002-07:002013-09-23T10:49:31.696-07:00September 23rd, 2013 - JJ<span style="background-color: black; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: white;">1. For new jeans and boots. Fall is coming (even if the weather refuses to give in), and it is nice to know I'll have appropriate footwear (like boots that don't have holes that let all the rain and melted snow right into my socks). :) It's also nice to have jeans that don't have holes in them again.</span></span><div style="font-family: arial;">
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. For Outlet malls and sales. I spent a lot less than I thought I would have for the jeans and boots I got.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. For my phone. Without it I wouldn't be able to keep up with friends who are so far away. I live for catch up phone dates these days. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. For getting to visit Abe & his wife in the hospital after they had their baby this weekend. Alexandria is the cutest little thing!! Also thankful that mom and baby are healthy and recovering well.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. For time with the Utigards. I got to babysit twice last week and I have so much fun with those kids. Makes me miss Dane, though! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">6. For the long flowy cardigan Derick got me. Definitely feels like fall when I wear it. :) </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">7. Falling asleep to the sound of the crickets outside. It's not as good as the frogs and/or rain in Seattle, but I'll take it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">8. For this: http://www.buzzfeed.com/tabathaleggett/18-jokes-only-harry-potter-fans-will-find-funny thanks to Heather! :)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">9. For my Halloween coffee mug. Don't care that it's not October yet, I'm using it every day.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">10. For my dad's idea that maybe they'll make a Dexter movie. I was so disappointed by the finale. The hope for a movie to right the wrongs is helping me recover. :) </span></div>
<br />JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199883080248830605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-65192278902248294182013-09-19T14:34:00.000-07:002013-09-19T14:34:01.198-07:00Sept 19th - Heather1. Pumpkin cream cheese. Yummmm<br />
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2. Apple Crumb muffins from Costco...especially with pumpkin cream cheese on them!<br />
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3. I crocheted up a little hat for a coworker's daughter. Kendall is 3 and battling Leukemia. I get to give it to her father tomorrow to take to her!<br />
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4. Gatorade. I don't necessarily like the flavor....although they've gotten much more palatable as of late....but I've been feeling a little out of sorts and the gatorade is helping a little bit today.</div>
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5. 5k Training....not that I'm looking to<em> run</em> a 5K any time soon. But a group of colleagues were getting together to train for a 5k that the university hosts and I decided it was the perfect opportunity to work on establishing a habit for moving! I'm plugging my way through, I feel like I'm dragging, hence the gatorade! But I'm still working on it.</div>
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6. Bonuses since it's been so long since my last entry....my mom has moved into a new position within the same organization and her name was selected by a local radio station for lunch for her and 25 coworkers. When she came home last night (well, really when I got home from class), she was telling me that the lunch was a ton of fun and that afterward she sent a 5 Things email to her coworkers. It warmed my heart to hear her tell me about the things she was thankful for and the things that her coworkers responded with. </div>
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Momma said it best: "We just spend so much time focusing on the negative...it feels good to think about the positive things." Some days I struggle to come up with 5 specific things that I'm thankful for. Sometimes it's because I dismiss the little things (like waking up that morning), and sometimes it's becuase I have a hard time clearing out the mental clutter and focusing on the positive. </div>
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7. I have two coworkers with loved ones in the hospital and I've been glued to their CaringBridges sites! While neither are out of the woods....they are both making small steps forward every day and it lifts my heart and breaks my heart all at the same time.</div>
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8. My knees and my feet haven't given up on me! They're not necessarily happy with me either, but that's what epsom salt is for, right?</div>
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9. That someone from IT was able to run across campus and fix a funky settings glitch that was preventing a powerpoint presentation from being displayed on the screen. I tend to the be the think of everything assistant...but when I saw a second monitor earlier with the cord wrapped around it's base, it didn't occur to me that it was connected and that its addition could have altered the operability of the system. But it's currently working, just in time for their meeting and I know how to fix it in the future if the defaults change with every unique login.</div>
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10. I finally washed all of the campfire out of my hair...I think. I liked the smell, don't get me wrong. But it was just creepy after awhile. I was in Mackinac with friends two weeks ago and we stayed at a cabin near the water and lit campfires. And my hair has continued to smell of campfire, despite numerous washings, for two weeks! Now I know what to expect next time....be forewarned if you see me at a campfire...don't be alarmed if I'm wearing a showercap!</div>
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And on that note....what are you thankful for today?</div>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09849748551375778968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-1541385239875389982013-09-18T08:24:00.001-07:002013-09-18T08:24:09.167-07:00September 18th 2013 - JJ<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I missed a day so you get a double dose this morning:</span><br />
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1. Doggie Daycare. Ripley is pacing the floors. My baby needs to run and she'll get to play today AND tomorrow.</div>
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2. Coffee. Coffee, coffee, coffee in my coffee, coffee. COFFEE! </div>
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3. That my video conference for work this morning was cancelled. I'd like my house to be in slightly better order before my coworkers get to see it!</div>
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4. That Derick and I managed to get through over half of the current season of Dexter last night. I think we may actually be able to catch up before the series finale on Sunday after all!</div>
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5. Buffalo Wild Wings' Tuesday special: Traditional wings for $0.60 each. They are so delicious!</div>
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6. Good books. I just finished The Cuckoo's Calling by J.K. Rowling and it was awesome! I love when a mystery can keep me on my toes until the very end.</div>
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7. Sunshine. Unfortunately the weather is supposed to heat up today, but at least it's sunny.</div>
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8. That Derick bought the quick release ibuprofen gel caps even though they're more expensive than the regular kind. It is so worth it!!</div>
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9. Temple Run 2. It's such a stupid game, but I'm finding myself as addicted to it as I used to be to bejeweled. Trouble!</div>
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10. For the awesome time we had at the WildFire beer dinner on Monday. I'm pretty sure we were the youngest people there, but we had a lot of fun talking to the people at our table and I think we'll end up signing up for more of the dinners in the future. </div>
JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199883080248830605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-70515462498414735952013-09-16T08:30:00.002-07:002013-09-16T08:30:09.020-07:00September 16th, 2013 - JJ<span style="background-color: black; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: white;">1. That it finally feels like fall!! The temperature cooled off and we got some rain. Derick even agreed that it's time to turn the AC off. I'm hoping the weather stays cool for a good while before getting cold. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. Mom, you won't believe this one, but I'm thankful for yard work. I actually really enjoyed doing yard work with Derick on Saturday. All we did was mow the grass, pull one million weeds, and get the cob webs off the side of the house, but it was shockingly fun just because we did it together. Three cheers for team work!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. That Michigan survived the game on Saturday. I don't really want to talk about it, but I'm glad they won.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. Pumpkin everything. We drank lots of pumpkin beers and got a pumpkin spice candle for the house. I love fall!! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. Brunch with friends on Sunday. It was so nice to sit at a table full of friends and laugh and eat together. I need this in my life so much more frequently! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">6. "The World's End" which is the new Simon Pegg/Nick Frost movie. So funny! I love those guys! Now I've got to find time to rewatch Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">7. For a husband who is happy to go outside in the rain to get the heavy dog food bag out of the car and carry it inside for me because I forgot to bring it in. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">8. That Derick has so much fun teaching Ripley new tricks/commands. We worked on "roll over" this weekend and it was crazy how fast my smart little puppy picked it up! We should really be doing training every day.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">9. The dog park. Ripley ran herself out on Saturday with Benny and some new friends. She was so tired that she slept until 9 the next morning, which NEVER happens. It was amazing.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">10. For our house. Saturday we got to do so many things that we couldn't do in an apartment, even though a lot of those things were work. Mowing the yard and weeding are a price I'm happy to pay so that we can spend the day outside with Ripley, cook on the grill, and hand wash the cars in the drive way. It's so nice to open all the windows in the house and not have to deal with the noise pollution you get in the city. The extra privacy is so nice and the peace of mind that comes with living in a safe neighborhood is priceless. I am so thankful to be living in the suburbs.</span></div>
JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199883080248830605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-13126099340071636772013-09-13T08:27:00.002-07:002013-09-13T08:27:38.018-07:00September 13th, 2013 - JJ<span style="background-color: black; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: white;">1. That this insurance nightmare is just about figured out. By the end of today I shouldn't have to worry about it anymore. Hurray!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. Vanilla Chai Cupcakes with Chai Cream Cheese Frosting. For breakfast. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. It's FRIDAY! about time!!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. Cool-ish weather. The high for today is 70 and all of Chicago is sad except for me. I want to spend all day outside.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. For having maintained a clean kitchen and a clean litter box this week. It's so nice to wake up and not have to immediately start cleaning the kitchen, and it's also really nice to clean the litter box when the last time you cleaned it was yesterday or the day before and not a week ago. It goes so much faster that way! and happy kitties make for happy kitty mommies. </span></div>
JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199883080248830605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-9510613893664795422013-09-11T08:32:00.004-07:002013-09-11T08:32:47.328-07:00September 11th, 2013 - JJ<span style="background-color: black; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: white;">1. For Ripley. I know she's a handful for other people when they have her, but for us at home she's been nearly angelic lately. For the last day or two we've been watching out for her to engage in some behaviors that our trainer pointed out to us so that we can correct her and improve her independent play/calming skills but she hasn't engaged in those behaviors once yet. Granted, she was at doggie daycare all day yesterday so we've had limited opportunity but still. Hopefully I'll get some good training time today while I work from home.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. My work from home day. I am so behind on paperwork so I'm glad I stuck to my guns and took my work from home day today instead of going in to the office. I need to figure out how to adjust my schedule so I get all of my work from home time on a regular basis. Being behind is no fun!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. For the internet. I'm putting together recipes for dinner tonight and the internet makes that process so much easier! :)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. That I get to hang out with Jenna and Ben tonight! Girl time is the best! Ripley is excited to spend some time with her man Benny, too!! :)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. For the vanilla chai cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream frosting that we will be making tonight. Jenna sent me the recipe yesterday and they look so good that I dreamt about them last night! Figured that was a sign that I need to bake them asap!!</span></div>
JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199883080248830605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-222444881934053242013-09-10T06:58:00.000-07:002013-09-10T06:58:05.507-07:00September 10th, 2013 - JJ<span style="background-color: black; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: white;">1. That the roof guys worked fairly quietly and didn't wake me up this morning. Half the roof on the garage was off before I got out of bed and I had no idea they were even here!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. For Starbucks. I forgot that we are out of soy milk so I can't make a latte at home this morning. Shucks, guess I'll have to get a pumpkin spice latte on my way to work.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. For pictures. I really need to get our frames up so I can fill them with new photos!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. For having a dishwasher. I can't imagine having to do all of our dishes by hand every day.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. For dog daycare. Ripley needs to run and momma needs to work. Looking forward to a tired puppy when I get home.</span></div>
JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199883080248830605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-91627732395135505062013-09-09T21:56:00.001-07:002013-09-09T21:56:28.125-07:00September 9th - Heather1. The love and greetings that came from everyone for my birthday. Thank you all so much!<div><br></div><div>2. For the lovely gifts from JJ and Derick! The pictures may just be physical things, but they capture a memory that means the world to me. And the coffee handbook is a ton of fun to flip through!</div><div><br></div><div>3. My health and that of my family. I have two coworkers each with a loved one in a hospital fighting for their life tonight. It's a heart breaking reminder that life is fragile and each day is a gift! My heart and prayers are with your families and will continue to be.</div><div><br></div><div>4. A great weekend getaway with fam and friends. Rented a cabin in Mackinaw City for a few days...explored Mackinac Island by day...worked like crazy to keep a campfire burning in the fire pit by night. There may or may not have also been a rendition of Somewhere Out There sang to the stars...</div><div><br></div><div>5. The start of the semester....only three classes stand between my masters and me (one class this fall and two classes this spring). I was only marginally productive over the summer without deadlines. So I'm ready to put my writing cap on and get to work!</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09849748551375778968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-18417036456418295222013-09-03T07:09:00.001-07:002013-09-03T07:09:31.501-07:00September 3rd, 2013 - JJ<span style="background-color: black; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: white;">1. For coffee. I'm still trying not to drink it every day but it's pretty amazing when I do drink it. Also thankful for pumpkin spice lattes which are available now at Starbucks. Had my first one yesterday. YUM! Now if only the weather would cooperate it could really be early fall! :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. Pesto. Derick and I made homemade pesto for the first time last night and it was amazing. I can't wait to dig into the rest of it! Now I just need to learn how to make amazing homemade bread to go with it!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. For a short work week. I'm getting pretty excited to head out to Mackinac Island this weekend with Heather and Kathy! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. For Doggie Depot, Ripley's new daycare place. It's less than 5 minutes away and she comes home wiped out every time! And she really needs it today. She's been bouncing off the walls since yesterday afternoon. I'm excited to come home to a sleepy puppy tonight!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. That I've finally figured out a way to make printing several behavior plans double sided on my cheap little printer go faster. Print all the odd pages together with the signature sheet first, then print the even pages rather than doing one page at a time. It's still taken me an hour to get 20 plans printed, but it could be worse. Saving the trees is hard work! Maybe I should just suck it up and start paying for 3G on my iPad so I only have to print the signature page...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">6. An extra today: I am so thankful for Heather. I really couldn't imagine living here in Chicago without her close by in Milwaukee. Wish it was closer, but I'll take a 2 hour drive over an expensive plane ticket any day! She's always there when I need someone to talk to or when I need a weekend escape. She knows me better than I know myself and is great at comforting me when I'm down but also holding me accountable. My sista from anotha mista!! :) Love you! Happy Birthday!!!!</span></div>
JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199883080248830605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-64257484000044097332013-09-02T06:47:00.002-07:002013-09-02T06:47:56.924-07:00September 2nd, 2013 - JJ<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1. For Trader Joe's and all of their delicious, good food. It's awesome to have healthy, organic choices at an affordable price. Especially peaberry coffee!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />2. For Jenna, who watched Roo while we were at the Michigan game this weekend. Ripley can get a little out of control when there's another dog around, so I'm glad both Jenna and Benny (Ripley's betrothed) are willing to put up with her for extended periods of time. Nice to know she's well loved but not getting away with too much craziness while we're away!<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. That it's football season again! I'm very thankful that my parents give us tickets to a game or two at Michigan stadium every year. We've been sitting in the same seats since I was a kid so it feels like </span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">home. :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">4. The amazing shoes I found at the Goodwill store yesterday. They are perfect witch shoes, but are also really cute and I will be able to wear them to work too! We also found a cauldron and two plastic champagne flutes with skeleton hands for stems that are perfect for the "potions table" I'm going to set up. Further thankful for the awesome broom my dad bought me at Cracker Barrel on our way home from Michigan. It starts cackling and moving around when you walk past it. It's amazing!! I can't wait for Halloween this year!! (I may or may not put that broom together this week and just keep it out until Halloween because it makes me happy...)<br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">5. For puppy snuggles. I'm amazed every day that I can love a dog this much. </span>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199883080248830605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-66794593743870391492013-08-30T07:41:00.003-07:002013-08-30T07:41:30.172-07:00August 30th, 2013 - JJ<span style="background-color: black; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: white;">It's been a long long time! I am setting out on a mission to get back in the habit of sending these daily! </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">1. For the bottle of body spray that I keep on my night stand. It helps make the room smell nice again after anyone (husband, dog, either of the cats) let's one rip. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. For AAA who came to my aid and put the spare tire on my car after I got a flat last night so that I didn't have to figure out how to do it myself.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. That our replacement espresso machine makes perfect delicious espresso every time.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. That my dad is in town for work and staying with us. it's nice to have him around!!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. For the water proof bed liners we bought after Ripley peed on the bed several months ago when my brother was visiting. Because guess who decided to do it again now that my dad is visiting? Also thankful for the many websites that say this behavior is actually your dog's way of showing preference and protection for the person who sleeps in the bed they peed on. That makes it less upsetting than thinking she's mad at us. Still not happy about it, but it could be worse.</span></div>
JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199883080248830605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-18119518134148470172013-07-31T19:56:00.001-07:002013-07-31T19:56:48.687-07:00July 31st - Heather1. I'm thankful for the new, very powerful fan in my room making it so much easier to sleep through these cool, but humid nights.<div><br></div><div>2. I successfully cooked my first lasagna....without any flaming incidents! Nothing caught on fire and everything came out quite delicious!</div><div><br></div><div>3. The imaging tech who had the wherewithal to verify instead of just doing what was in the computer!</div><div><br></div><div>4. The joy of getting that first issue of a magazine subscription...right before the little voice in the back of my head asks me when, exactly, I'm thinking I have the time to read this new monthly magazine! And the two or three others that are on the way!</div><div><br></div><div>5. The website that allowed me to turn airline miles that were about to expire into magazine subscriptions!</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09849748551375778968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4682530711800897563.post-34904020747416422822013-07-16T05:53:00.003-07:002013-07-16T05:53:37.813-07:00July 16th, 2013 - JJ<span style="background-color: black; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: white;">1. For my espresso machine! My homemade lattes aren't nearly as good as Dad's but hopefully I'll get there someday. :) Would probably also help if I got my hands on some Sanders hot fudge...</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. That Ripley is now good enough at walking on a leash that we made it through a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood this morning without her tripping me and without my arm getting tired from pulling her back. I'm also very thankful that she doesn't seem at all distracted by the suburban wildlife we encounter. Apparently bunnies and squirrels are very boring, but other dogs are SO EXCITING!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. That I actually got up and out of bed AND dressed early enough to be able to take Ripley for a 30 minute walk this morning. Usually I hit snooze way too many times and then lounge around in my pajamas for a while and end up missing my opportunity. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. For Central A/C. I truly don't know how we lived without it for so many years. It's the best thing ever (especially when coming home from a 30 minute early morning walk when it's already crazy humid outside)!!!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. For a husband who not only cooks dinner, but also packs me a lunch made up of yummy dinner left overs. I get to have shrimp risotto for lunch today! It will probably be the highlight of my day since I'll be all over town for work all day long, and won't make it home in time for dinner tonight. </span></div>
JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199883080248830605noreply@blogger.com0