Thankful Thursday

I feel like I live in this ridiculous place. Last time I was running in my neighbourhood, I saw champagne bottles (nice ones!) along the side of the road, and thought it was so odd. Because normally you see like...crushed Budweiser cans in a ditch or something, but never anything of higher quality. So then on my walk the other day, I HAD to take a picture of this. Because I've seen old beat up shoes on the side of the road, or hanging from phone lines...but I've never seen a nice, freshly polished Kenneth Cole Reaction shoeon the side of the road. How bizarre.

I also saw these lovely flowers on the same walk, and decided to take a pic because they were just so pretty and I can't get over the unique colours on each flower. I love this time of year!

Among other things:

1. I'm thankful for a beautiful, safe place to walk and run and bike. I love our neighbourhood.
2. I'm thankful for good health. I've been a bit out of sorts for a couple weeks physically, and it was killing me. I woke up today feeling totally back to normal. Thank goodness!
3. I'm thankful for my job. I'm thankful that I can be open with my boss, and that there is mutual respect there. It's a good thing.
4. I'm thankful for this week being almost over! It's Nolan's week of night shifts, so we literally haven't seen each other all week, even though he I leave for work at 6:15am and he gets home around then, and I get home around 5:30pm and he leaves around then. We've been like ships passing in the night. So sad.
5. I'm thankful for warm weather again! I got tired of just two weeks of colder weather recently, even though I'm sure I'll be looking forward to that in a few months!

What are you thankful for?

Thankful Thursday

Last night I went to meet some friends at The Dish, and while I was driving I noticed the horrendous traffic (atypical for our area) and people camped along the road in folding chairs. There were security guards every 50 feet, and random signs along the road that said no parking on 5/23 between 4-8pm. It took me waaaayy too long to figure out that this is what happens when Obama comes to our neighbourhood. Which has happened a few times since we've lived here (1 year). So I got the the dish super late because of traffic, and there was NO parking....so half an hour later I jog up and meet my friends and I'm telling you, I would not be so gracious as they were when I was like, "oh, no parking...and obama...traffic...". Sounds like a bunch of BS to me, and I know it was all true.

And so the 3-day weekend is upon us, and I have...no plans. Nolan has one day off this weekend, so we're going to live it up (most likely) by doing something really amazing and fun (or more likely catching up on Game of Thrones in our pjs eating blueberries). And yet: that sounds a little bit like heaven. Because I haven't been sleeping hardly at all, and I need a mini-vacay again already, and c'mon, who doesn't like blueberries? I'm thinking pancakes for breakfast, and what the hell: we might even use REAL SUGAR.

So I'm pretty excited about that, among other things:

1. I'm thankful for that 3-day weekend (can I stress this enough?!). 'Nuff said.
2. I'm thankful for fun dates and double-dates with friends! Nothing better than good times with good people.
3. I'm thankful that Milo's finally growing up. He's been IMPOSSIBLE lately. No longer would sleep at night, was always making noise, and clawing at things more. The positives were that he was biting less (thank you, Harley?) and he was SUPER affectionate all the time. Like, throwing himself at me while purring loudly and coaxing me to pet him instead of sleeping. After 20 minutes of that I would throw the covers off me, bellow, "that's IT!" and toss him into his room to sleep alone. Confused about if I'm talking about a cat or a biological child? Me too sometimes.
4. I'm thankful that Nolan's only on this tough rotation for 3 weeks, and then it should be mostly easy street for awhile! We hope. I like having him home when I get home.
5. I'm thankful for safety. I feel like I've read an awful lot lately about people who live in unsafe areas or conditions and how they're constantly in fear...and I realize how lucky I am. And how free. And it's a beautiful feeling I should never, ever take for granted.

What are you thankful for?

they done took our sheep

I feel like spring is rapidly morphing into summer. I think I've said that before about the weather, but my attitude is now on the bandwagon. I think about grilling and lemonade and how to get near water and sun on the weekends. It means more relaxation and slipping into the second half of the year and getting a little closer to being able to use pumpkin in recipes again. I like that I can think about wearing sundresses and flip flips instead of jackets and boots. Even when I go out in the evenings, it's nice and warm. Last night I went to bible study wearing my new favourite thing, my mint jeans! They're probably a size too big but they were the LAST pair in stock and I HAD to have them because they make me feel spring-y:

(My feet aren't quite that tiny - it's just the camera angle.)

I've also noticed that like last year, the sheep in the pasture next to our house have disappeared again. Apparently they take them in May and move them somewhere else during the hot summer. They'll be back around October, but I already miss hearing them in the mornings and watching them graze lazily all day.

I am SO looking forward to a long weekend for Memorial Day! I'm thinking BBQ, bocce, sunbathing, riding bikes to froyo...does that sound amazing to anyone else?

Not quite new car smell...

This morning, my BART car had these little stickers all over it when it pulled up:

Naturally, I'd assume this meant nice new seats, but I think it was more of a temporary fix to the decades-old cloth ones, that often had big stains (yikes) and broken springs. However, these new seats are more like cheap vinyl taped to a worn out cushion. It's like toilet seat-protectors: it might look cleaner but the same crap is underneath. Same basic seats, just a little shinier:

Nice try, BART, but I'm still waiting for the new cars you're buying in like 10 years. Interesting fact: did you know that BART has the oldest fleet (of cars) in the country?


Nolan and I were thinking we'd have an awesome relaxing evening yesterday, and then we ended up doing some major spring cleaning. We went through all of our storage in the garage, and threw away massive amounts of stupid stuff. Including a 24-pack of baked beans that expired like 2 years ago. Why we carted that here from SF, I'll never know. Plus, we don't even eat baked beans. The upside to all the work was that we now know where everything is, and if we move anytime soon, all we'll literally have to do down there is carry out plastic containers. And it's fun to rediscover stuff. We were thrilled to recover our mullet wigs and rubber Obama mask.

Thankful Thursday

I can't believe another week has flown by. Here we are at nearly the middle of 2012, and I am still trying not to write "2011" on things I sign. Sigh. At least the weather's at the peak of amazingness, and won't be crap again for several months. Except during my days at work up in the city, where it's crappy year-round. Speaking of this city, I heard on the radio this morning that SF was recently rated one of the most bikeable cities in the US. What?!? Have the people who decided that ever spent any significant amount of time in San Francisco? Because as someone who rides bikes and whose husband bikes everywhere, we can safely say it's one of the most NON-friendly places for bikers. Too many hills, way too much traffic, not nearly enough bike lanes (if any!), and when they are there, cars don't respect bikers! Anyway, that made me laugh out loud while driving this morning. C'mon, folks.

But I'm thankful I live in a very bike-friendly area now! We've been loving being able to bike comfortably in the warm weather again - no more driving to Thai food or froyo (or church!) for us! Other things I'm thankful for:

1. I'm thankful for good food. We came back from my brother's wedding weekend, and had absolutely no good food in our house. It took me three days to be able to get to the store after work because of all our plans, and when I brought that food home and was able to eat a decent breakfast this morning it was like...sigh of happiness.
2. I'm thankful for my new sister-in-law! And I'm thankful that we've gotten them both hooked on the Game of Thrones tv series. We'll get them into the books soon enough, but for now it's fun to get texts that say "winter is coming!" and "I hate the Lannisters!" from them.
3. I'm thankful for truth. Sometimes I'm a really bad student in the bible study I'm in, and I don't do the lessons for the week until that morning or I don't do them at all, and while we watch our video segment at group, I think about the peanut-butter cookies on the table. But the last couple weeks have definitely brought up some sensitive points, and made me think about things I was trying to forget about. Good to have a good group of girls to figure this out with.
4. I'm thankful for patience. I don't have a lot of it, but every so often it saves me from doing something stupid, and I thank God for that.
5. I'm thankful for my travel coffee mugs. Not to swing back to superficiality, but seriously. Coffee in my car at 6:30am while I'm driving to work is my BFF.

What are you thankful for?

mawwiage

This weekend, my brother got married:

And it was a ton of work, a lot of people, and a blazing hot sun. But it was beautiful and fun and I got a new sister out of the deal. And I haven't seen anyone look as happy as my brother and his new bride. So proud!

I'll post more pics once I get my hands on them. For now, I snagged this one from facebook, and it's not the best quality. I'd write more about the weekend, but it really was a lot of wedding stuff and then Mother's Day (love to both of my moms!) and back home. It was our own fault that we went to the casino to play craps AFTER the wedding, and are still recovering from the lack of sleep. But either way, it makes my blogging boring and tired-sounding. Stay tuned.

Thankful Thursday

Since I don't have a whole lot of time, with wedding activities taking up my time, I'll just focus on what I'm thankful for today:

1. I'm thankful the wedding is finally here! We're on a schedule, and it looks like things are going to be beautiful! I'm also excited to have a new sister-in-law...love her!
2. I'm thankful for a long weekend at home due to wedding PTO. I need a little bit of summer vacation already, and this will hit the spot.
3. I'm thankful for a chance to see family (and friends) for a few days! It's always fun to catch up with those you love and don't often get to see.
4. I'm thankful for the gorgeous weather, both at home and on the ranch. California is an amazing place, and always more so when I get to enjoy the lovely sunshine. Plus, a wedding in the rain would be rough.
5. I'm thankful for a solid group of friends around us. It's so encouraging to have people around you who constantly build you up and are always good for a laugh :)

What are you thankful for?

Tacking on the miles...

Last week was a milestone (no pun intended) for my noble steed. I can't believe my little car already has 50,000 miles on it! I've only had it for a year and a half, but I've really been getting my money's worth out of it. Well done, Mr. Darcy.


Speaking of putting on the miles, my body recently hit its own milestone. Ever since injuring my knees a couple years ago, I've had to put down the running shoes and find other ways to exercise. But I've been easing back into it the last couple months because running is WONDERFUL (can I get a hallelujah, Nate?) and I missed it. So I've happily been going to 4.2 miles without any knee pain at all, and can go a bit farther before I actually have to stop. My goal is 10 within the year, but since it's a joint issue, there really isn't anything I can do to prepare or train for that besides ice and rest. Let's cross our fingers that this is a new leaf!

For Cinco de Mayo, Noemma and I thought it would be fitting to celebrate with a lunch at Chevy's. As you know, it's the most authentic Mexican place around, so... ;)

And of course we had to take pictures as a mariachi band. With a nice cold Corona between us. Hah.

 

The rest of the day was sipping margaritas at Erin's with Nolan and Jacob, stopping by SF to celebrate birthdays and a new apartment with some friends, then coming home and crashing on the couch and watching Mad Men. If you haven't seen Mad Men, don't waste your time. If you have and you loved it, please enlighten us. We slogged through the whole first season just to give it a fighting chance, and found it entirely depressing and not riveting at all. At least there's a new episode of Game of Thrones (!!!) and Sherlock!

Thankful Thursday

Since I went to the game with work, I thought I'd have a pic or two to post from that, but alas. The weather was crappy, my hands were greasy from popcorn, and I was grouchy. So no picture. But! The weekend is here, and that makes all things good. This week has been a little more laid back than the last few, and so I feel pretty good. Date night on Wednesday with Nolan made my week as can be expected. We of course went to our usual haunt - Karakade Thai. I feel like we should have a reserved table by now, since we go so often and sit in the same place. This weekend is supposed to be beautiful weather again, and then I have a short week next week because of my brother's wedding (yay!). On that note: 1. I'm thankful for a more restful week. Even though our oven is broken (oh I didn't mention that? yeah.) and the weather's been colder. It's been nice to read with Nolan again as we eat our bowls of blueberries and cuddle with Milo. 2. I'm thankful for our BBQ. Best birthday present ever (last year)! We've been using it a lot, and now that the oven is out of commission, it's nice to have a backup way of cooking stuff. 3. I'm thankful for our home. I've been just peeking on Craigslist for awhile, and haven't found anything yet that compares. We've got a pretty sweet set-up for this area. 4. I'm thankful for my commute, even when I hate it. Because it gives me time to de-stress and collect my thoughts after work. It's long, but I get in plenty of reading and listening to music. 5. I'm thankful for a husband who listens, not just hears what I say. He's good to me beyond what I deserve, and knows what I need, when I need it. How did I get so lucky? Happy (almost) Cinco de Mayo! What are you thankful for?