Thankful Thursday

Have I mentioned that I love Thursdays? Somehow, no matter what the week looks like, the stars seem to align for all-around awesomeness on Thursdays. This morning I got up early to Skype with a friend, was wildly productive at work, and went for a super satisfying run in San Francisco near my office to mix things up. I pretty much gave myself the tour-de-SF (at least all the touristy sites) in 40 minutes or less. See, this was my loop:

And I have to admit, for as much as I complain about the weather in SF, it IS pretty perfect for running. I must have hit all the crosswalk signals at the right time, too, because the only real nuisance was dodging tourists.

I've been scheming all week to buy lunch today at my favourite spot, and let me tell you - it was more blissful that I'd hoped. This is one lunch that I eat very, very slowly, so I can savour every bite. Lo, the goodness:

Those eggplant chips are to die for. Seriously.

I also just had an appointment today after work for an hour-long massage that I found on Groupon a month ago. Man, I was stiff. A massage was JUST what I needed. Yay for pampering! I should say: I also bought one for Nolan, which he used last week. He was sore afterwards for days because the masseuse really went to town on his back. The masseuse I had today was amazing, and I'm actually even considering making another appt with her, despite not having another groupon! That's satisfaction. I feel a little bit warm and jell-o-ish right now, and I like it.

So really, I have a lot to be thankful for just today, much more so in the grand scheme of things. Let's see:

1. I'm thankful for a good, strong massage to finally get some of those knots out of my back. It's been awhile, and she had to really go at them to get my poor muscles to release. I feel like I could either sleep forever or lift a thousand pounds and run 100 miles! Feels great.
2. I'm thankful for even more flexibility at my job. Starting tomorrow, I will officially work from home each and every Friday, with the possibility of adding on more days as necessary/desired. Only 4 days a week in the office/commuting? So fantastic!
3. I'm thankful for time with Nolan. Sometimes I feel guilty for how much time I spend at home with him, and sometimes I think I seriously take it for granted/act grouchy when he's home, but when it all comes down to it: I see him a heck of a lot more this year than in the past, and I really, really like it. We've been going on a lot of fun dates, and we have a lot of fun ones coming up! Beach Blanket Babylon and the Stern Grove Festival and eating at a Thai Temple (Wat) in Berkeley are just a few of the awesome things on our calendars together this weekend.
4. I'm thankful for CrossFit. Don't laugh - it's amazing. Not only is it really fun to do and relatively flexible with my schedule, but it's also really tough - and I like the challenge. Yesterday I set some Personal Records in a few lifts, and was on this high from realizing how much stronger I've gotten since starting, and how much I can lift now! Plus, it's different every day, and I like not knowing what to expect.
5. I'm thankful for all the gift cards and monies that I got for my birthday, because now I have SO MUCH STUFF. Okay, mostly I bought a ton of workout-related stuff. And my trusty blue water bottle died, so I got a brand-new awesome pink one. But I got a few other things too, and I feel a little bit giddy going through my closet now like, "what new thing should I wear to sweat in TODAY?!". It makes me weirdly excited.

What are you thankful for?