Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving! The turkeys are in the crockpots, the house is ready for guests (almost), I have a cup of coffee, and I slept until 10:30 am. It's shaping up to be a good one! Since Hubs is gone this year, my other temporarily single friends are joining me for a pajama potluck. I can't wait for Laurie's cranberry sauce, Ann's cheesecake, Mindy's rolls, Carma's dessert, Sunny's cassarole, etc. Potlucks are my absolute favorite. I seriously adore them.

Since our first year together, Hubs and I have celebrated Thanksgiving as "our" holiday. This is the first time in 8 years that we won't be together. But instead of being sad, I'm looking forward to relaxing with friends that I can depend on, who are going through the same thing I am, who have become my family here in Germany. I just hope hubs gets a little turkey and stuffing for dinner!

Right when he left this fall, I started a nightly list of things I'm grateful for. Each night when I crawl into bed, I list five things that have brightened my day or made me happy. Doing so has changed my outlook, and I truly feel that I'm happier and better able to let the little annoyances roll off my back. Some days it's easier than others to come up with five whole things to be grateful for, but I promise that it's worth it. Last night's list?

1. Grateful that I got a new phone so I can call family and friends tomorrow to tell them I love them.
2. Harvest spice latte!
3. Pesto spaghetti for dinner with Laurie.
4. Talking to my dad on the phone.
5. Buying a plane ticket so I can go home to see my family in December!

Todays list will probably look something like this:

1. Sleeping in and relaxing in the morning with coffee and the (electronic) New York Times.
2. An amazing German castle apartment big enough to welcome friends for dinner.
3. Hubs, safe and loving me on the other side of the world.
4. The best parents and siblings in the world- seriously, I challenge you to find better ones.
5. The health and happiness of my family and in-laws.

Your turn!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

It's Been Awhile, Hasn't It?

Sorry, y'all. I know I've been MIA, but this job and the Holiday Bazaar and babysitting and a general state of exhaustion have kept me from logging on and trying to come up with something witty. I'm pretty sure this post will NOT rank among my best, but I'll go with it.

Even though the weather is still in the 50s F around here, local shops have begun to decorate for Christmas. The butcher and shoe store and florist all put lights and ribbons and pointsettas up, and it makes me so happy to pass their shops on the way to and from work. I'm a sucker for Christmas decorations (disclosure: I don't really celebrate CHRISTmas, as you might have guessed. I celebrate turkey and family time and snow). I just found out I'm going home for the holidays and I couldn't be more thrilled. It's been 3 years since I did so, and more since my siblings and I were all there at once. Too long! I plan on lounging around, eating a lot, catching up with my grandparents, and seeking out the perfect milkshake, which is hard to come by around here.

But first? Finding that perfect ticket, which could take all day!

Dog Whisperer? Scoff! I'm the Car Juggler!

I am currently in possession of THREE cars, and it's all up to me to make sure they're in running condition. Doesn't sound difficult? Scoff, you say? Herewith, proof that I am the car juggler.

Aside from my car, I'm watching Hubs' (of course) while he's on extended "vacation," and my friend's, while she's on real vacation in the states. The weather turned chilly here, so I have to start and drive both at least once a week to make sure they don't die (well, let's face it- Laurie's car is new and could sit for longer than that, but it's also a very nice car that I like to drive...).

Here's where the fun begins- I was driving Laurie's car on Tuesday, and I went to exchange it with my own. My car promptly died in the parking lot of the post office not five minutes later (Awesome! battery died, which means no locking the doors. Sweet!), so I had to walk back to where Laurie's was parked in order to get back to work before my lunch hour ran out. I arranged a tow truck to a (semi)reputable auto garage, mostly because the garage was convenient and the car would get out of the way of all the disgruntled postal customers.

Anyway, I had to arrange for Hubs' car, which was at a friend's house, to be dropped off near my office so I could drive that in case mine was in the shop for a long time, and tonight I had to go pick up my car (cheap repairs, thank god!), drop it off at Hubs' office so it would be out of the way, walk back to the other car, and drive home. Who knows when I'll get both Hubs' and my car home, but it's not going to be tomorrow...or the next day. Oh, well.

Now I'll sit back and let all the compliments roll in. Pretty great maneuvering, right?

In Case the "Real Work" Thing Doesn't Pan Out...

It has always been my dream to be a metalsmith, own a small jewelry bench, and make a small line of baubles. My wonderful parents gifted me a wax casting kit for my birthday, and I carved a ring and pendant and shipped them off to a jeweler in FL to be cast (metal poured in the shape of your wax...in this case, it was lost wax casting, which means the final product is a one-of-a-kind). My pieces arrived in the mail yesterday, and I'm tickled!

The caster did a wonderful job, and I love them. Great way to start the week!

Around the Schloss

Cross country season finished last weekend, which means I get to sleep in on Saturdays now (hooray!). It also means no more days with funny high schoolers or really inspiring finishes at meets.

Last week we went to Waterloo, Belgium (as in Napoleon) for a meet against a bunch of private, international schools and one Army school. The scenery was amazing- it must have been peak weekend for the leaves. The course was fantastic, and I would have traded places with the runners in an instant for a chance to race amid the trees and past the palace.

See what I mean? Back in the day, when I competed in high school (almost ten years ago...), we ran on golf courses and around school buildings. Bor-ing!

What a great way to spend a fall Saturday.

Weekend Scoff

When did those family stickers on cars become so popular? Why would you WANT the world to know that you've got three kids and a dog named Bo? Or, more importantly, why in the world would you jazz up your light blue mini-van with three pictures of dachshunds and the words "Pet my wiener" written above them?

Stay classy, folks. Scoff.

Oh, Blessed Day of Sleeping In...

Let's hear it for my Sunday!! [woot woot!] I got to sleep in for the first time in a week today, and I so loved it. My first week of work was great, and the cross country meet was fun (and super cold) yesterday, but it was amazing to sleep past 6:30am today.

So far I love work, but like any new job the first several weeks consist of realizing just exactly how little you know. It's always overwhelming to be asked questions by customers and have no valuable information to pass along. This job is a whole nutha beast, too, since I work for the Feds and have to learn new acronyms and a completely different system. I feel a lot like I did my first month at the Arizona Coaltion Against Domestic Violence, when my awesome co-worker Kendra had her hands full with teaching me all the bills and legislators that I needed to know (Hi Kendra!).

On my first day I dug out my suit and heels, and at noon I was still feeling pretty good about walking in heels and being a business woman. By three pm I was feeling a little sore from my knees down, and later, when I stayed to help with an evening program, I was in serious pain and cursed my decision to wear anything other than sneakers out of the house. I guess it'll take a little getting used to again...and I'm now in the market for comfortable heels (an oxymoron?). Send suggestions my way!

Looking forward to that first paycheck (and the next day I get to sleep in!).