Thanksgiving is coming

Thanksgiving is coming up fast.  This Thursday we will all gorge ourselves until we are sick on turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberries and the like.  I really like the green bean casserole, but that is besides the point.

Thanksgiving started as a tradition to remember a feast between Native Americans and the Pilgrims.  While this is a somewhat rosy picture, the point is still there.  We gather to give thanks for the year that has past.  We take time to reflect on all of the blessings in our lives and to do so with great friends and family. What could be a better gratitude exercise?

This year I have much to be thankful for.  I am healthy, I have a positive net worth, I have a lot more self worth.  I met the man.  I have the best besties a girl could ask for.  I have a new business and a new job. I have a wonderfully loving and supportive family.  I have accomplished so much personally.  I barely recognize the person I was a year ago at this time.  I am a happier and it shows. 

I try to keep a gratitude journal every day.  Each day I write down a five things that I am thankful for.  I notice that when I do this, I feel better about myself.  I realize the good things are worth concentrating on, not the little annoyances throughout the day.  I have said it before, and I still urge all of you to keep your own gratitude journal. Keep it all year, not just during Thanksgiving.  We all have things to be thankful for every day.

Back to Life

I have taken a little time off of the blog as many of you have noticed.  It has been a matter of adjusting to the new schedule, and finding the best time to do this everyday.  I think that I finally have a handle on it.  I have been feeling better than ever.  And I have been starting to reflect on all that I have accomplished this year.  I set out to be happy if it killed me.  I am happy to report that I am still alive, and I am happier than ever.

I met a wonderful man, I found a new job that is much better for me, I have traveled to several different places, I started a business, I have read many many great books (and some not so great ones too)  I have my besties, my college friends, my family and my mom.  I have so much to be thankful for.  I am healthy, I am happy and I am truly blessed.  How on Earth am I going to manage to top this year?  I cannot wait to find out.

Hitch

Today, I found Heavy D passed away.  It made me think of the song "Now That We Found Love".  That led me to the movie Hitch.

Hitch is not the best movie.  It is not the worst movie either, but Kevin James makes me laugh so hard I could cry.  Everyone has their version of Hitch.  My mom's is Home Alone.  The man has The Blues Brothers.  I would hope that you have one too.  I call it a guaranteed laugh.  I put on Hitch, and just watch Kevin James dance. 

Everyone needs a guaranteed laugh.  Mine is Hitch.

Daylight

Today is one of my favorite days of the year.  Sometimes, I like it better than Christmas.  I am talking about the end of Daylight Savings time.  I got an extra hour to sleep.  Plus, tomorrow, I will not be driving into work in the complete darkness.  Oh happy day.

Also, today brings to close the first week of the man and I's $10.00 date month.  We did not do too poorly.  Wednesday came in at about $5.00, Friday at our full $10.00 and yesterday's dinner cost $9.47. I am glad we are doing this.  It allows us to become more creative and try new places.  Yesterday we went to Senor Tacos down the street from me.  We split a massive three taco meal and found that it was the perfect amount of food for both of us.  I am excited to see what will come in the next couple of weeks.  Hopefully we can inspire others to come up with some $10.00 dates as well.

Good day sunshine

Since I have been getting up before the sun, and getting to work before the sun, I have missed it.  I do get to spend a little time with it when I leave work, but today it was a little cloudy all day.  It is funny how you take things like the sun for granted.  It is only since I have been missing the sun in the morning that I am even thinking about it. 

Despite the lack of sunshine, I had a good day.  I had a great day at the job, a wonderfully productive shopping trip after work for an upcoming vendor event for PartyLite and I have enjoyed an evening to myself.

I think I am going to go to bed dreadfully early as, alas, there is no sun now either.

Date Night!

OK so the first $10.00 date is in the books.  I roasted the $2.20 chicken, and instead of broccoli, we had spinach and couscous.  We went for a walk and watched Modern Family.  It was a great evening, and well under the $10.00 budget.

One observation that the man had, and has had before is that we do seem to be Mitchell and Cam on that show (me being the over the top Cam, and he the neurotic Mitchell).  It is funny, because virtually every couple I know can relate to one or another tv couple.  I used to fantasize myself as a Carrie Bradshaw type character, albeit with less fabulous shoes.  I can relate to Carrie on a different level though. Carrie had her girlfriends.  The show may have been named Sex and the City, but it was really about the friendship between the four women.  I am lucky to enjoy the type of relationship that those women had with my besties.  As for Cam, well, he and I both have a bit of flair for the dramatic (in fact, I am DYING to use the phrase, "Yesterday's lazy cures today's crazy" in real life) and we both enjoy nurturing our men.  I would never be caught in a shirt that had flowers embroidered on it, and I am sure that Cam would refuse to wear polka dots and skirts.  I guess no one's parallel characters are perfect.  Who is your tv alter ego?

And so it begins...

Tomorrow is the big test.  It is the first date night with the man during the $10.00 date month.  Dinner shall be a $2.08 chicken that I am going to roast along with some fresh broccoli at $0.59 a pound and couscous that I have on hand already.  So far we are under budget.  It is a good sign.  We will probably just go for a walk after dinner (hint hint, I love walks in the fall) and then watch Modern Family.  I believe that the mission will be accomplished, but you never can tell.

I am also looking at establishing goals for next year.  I have been thinking about all I have accomplished this year and looking towards what I can accomplish next year.  It is exciting but daunting.  I always seem to bite off a little more than I can chew.  This makes me feel kind of bad, like I didn't accomplish everything that I set out to.  I also realize that I set a lot of objectives last year, not goals.  Goals are objective and measurable.  Writing "take more pictures" is not.  Perhaps on January 1, I will start the 365 project that I am always talking about.  Not perhaps.  I will do it.  The goal will be written as "I will post one picture everyday in 2012 on my 365 project".  That is a goal.  See the difference?  I realize that I am ahead of the game a little bit, but it helps to get everything set and ready to go on January 1.