Genius

Today's high is a whopping 12 degrees and tonight's low is -9. Why many of you may think this is terribly cold, this has been the norm for most of the past three months here in Michigan. This winter is abnormally cold with record breaking temperatures. I have seen a snow covered ground going on four months now and our back yard has at least a foot and a half of snow/ice that seems to never want to leave. While it is nearly impossible for me to get any exercise outside due to the ice and snow, I have still been able to go to my workout classes. My dog on the other hand, is not able to run around in the yard, go for walks, or go to the field to release some energy due to this iceland. She instead would be stuck inside only to go out when she needs to go potty and constantly at my side begging for me to play with her in an enclosed space much smaller than a yard or field. This is why I believe whoever thought of the wonderful idea of dog day care is a genius! Instead of keeping her cooped up all day, I can take her to a place where she can socialize with other pups and release all that built up energy. On days when I take her I usually drop her off on my way to work and pick her up on my way home. When we get home, she runs right to her food bowl, begs for me to feed her, eats, and then passes out. Doggie day care is not only good for her but it helps me relax knowing I will have a chance to unwind after a long day instead of chasing my dog around the house with her toys in hopes to wear her down before bed. While I greatly appreciate dog day care I would really prefer a snow/ice free field with bearable temperatures to run my dog in. Hurry up warm weather!

Solitude

Often throughout my day today I contiplated as to what my blog should be about. I am grateful for much throughout each day but was not at all sold on any of my ideas. Due to a stressful day at work, I decided to leave early. After arriving home and stepping into my house, it dawned on me...complete and utter silence. No sounds of the TV playing Sports Center, rattling of pots & pans as my husband makes dinner, and absolutely no voices...just complete and utter silence. As I made my way in the door I sat on my couch (pet Amber) and just sat there. I then realized that I could not recall the last time I heard the sound of absolutely nothing. I cannot recall the last time I was able to just sit in peace. After a few busy weeks of being nonstop on the go this feeling simply struck me as odd. Over the past few weeks my work days have consisted of me getting up at 6am, going to work, going to kickboxing after work, arriving home around 8pm (typically to my husband cooking dinner and Sports Center blasting on the television), taking a shower, then doing laundry (or what ever chores needed to be done), doing dishes after dinner, conversating with my husband about our day, and finally making it to bed around 11:00 every night. My weekends have been just as hectic with me having to work, chores, errands needing to be ran, but tonight... tonight was different. I did not go to kickboxing as I canceled early in the day due to not feeling well, left work early, and came home to my husband being out of town. As I sit here writing this blog in a world of silence, no distractions, no one to answer to, I appreciate this time alone. I do not get this opportunity often but I appreciate the solitude. When I finish this blog I will probably go pour myself a cocktail and do some laundry, maybe listen to some music but throughly enjoy the peace.

Post-it notes

My work day started just as any other... I arrive at the office, check my email, and then my voicemails. As I am checking my last message my supervising attorney comes to my desk and realized I was on the phone. He picked up my post-it note pad and began to write. As I hang up my phone he hands me the post-it and says "I mean it". I'm truely grateful to have such a great boss that appreciates and acknowledges the work I do. It is always good to know you are appreciated even if it is written on a post-it.

Call Me Crazy....

The morning commute.

I am thankful for my morning commute. Each day I go to work at an offensive hour, in doing so I don't have to fight any traffic and am only on the road with serious go-get 'em drivers. I don't run into the common a-hole riding in the left lane going 55 mph on 285 and there are hardly any big rigs.

This is only one of the many reasons while I've grown to enjoy my commute. In my profession there is no such thing as down time. None. Zilch. Zero. Even when I give an exam I'm running around like a headless chicken answering questions or easing concerns of sub-par grades.  The twenty to thirty minute commute gives me time for quiet reflection, time to myself, listen to my iPod, or talk radio; basically whatever I want.

I also use this time to figure out what the hell I'm doing with any given day when I've made lackluster lessons or what I thought would work doesn't. I'm sure there will be a time when I hope to work for a school right in my backyard or eventually move closer to my school, but for now this commute is just perfect for me. Becky swears given my both of my "serious" jobs have been in Dunwoody I'm destined to live there....I think not, we'll see. 

One.  More.  Day. 

Since we just experienced snowcation part two and I have not been back to work since last Monday I am anxious to get back into the swing of things.  I thoroughly enjoyed my snow days (Wednesday and Thursday) and am slightly peeved we didn’t have school Tuesday and Friday.  Too much idle time isn’t good for this busy bee, I accomplished nothing other than consuming too many libations, watching countless hours of the same (weather) news, and over 30 hours of House of Cards on Netflix(I’m late I just started season one in the past few days).  After all that being said; I am so thankful for my one more day off, Presidents day.  That gives me time to prepare for everything that I need to accomplish next week, a little more time for relaxation (as if I haven’t had enough), one more day to run outside in the sunlight vs. the gym and time to wrap my mind around the final stretch of the school year.  The next six weeks are the longest stretch of the school year without any three day weekends, whoa is me, these short rewards in small bursts always give me motivation and something to look forward to so wrapping my mind around 6 weeks of working 5 days a week is overwhelming, yet I will persevere spring break is just beyond the river bend and summer vacation is so close (provided we don’t have any more snow) I can practically smell the ocean and feel the sun on my face! 

I am also beyond thankful that I found my handy grade book.  I had a brief moment of panic when I thought it was missing.  I could only imagine having to dig up 90 fifth grader’s grades from the entire semester that have to be posted online by the end of the week!  SIGH of relief!

 

 

 

Vacay!!!

A little late on my last post for the week, but here we go! Tonight I am grateful for vacations.  In the morning I will be heading to Miami and then Mexico for a much needed mental break.  I am already trying to relax myself, as I can be a bit of a worrier.  Over the past few days, with Atlanta showing how infrastructurally fragile it can be, I have mulled over several crazy scenarios about what could go wrong on my trip. I had myself convinced that the earthquake in Augusta was a precursor to some catastrophic, metropolis-ending event that would forever separate me from my family and friends, I wondered if someone would steal my dog from daycare, I stupidly read a few recent news items about cruise ship disasters, and I (in reality) had my bank account frozen because of a Target debit card issue.  I have also been a bit worried about leaving my Dad behind because we haven't been apart since my Mom died, and I even had to leave all my electronics in Decatur because I live in a break-in-prone neighborhood. Despite all these ridiculous and irritating could-be and actual events, I have decided to let go and be thoroughly excited about rest, relaxation, and fun. I will send y'all some pictures, say a little prayer for the crew and captain before I leave, and be thankful for the ability to vacation. Blog away, Marian!

Rainbow of Delight

After having many weather-based days off in quiet reflection recently, I felt a little overwhelmed today when I had to be surrounded by other people (again, I swear I am not a misanthrope), traffic, noise, and children who hadn't been to school for far too long. Fortunately, I got to spend most of my day in Decatur, and that fabulous place eased my tension.  I ran into one of my dear friend's fathers (Pat Crenshaw), got an oil change, dropped Sugar Mama off at school, and was even able to drink several cups of iced coffee! While all of these activities were either enjoyable or necessary the best and most self-indulgent part of my day came when I treated myself to Valentine's lunch at Rainbow Grocery.  I have a supreme love for this organic food store, which doubles as a restaurant with excellent to-go and buffet options, and I eat food from there in my car at least twice weekly.  Today, however, I paid for my bean burritos, salad, and vegan carrot cake and sat down to a leisurely repast in their tiny, back-of-store dining room.  I was already having the time of my life when, lo and behold, my Dad walked in from the shoe store next door to refill his coffee (I guess the coffee gene runs in the family). I had a delightful time chatting with him on his break and was grateful to be in Decatur, to have a parent whom I love, and to be in a store that makes being healthy delicious. Happy Valentine's Day, friends!

Thank you, Al Gore...

Today I am grateful for the Internet.  Not only is this genius invention the sole reason we are all able to co-create a blog together, but it is also an extremely useful tool for accomplishing work, school, and entertainment tasks from the comfort of one's own pajamas. I have utilized the Internet in many useful capacities just today! I woke up this morning and checked on the Atlanta ice storm apocalypse that turned out not to be a big deal, tweeted for my internship, emailed my family members, and am now writing this blog post. By far the most convenient and time-consuming Internet activity in which I participated was creating a group presentation for school without leaving my home. I researched, created drafts, contacted my team members, and revised all afternoon without having to visit someone's smelly apartment or make small talk with anyone's irritating boyfriend. While I wish I had just been playing in the snow, I was so thankful to be off the roads and in my living room for all these magical Internet missions!

Home

For five years as a teenager and two years as an adult I spent a week each summer making homes "warmer, safer, and drier" for low income families in the Appalachian Mountains. The people were always kind, if a little down on their luck, and the houses were inadequate. Compared to my comfy Decatur abode with the nuclear family in tact, these broken homes were often depressing, and I was confused my these families' good nature during my first trip; however, I soon realized that home is truly where the heart is. Today I sit in a medium sized, warm house typing, watching movies, and drinking coffee (of course), and I am again feeling empathy for the less fortunate. I daily pass a tent village on the side of 75/85 in downtown Atlanta: on a warm day the village looks almost cozy and I am happy that these particular homeless people seem to have a sense of camaraderie; however, when icy, cold, or rainy conditions arise, I cannot help but feel extremely compassionate for their lives without homes and extremely grateful for all the shelter I have had in mine. Glad all my friends are warm, safe, and dry today!  

Coffee, coffee, everywhere and not a drop to drink.

I'm a fan of coffee.  I'll drink it most ways as long as it's not McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts, or Quik Trip brand, but I generally buy it iced from Starbucks, Dancing Goats, Java Monkey, or Revolution Doughnuts and add a shot of espresso and very, very light cream or almond milk. I put absolutely no sweetener in my drink of choice, because that addition would detract from the flavor of fully roasted goodness. Being an avid and dedicated coffee drinker may not be surprising, but what may set me apart from the crowd is how far I will go for coffee when I'm out of beans and there is an impending ice storm. I went to the Farmer's Market to eat lunch and grab some organic bread and chocolate before I was snowed in again, and, while its aisles were congested, I am used to a throng of exuberant shoppers there, so I plowed on and purchased my items.  Because of my previously mentioned affinity for Starbucks coffee, I decided I should also stop by Kroger for my afternoon fix and a bag to take home; however, I was greeted by a line that wrapped around all the way around the frozen food section and to the back of the store, ending basically a half a mile from the checkout lanes. Needless to say, I dropped by basket and went on my merry way.  I was thinking I had enough grounds at home to make one more pot of coffee, and I would just savor it and be okay.  WRONG! After a long evening carting adolescents and navigating the formidable streets of Atlanta during rush hour, I picked up my dog from daycare and drove the twenty minutes home only to find that I had about one teaspoon of coffee left over in my freezer.  This would obviously not do, so I packed up my wallet and drove about a mile to the Kroger on Metropolitan Parkway.  On a good day, this store is sleepy and filled with Ramen Noodles and Tahitian Treat but has a great organic section and Starbucks coffee, generally on sale. Last night the store was so packed I could hardly walk through the aisles sans cart, and I was bumped and pushed repeatedly within the first five seconds. The lines were snaked behind every register and led down each aisle to the back of the store: much worse that the afternoon Kroger trip. I  quickly grabbed my Espresso Roast and prepared to survive a 45-minute line behind families buying gobs of genetically-modified Frankenfood. Oodles of self control was exerted when a woman rung up $400 worth of groceries and had to put them back because she forgot her debit card pin. A cashier had to leave her line to take a bathroom break which nearly incited a riot, but I left the store surprisingly unscathed and surprised at how many shenanigans I will tolerate to drink a cup of coffee in the morning. Despite the drama of procuring my bag of coffee I was grateful to wake up this morning in my warm house and make a balanced breakfast, with coffee as the anchor.  Cheers!

 

Saved by the "bull"

A good friend once semi-facetiously told me, "congratulations for letting sunshine and puppies into your life!" While this may make me seem like a wholehearted miser I swear I'm just a little cynical and set in my ways. I admit, there was a time when I hated the beach and I time when puppies disgusted and frightened me.  The beach is still a little too hot and sandy for my comfort, but I have recently become the most dog-tolerant and one of the most dog-loving people on the planet. I happily wear spiky, white hairs on all of my mostly-black clothing, I frequently welcome a 60-pound, furry creature into my bed, and I regularly speak in baby talk to animals of all sorts! I found Sugar Mama on the side of the road one month after my brother died and a few months before one of the worst imaginable relationships ended, a time when I really needed something to love.  In learning to take care of Mama, I learned to take care of myself again, and while having a feisty, enormous, pit-bully dog is a huge responsibility and chore, I am grateful everyday that I can see her happy face and be reminded of how far I have come.

If you'd like to watch her at daycare before 6:30, here you go!

How "The Help" Helped Me

I have a little cold and had a very rough week with attempted dog attacks and car thefts, so I decided to watch one of my go-to, feel-good movies last night: "The Help." Each time I see Skeeter's radical ways, Hilly's spite, Abilene's stoic resilience, and all the Southern charm and turmoil of 1960s Jackson, Mississippi I know I've chosen the right time occupant for the next two hours. During this viewing I paid close attention to the relationship between Skeeter and her mother, Charlotte. Having recently lost a wonderful mother, I was more angered than usual by Charlotte's antagonizing of her daughter's social choices, supposed sexual preferences, and career objectives. I kept thinking how grateful I was to have such a wonderful Mom for thirty years.  She would never have criticized me for being too liberal, she always gave me gentle and timely advice, and every day of my life until last November she told me I was "lovable and capable." While my Mom was 100 percent my biggest fan there were days when I rejected that support, and there were years when we fought, a lot. Sometime I rolled my eyes at the triteness of her catch phrase, and some days I simply told her she was lovable and capable too. Towards the end of the movie last night I found myself wiping away more than a few tears when Charlotte says to Skeeter that she's never been more proud of her, she wishes her well in New York with her new career, and thanks her for bringing courage back to their family. I missed my Mom terribly, and I was touched by how strong the bond between mother and daughter can be. Despite the discrepancies between the two women throughout the film Skeeter forgave her mom. That's the great thing about mothers and daughters: they can always reconcile and their love is unshakable.  Even though my Mom is gone from this world her repeated support and love are almost enough to "help" me through hard weeks and tough situations, or even sappy movies.      

snowpocalypse 2014

I was pondering what I am grateful for, and my list is very long. So, first I am grateful for being so grateful and having a life that creates a long grateful list.

But I wanted my first post to be a timely post about something that has recently happen. And the first thing that popped into my mind was Atlanta Snowpocalypse 2014. Which brings me to the grateful part.

I am grateful that I have a job that allows me to make adult decisions leaving work early or working from home. I've had jobs in the past that are so serious about the 9-5 work hours, that if the Snowpocalypse happened while I was there, they would not  have let anyone leave early. My current job allowed us to make our own choice about when to leave, and I am 100% positive that if I had left work even 1 hour later than I did, I would have been caught in that horrible, horrible traffic.

And, I am grateful to have cable and internet. If I didn't have the internet, then working from home would be impossible. And if I didn't have cable than working from home would be incredibly boring.

I am also grateful that I live in a place that is walking distance to restaurants and shops. Seriously, our food stash was in a sad state. If we didn't live near a market or a pub, we would have been eating frozen berries and rice for 2.5 days.

Which leads me to being extremely grateful to have a roof over my head. Side story - we had Book of Mormon tickets for the same evening of the Snowpocalypse. We decided to brave the weather, since we live about 1 mile from a Marta station. Getting to the Fox was super easy. BUT they cancelled the show after we got there! Sad face. So, we proceeded to take Marta back. Marta was a bit majorly delayed at the Five Points stop. We waited for a train for about 30 minutes. In that time, everyone started to get really, really cold. And it wasn't like the temperature was super low, BUT standing outside with no heat for an extended period made it really cold. To the point where my toes were literally numb. I was so uncomfortable, I wanted to cry and complain the whole time. What stopped me was the realization that many people have no way to escape the cold. And this was only 30 minutes for me! Imagine nights filled with such cold. It made me sad. So, in conclusion, I am grateful to be in the position to know that I will always have a roof over my head, heat, and food. Oh and the internet and cable. And a job.

xoxo.

Visit with Mom

My mom is on town after a year and a half hiatus from visiting. I'm looking forward to spending some quality time together!