Good #44

Anticipation (anticipa-a-tion).

I am not really a delayed gratification kind of a girl. But I have a date tonight for dinner and a movie that has me giggling to myself and has put a twitter in my heart. We have been so absolutely busy and crazy for the past few months - and I have been sick for the past week - that we have forgotten how to have dates. It is all just responding to the environment. So I am feeling all excited and girly about going on a date with the man I live with and love. Which is really cool. 

Good #43

Kind people in new places.

So, we moved to a new place. In our new neighborhood there are new places to explore. I took the doggies to get washed and to get their nails trimmed at a dog wash down the street. They were awesome and the woman took tremendous time and care with my babies. I really appreciated how patient she was and how she made sure they were safe and were having - if not a good time- then not a bad time. She made trimming the dogs nails tolerable, which is about 1000 times better than usual. I really appreciated her time and patience. She was wonderful!

Good #42

Doggie Ecstasy. 

I really can't say anything that this picture doesn't say. She lays here like this in this window almost every night and every morning until she hears some noise in the street and flips over. Picture worth a thousand words. Seriously. She stayed like this for multiple pictures. Can you look at it and not see the awesomeness and doggie pleasure and that means mine too.

Good #41

My New Commute.

So I have a new job, and some new friends. On Thursdays I get to work at a new school in the district and I get to drive along about 2 miles of a brand new road. It is an untraveled road through some of the most beautiful state park I have seen in California. This morning, it was all foggy and incredibly soothing and happy. I love that I get to drive on new roads and learn a new neighborhood and new places to shop and eat and work. I love that I get to explore and do something different. The change is awesome.

Good #40

The Small World Theory.

I love opportunities to meet new people. I love doing what the Irish call "bumping roots" where you realize you have a small thing in common with someone, and then flesh it out to discover that you are long lost cousins or have strange things that link you across the world. I have done this with people all over the world and am continuously surprised and pleased to find out how often people have links all over. I am working with a family, who have origins in Tucson, and it turns out that I may have once dated the dad's best friend. Small world. Small, small world. It makes me strangely and stunningly happy.

Good #39

Friendships.

I am lucky enough to work with some really awesome people. I am lucky enough to consider some of them friends. As I prepare to leave work, I realize that some of those friendships will follow me into my new job, that these people will stay with me and we will continue to be friends outside of work. It makes me realize how lucky I am to build relationships with amazing people and how happy it makes me to realize that people care about me in return.

Good #38

The good with the bad.

In the past, big life choices were easy for me. I just followed my instincts and jumped. As I have gotten older, these big choices have gotten harder. I am more aware of what comes with those big decisions. I get a little stuck with what comes next and with how the decisions I make now affect the future. I decided to change primary jobs today. It was a decision I had been struggling over. But I got a good offer from the new place, and things just got so bad in the old place, that the decision was much easier. So, the bad things that happened, helped enforce the good, and it all jumbled together to make my life a little more exciting and possibly more good.

Good #37

Vacation. 5/16-5/26

We spent this week in the British Virgin Islands. We bare-boated around in a catamaran for the week, sleeping on the boat, swimming and snorkeling, eating dinner at places that had roofs but no enclosed rooms. It was one of the most relaxing weeks of my life. Our trip back was uneventful and we settled back into home doing laundry and getting over jet (and boat) lag. I feel so good.  

Good #36

Trust.

I work very hard to build relationships with the students. I get to know them and pay attention (because middle school students are really tough, angsty and tough, hormonal and tough, whew...). I was put in a position today where a student had a meltdown. He felt like nobody was listening to his side of the story.  The work I had done in getting to know him paid off. He trusted me enough to know I would listen to him. It didn't work out all roses or anything, but he was able to calm down because I heard his side of the story. That gives me a little confidence in my abilities and makes me feel pretty good about working where I do.

Good #35

Female Bonding.

I love the moment when I realize that I am having an EXPERIENCE with someone else. One of those moments where you realize that you can look at that other person and giggle about your inside joke without saying a word (or maybe saying one or two innocent words) that sends you into a gale of laughter so that everyone else says 'what???' I had that moment today, and it made my day.

Good #34

Awesome New Song.

I heard an awesome new song today. It is really cool and has a great vibe. I especially like the chorus...

"With the moonlight to guide you, feel the joy of being alive

The day that you stop running is the day that you arrive. 

And the night that you got locked in was he time to decide.

Stop chasing shadows, just enjoy the ride."

Morcheeba, Enjoy the Ride

The video is really cool too. If you want to see it...

Good #33

Pedicures.

I always feel so good with clean and pretty toes. The flowers are a huge bonus and I love how pretty I feel wearing flip flops. It makes me feel dainty and feminine and clean. I love it. 

Good #32

Tricia's Birthday.

My poor baby sister, she was in a car accident last night, the night before her birthday. But I am grateful that she is ok and here in this world to celebrate another birthday with her family. 

Good #31

Knowing I Made The Right Decision.

Sometimes I get lucky enough to realize that a decision I made in the past was the right one and it carries forward. I have had a day where the right decision hit me a few times. (Unfortunately it didn't hit before I got a speeding ticket.) But there were several other spots in this day where I could look at a decision and say, "yep, that was just what I was supposed to do" and that feels pretty good. 

Good #30

Kismet. 

I love this feeling. The one where everything feels like it is going the way it should. You walk out into the world, get into the car, turn it on and the radio is playing just the song you want to hear. It is the strangest feeling of peace and excitement that gets into your soul and takes you to all the good places. Warm and happy and a smile on your face. 

Good #29

Being Pushy.

As I have gotten older, I have earned that I can work my way into any situation or meeting that I want to participate in, even if I have not been invited. I did so today and learned a ton about what the future holds, and even got to influence that future. I love that feeling of confidence upon walking into a meeting and participating when you know you have something to contribute but can also just sit and observe. Cool. 

Good #28

My Transition Team.

I love them. They are an amazingly intelligent and vocal group of hard working individuals who have come together to do something that has never been done. They are opinionated and vocal and awesome. I love working with this group of dedicated and really cool people. 

Good #27

Support.

The principal of one of my schools stepped up and gave me some great support today. I really needed her guidance and she was right there for me. I sometimes feel like I am out here doing things on my own, and I know I don't always ask for help when I need it because I feel like it wouldn't come anyway. But this time, I asked and she delivered. I really appreciate and treasure this feeling of not being so out on my own.

Good #26

Nachos.

The school had a party for us today, apparently it is also the day of the teacher. I had brought my lunch, and so went to just play along with everyone else. Instead, I got to have some amazing homemade nachos. They were yummy cheesy goodness. I only had a few, but they were really good. 

Good #25

Morning Walks With The Puppies:

I let Bucky sleep in this morning, and walked with the puppies up to get the paper. They get so excited when we go anywhere, and the morning newspaper walk is one of their favorite sunday morning traditions. It was a beautiful morning and one of the best ways to wake up. 

Good #24

My Katie.

My beautiful sister Katie was tremendous today. She went with me to try on wedding dresses and was awesome. She has been going through this whole process with me and has been such an amazing companion. I bought my dress today, and it turns out that the one I choose was not the one I had originally wanted. Instead I picked Katie's favorite because it was the one that looked amazing. In wearing it I feel like a princess and never want to take it off. Katie was worried I picked it just because she loved it. I didn't, but it wouldn't have been such a bad thing if I had. 

Good #23

Feeling Fabulous.

I got my hair cut and colored today. I feel gorgeous and sexy and amazing. I love a good haircut and the woman who cut and colored my hair also straightened it out and it just swings. I love the way this feels. Everyone should feel this way as often as possible. 

Good #22

The Hidden Treat.

If you look hard enough, and are very lucky, in life, as in mixed nuts, you may find the hidden treat. I got a handful of trail mix from a co-worker today, and in the mix of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds was a single m&m. I think that my life is so much this way. If I look hard enough, I can find the hidden treat in any situation. Sometimes it takes some looking for, but other times, it is as obvious and as sweet as this little chocolate morsel. I love these sweet hidden treats.

Good #21

Doggie Toys.

The puppies have a new obsession. These neon stick toys from costco. They love them and keep shaking them to hit each other in the head. I love our puppies and how excited they get when there is something new to shake and play with. It is the simple pleasures that make life so good. 

Good #20

Job Interviews.

I had another job interview today. I love them. I feel so smart and awesome interviewing for jobs. Whether or not I am going to take them, it is good to talk about what I feel is important and what is meaningful in what we do. It is always good to see what other professionals in the field are doing in their practice and what people see as the role we can take in doing what we do. I love that feeling of being smart and prepared for what is coming at me. It is awesome to interview and feel that way and I am lucky that I have this much experience and expertise in my field, that I can feel so good when people question what I do every day. 

Good #19

Dog Beach.

Our puppies LOVE to go to the beach. They can't believe their luck when, after getting into the car for what they think is a typical ride, the car stops at a place where there is sand and water and they get to run off the leash and just be the happy and sweet dogs they are. They can't believe that the world is so awesome, but they are happy to celebrate such luck by running around and peeing with abandon. I often watch them at the beach and wish that I could find a moment in every day when I am that absolutely happy. 

Good #18

Weddings.

So, we are trying to figure out the wedding thing. It is more difficult than even I had imagined. You have so many choices to make and so many things to do on a strange and preset timeline. We are going to a bridal fair today, in the heat, and I am reminded how lucky I am to have a fiance who is willing to go and participate in the decisions we are making about our future and this huge party that we are throwing for our friends and family. 

Good #17

Parties.

Our friend had a birthday party tonight. There was sangria (and how amazing is sangria.....) and companionship and good friends that we hadn't seen in awhile. We are so lucky to have friends and parties and sangria. The world would be a much better place if everyone could say that

Good #16

The Ability to Cook.

I began learning how to cook in my teenage years. My grandmother and mother began teaching me the basics. I really believe that it is true, if you can read you can cook, despite the fact that I seem to be unable to bake. I think it has something to do with the ability to follow basic directions. I think I cook by smell. The idea of being able to look at a recipe and say. "hmm, that smells like it needs..." is such an amazing skill and I am lucky to have it. Baking precludes this option, because by the time you get to smell it, it is all over. I am lucky to be able to cook amazing dishes and to be able to serve us incredibly good and often gourmet food.

Good #15

Clean Cars.

I got my pretty car washed really well today. Gone is at least 75% of the dog hair and noses that usually decorate the seats and windows of what was a new car a little more than a year ago. I really can't complain. The puppies, sweet man and I have had many adventures over the past year in that car. We have gone up the coast of CA and to AZ many times, but I just can't resist that sweet smell that means your dashboard is all shiny and turning on the air conditioning doesn't mean that a plume of dog hair threatens to take out the backseat. Hurray for clean cars and comfortable dog hair free seats. I love a clean car.

Good #14

Our Neighborhood.

We live in a funky old area of San Diego. We love the culture and people we get to live near. There are a really eclectic group of people who live around us, including the guy who talks to truckers and somehow captures all of our radio waves. The guy who rescued Apple when she ventured out on her own, but who she attacks when she sees him walking his dog on any other given day. The farmers market and the ghetto drug store. The little coffee houses and the bustle and urban sidewalks that we walk down daily. I love where we live!

Good #13

Sunsets.

My sweet man called my name as we were sitting around after dinner tonight. He had stepped out into the back patio and was looking over the fence at the sunset. The sky was an amazing set of colors, and he had stopped to take a moment to notice this thing of amazing beauty in our world. I am constantly amazed and grateful to have such a man in my life. A man who notices sunsets and things of beauty. Who considers me to be one of those amazing and beautiful things in his life. I am awed as he speaks of beauty. I am overwhelmed by his love and understanding and support. I am so lucky to have found such a person and to love him in return. I celebrate his appreciation of the beauty that surrounds him, and feel unbelievably blessed to be included in the counting of his beautiful world. 

Good #12

My Sense of Humor.

I often find things funny when there is no other option... like when I was 12 and the doctor was stitching up one of the numerous cuts that a tomboy child gets living an active life. It hurt, it really did, but the only option was to laugh. The alternative was to cry and not be able to stop. I always choose laughter. It seems like the best option. The ability to smile and laugh even when things in this world seem overwhelming and unavailable for other solutions. You can always find the humor in the situation. You can always laugh rather than cry. It is the great triumph of the human spirit. We laugh in the face of some of the worst things that we can imagine, and in doing so, we defeat the worst and substitute the best we can imagine and face life with a sense of humor. 

Good #11

Sunday Dinner.

My sister and I started a tradition when she moved out here. It is a tradition started by my Grandmother when we were young and lived across the street from her. It is the tradition of Family Sunday Dinner. Whatever you are doing on a Sunday night, you stop and try to spend the evening meal with family, recounting the week and celebrating the joy that is your connection to each other. I am so happy that my sister has chosen to live in the same city that I do. I am further blessed that she enjoys spending time with me and the man I have chosen to spend my life with. This connection we have made with each other as adults, finding a grown up relationship with the person you grew up with, is an incredible gift. It is something that I give thanks for every day and hope that I get more of as I grow older with her

Good #10

Flip Flops.

Is there anything better in the sunshine. Your feet get to be comfortable and cool and you get to show off your pretty toes (to be talked about later, a good pedicure is awesome, but has to wait until I get my next one!). In flip flops, you get to walk around with pretty toes and the awesome clip-clop sound that means that it is summer and all is right with the world. 

Good #9

Date Night.

What an amazing night. I love Friday nights. We have turned them into date nights. There is nothing better than coming home after a long work week and getting to become a pretty girl with a sweet and handsome man on your arm. We have had date night since we started dating seriously. I actually think it may have come from my parents and something they talk about. But what it means to us is that the work week is over and the sweet long weekend is beginning. It is time to think about each other and the time we spend together. We had a wonderful dinner at Apertivo, the place we had our first date... (sigh) and the wonderful dinner turned into an awesome walk home together through the sweet smelling spring air. The stars were out and we are (at least feeling) young and in love. What a sweet moment to end a long work week.

Good #8

Squashy Tomatoes.

We made spaghetti sauce tonight, and it turns out that when you put in a can of whole tomatoes, you get to squish them up. I even got to sing the squishing tomato song (squish, squish, squish). It was  awesome and the spaghetti was really good too. I guess you can't go wrong with ground italian spiced turkey, onions, garlic, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and squishy tomatoes!

Good #7

Love.

I can't believe that it has taken me so long to get to this one. I am in love and feel so unbelievably lucky that I will be marrying one of the most amazing people I have ever met. There are moments of my day that I can feel my emotions for him like a physical presence and it calms me down and makes me whole. I hate to get out of bed with him in the morning and can't wait to see him at the end of the day. I am so content and happy. I am so lucky and blessed. 

Good #6

Striving for the Better.

I have spent the entire day today pushing people to places they just don't want to go. I swear it takes every last ounce of energy out of me, but in the end, when they get there, what an amazing feeling. I feel so much like I have spent the day banging my head against the wall, but now that everything has worked out I feel so tired, but so happy that a compromise was reached and that everyone was able to agree and work out details that will make life so much easier in the future. 

Good #5

Hashbrowns.

Crispy and wonderful, crunchy little hashbrowns. You are almost like tater tots (and let's be honest, is there anything better in the world than tater tots...) portable and crunchy. Sticks, cakes or tots, you are potato heavenly goodness.

Good #4

Clean Spaces.

I rearranged the furniture today and cleaned all of the cracks and floorboards. I took up tons of dust and dog hair. It made the space feel new again and I slept so well in my new clean space.

Good #3

Finding the unexpected good in a bad situation.

I have, in the past, been called an obscene optimist, although recently I have lost much of that. Sometimes it is almost impossible to find the good in a difficult situation. So often, I have gone through something soul churning and only been able to look at it after, searching for something good in something that had gone heinously pear shaped. The more difficult task is to find the good in a situation that makes you feel small and weepy while it is happening. I saw this done today by a parent who, by all rights could have walked away and just accepted the bad. Instead, she met trouble and heartache with a positive attitude and a smile on her face. As much as it makes my troubles feel small, it also makes me realize who I am and that I too can look at things that are difficult and face them with the strength and energy that I have been given. My blessing in life is to realize that my life is really awesome, and that I too have the energy to see the positive in any situation. To realize that my problems are small and will pass. To realize that I have so many good things to count. 

Good #2

Sunshine.

What a beautiful couple of days we have had. Yesterday it was sunny and not too hot and I got to spend a good portion of the day outside in the sun with a group of kids who were really awesome. Today it is sunny and warm again and every time I go outside I turn my face to the sun and just soak it in. It feels good on my skin and I can't believe how lucky I am to live somewhere the sun shines on a regular basis and where I get to have a job that lets me be outside in it. 

Good #1

Sleeping Puppies.

One of the best things in life are sleeping dogs. They snuggle up with you in the bed and make groaning and stretching noises when they wake up. When I get up and go downstairs they follow me down  and curl up and sleep on their beds next to me. It is wonderful to watch and one of the good things in life.