Can we do "Tell me something great that happened to you today?" again?

It’s the little things.

I got an email from my big Sis this morning, telling me that my soon-to-be 7 year old niece (on Nov 1st) got an email from Chuckie Cheese saying “Happy Birthday”. She was so excited about it, and was sure that Aunt Jenny (me) told Chucky about her birthday.

=)

I got some peace of mind today. Don’t know how long it will last but it certainly made me feel better at the time.

Can I say what was great about the other day? Because it was awesome!

1. In class I trading pieces of gum with the guy next to me, so I could blow better bubbles. (He had Bubblicious, and the flavor was AMAZING) Anyway I blew a HUGE one, and my professor saw it, stopped his lecture to say, “That was an excellent bubble!” and proceeded to let class out early.
2. A purse I have been fawning over for months, but have never bought because it was $60 went on sale for $11
3. I got to throw some cups in ceramics with my favorite teacher, who happens to be adorable and we had a slight Ghost moment.

It was awesome

this wasn’t today because the day just started, but this just happened to me: I was coming home from hawaii and had to change planes in lax, and I went outside cause I thought I would have time to have a smoke, and when I came back in the security line was hugely long, and I knew I wouldn’t make the flight, this lady in front of me rolled her carry on over my foot, then said ’ you look worried” , ‘Yeah I’m about to miss my flight”, she then called out “everybody, everybody, let this lady ahead, she’s got a flight in 10 minutes” and my utter amazement everybody let me go ahead and rip through security I made my flight -last person on. I was so grateful!

I’m well enough today that I’ve done laundry, gave kitties a treat, did two loads of dishes and cooked lunch.

I’ve been setting my alarm for 6:30 every day since we got the dog 3 weeks ago so she can go out to pee. I forgot to today and woke up at 8:30 in a panic thinking I’d find a puddle on the floor. I had to drag her out of bed to go outside. YAY!!! It’s the little things…

@Likeradar and she’s a cute puppy, too. Love that face!

@jmah Thanks! I love her even more now that I know I can sleep til the sun’s up. :) Yeah, I’m rapidly becoming a crazy dog mommy.

I had a bowel movement for the first time in three days. I just love Lithium! ..... NOT!

While I still could not donate blood today (FAIL!), at least my count went from 10.3 to 12.2 (must be 12.5 or greater).

It is fairly likely that a great thing will happen later this afternoon. If so, I’ll come back to tell Fluther about it.

One great thing that I know will happen is that we’re getting glow-in-the-dark T-Shirts at the hockey game tonight! Woot! It is the little things.

It’s 11am on a rainy Friday, I’m about to make sugar cookies for Halloween with my daughter and I’m still in my pajamas. :)

It’s been very snowy here lately, and while walking to class this morning I proceeded to slip on some ice and fall flat on my ass. It must have been pretty funny looking, because a few people around me started laughing. It still hurts.

When I woke up my Ball Python, Bob, had his first real shed all by himself! I’m so proud of him to have been finally able to after what he’s been through. <3

Because I have the flu, I was allowed to stay home yesterday and miss my geometry test. Plus, I got to sleep all day.

@daloon Congratulatons. I think LOLLLLLLL

My husband made me laugh this morning so hard I was rolling. It was something that he was making fun of ME for. I love it that he can still do that after all these years. :-)

Thirty seconds ago I just stepped out of my car with my daughter. At almost the exact same time, a statuesque fifty-ish woman steps out of her vehicle…in an amazing Wonder Woman Costume!

My daughter looked up, mouth agape and whispered, “wow!”

I, of course, now have a whole new set of fantasies.

@janbb I think this is a great idea! We should have it every day ! :D

Mmm . . . I received a hand-written love letter from my boyfriend who is more than 5000 miles away from me. It came to me as a surprise, and it surely made me smile.

@higherground Awh! That gave me a great “warm-fuzzy” feeling <3 What a fantastic way to start a Friday!

@higherground The last time we did it, it ran on for weeks! I think we only stopped when it took too long to load.

@ElleBee Ahh yes ! I’m glad it made your day ! :D

@janbb HAHA whoa ! Maybe we could separate it into different days, like ‘tell me something great that happened to you TODAY’, so it can’t go on for weeks :D

still too early yet, check back with me by the end of the day. I still have a few finishing touches to do on my Halloween display. And I have to get pictures of the beard I’ve been growing all month. Time to shave it off. Back to work on Monday.

Thank Evelyn it finally stopped raining.

I watch one episode of 1980 Cosmos by Carl Sagan and I look back at that time and i realised how special was Carl Sagan

My Flashdance costume looks great!

First, my boys get to spend Halloween with me! I thought they were with their dad this weekend but I get to have them! That makes me incredibly happy. Second, we are on our way out the door to buy pumpkins to carve. Third, I got to spend the day with my man and his two (grown) sons. Finally, someone wanted to start this thread again!

@jmah when I read that on your Facebook page it really made m smile! What a great story!

@SuperMouse, I know. It made me smile, as well. The email was the first thing that I read this morning. A chuckle and a smile. :)

i got an a- minus on my german homework and there was no quiz in english 310, early american lit! YEA! Also, I woke up early enough to see my kids before they left for the day. :)

My Son and his wife brought the boys to show off the older one’s costume (a lion) and pick up the devil suit and horns I made for the 6 mo old. They are going to a Halloween Cube party at Hubby’s work. Sonny was dressed in his favorite, authentic, Samurai clothes.

I’ve had several things happen right in a row that made me very happy. First, on my drive this morning about seven wild turkeys crossed the road in front of me. I don’t know if you ever seen wild turkeys but they are simply beautiful.

Then, I got to my office and to my great joy I learned that an employee quit whom I was going to have to discipline. I hate having to do jobs like that. he made it simple!

Lastly, or at least for now, the FedUPS guy/gal dropped off my Good Vibrations order! Sweet, sweet, weekend!

@Sueanne_Tremendous wild turkeys are awesome.

To recap: It finaly stopped raining, I got my Halloween display finished, and my costume fits perfectly. I can hardly wait for tomorrow. Lots to make me happy today.

Got a lot of help picking out pumpkins from a nice man. Bought a beautiful book about Marie Antoinette. And a bird feeder to paint. It was a beautiful day.

I got the MAG beta for the PS3!

Today, a friend asked me to go to the mall with her—nothing exciting, but it’s been a while since I’ve been out with a friend.

I got some yummy mexican food, and on the way back home, we stopped at a little Asian store that had yummy food. :D

Mochi! Red Bean paste! Rice! Furikake!

Well I think the day was just plain great. The day was sunny and gorgeous. Its Friday. And I found out a fellow guyfriend of mine actually reads for fun. When I found out my jaw dropped. I love reading and I often find it sad that so many of my peers hate to read, so it utterly shocked me that he actually reads for fun. I was so excited about that it made me smile everytime I thought about it. :)

@janbb This is a greally question. I think we should have this more often as @higherground has suggested. We could have it everday friday, so that we can give a brief recap about what was good about our week. And the only requirement is that it has to positive. :)

Today my favorite thing was getting to purchase more clothes for the new baby. I love buying itty bitty baby clothes! We’re definitely done for Newborn sized clothes. And currently he’s having a party in my uterus, which makes me smile. But, I want to go to bed soon, so he needs to go to bed.

So, that good thing I was going to come back about. It’s more like a potential, tentative good thing. I saw a new therapist yesterday and I think he’s going to be much better than the last one. It was a little odd at first because he’s blind, but I got used to it. I’ve not dealt with very many blind people in my years. He’s certainly a bit more compassionate than the last one!

I woke up

I went in to the city (New Yorkers know there only one “the city”) yesterday and walked around the Village before and after seeing a play. Everyone was out in costumes for the Parade and the clubs and it was very mild weather and very festive. Just great to see so much life!

The best thing that has happened to me so far tody is the nice hot shower I had after getting drenched and cold in the pouring rain at the stables this morning. Having a horse has it’s amazing points but it also have it’s minor inconveniences and getting up and outside in ALL weathers is one of them!

My kids smiled most of the day and i was there to see it all.

We had the inspection on the home my husband and I are buying, and there were no major bad things. Just stuff to be expected from a circa 1930 house.

I had a wonderful interview for an internship today! It looks as if I’ll get the internship in the Spring! This is so exciting because this internship was made for me. With any luck, I’ll be the most qualified candidate and I’ll get it!

I forgot I was on a diet..for about…two seconds

I took a walk by “my” lake with a friend and saw six herons(?) sitting in a row on a branch, their reflections shimmering in the water.

My oldest son turns 11 – and he is actually excited that my boyfriend is coming over for cake and ice cream!

My grandsons were brought over for a surprise visit. We had a lot of fun, as it was very warm outside. I put the baby in the stroller, and we sat and watched older brother (age 2) play with his cars.

@KatawaGrey: Good luck with that. I hope you get it.

@cprevite: Thank you so much! So far, I’m the only one who’s shown interest and they already want me to look over some stuff and e-mail them with ideas. It’s so exciting!

I feel better than I did yesterday.

My kids are off school today, and my car is in the shop. We’ll be forced to entertain ourselves around the house, so we have no choice but to bake cookies, do some leaf rubbings, maybe make some popcorn and watch a movie. At some point I’ll raid their Halloween candy. It’s a rough job, but someone’s got to do it.

Oh, @MissAusten, my heart bleeds for you, you poor dear! ;)

I finally finished my re-read of the book I am teaching on Friday and wnet over my lecture notes last night.

I have 6900 lurve!

My youngest son told me this morning that he is “defended” by a book he saw entitled Boys are Dogs. It made me laugh out loud!

I found my “lost” frizzer cake award! w00t!

I’m having Fish and Chips (and curry sauce) for tea. Friday treat!

I got US$25 more than I expected from the focus group I did yesterday. And the money went straight into the account as of this morning. YAY!

Recently, my friend’s car was repossessed after she lost her job in June. She recently got a minimum-wage job at Starbucks to support herself and her son. Yesterday, her new coworker handed over the keys to a minivan that a friend of hers was about to donate. The coworker is paying for the title change and first year’s registration. The coworker talked to their manager’s husband/mechanic who will do any repairs for free, and the coworker will pay for any necessary parts. All my friend has to pay for is insurance! That’s a pretty sweet deal!

Yeah, so this didn’t happen to me, but I did get to see all of this happen to my well-deserving friend, which is even better!

@ru2bz46 That’s wonderful. Made my day brighter just hearing about the goodness of people.

My boss said supportive things to me, I like appreciation.

@ru2bz46 It is amazing to hear of kindness and generosity like that!

Today I worked out with a different trainer because mine is out of town. We spent the entire hour using this system that I personally think was originally designed as an instrument of torture, but I made it through the whole thing! I may not be able to walk tomorrow, but it felt good not to wimp out.

Also, my fifth grade daughter brought home her school pictures. Her misguided attempt to trim her eyebrows with nail clippers is now immortalized forever. :)

I taught my last adult ed class for the Fall. This series went very well.

I just got a phone call from the local blood bank to tell me I am once again eligible to donate. As a frequent plasma donor, I have to get extra testing and physicals to donate so much (up to twice a week). I was deferred for the last couple months due to a low protein count. I have an appointment tomorrow morning. :-)

I was changing in the locker rooms today and a girl saw my shoes and asked me where I got them so I told her. Then the bell rang and when I was about to leave she told me, ”have a good weekend”, it might not sound like alot, but it was.

My friend made me some of her famous banana bread. It’s like a small loaf of heaven!

A bluejay chased away the sparrows and is insouciantly eating from my bird feeder.

And another thing: put on some Bruce juice and danced around the kitchen while I was making soup. The weather is great today and I’m feeling pumped!

It’s beaver hunting season! Yum!

My two boys each have a friend over for the afternoon. They are all so happy playing that I almost feel like I’m home alone! Other than the constant background noise and potty humor.

The Aristocats was on tv this afternoon and I haven’t seen it for so long. When it had finished I had the urge to watch another older Disney film so dug The Jungle Book out from my DVD collection!

I’ve been having a little trouble at work. Circumstances beyond my control have made things a bit challenging for me. Today I had a long talk with one of my bosses and feel much better. I also found out that one of my co-workers went to bat for me with the big boss. Apparently he went to bat big-time, I can’t thank him because I am not supposed to know, but man it felt good to hear that.

We took our son to his first movie theater movie. He was so great! He sat through the entire thing, and seemed upset when others were talking! lol He was awesome and ate almost an entire bag of small popcorn. So happy it was a fun experience!

@casheroo I remember taking my younger son to his first movie He-Man. He sat on the edge of the seat, wide-eyed through the whole movie. It was great.

I just received the pictures from our two week road trip, and I’m just thrilled. We had so much fun, and now it’s immortalized on the computer.

I saw people talking about me (in a good way) on Fluther! It’s nothing big but it just made my week. :D

My boyfriend slept over last night and we had mind-blowing sex this morning. Too much? I hope not. WE spent some time just hanging out and watched a movie. It has been a good day. :)

Woohoo @KatawaGrey! Mind blowing sex is the best!

@ru2bz46: If I give you a virtual high five would that be slapping the beaver?

Slap it gooooood! Lol!

@toomuchcoffee911 You deserve all the good things we have to say!

@KatawaGrey “Mind blowing sex” and “too much” together do not compute… no such thing!

I found out my mother might actually have a slightly small chance of caring about me. And that means alot to me.

@Tink1113 I sure hope so. You deserve it!

I ate a grilled cheese sammy, participated in the epic entrepreneur thread, and scored 2 secret awards. Booya.

I had a dream that I got 85% (and therefore an A) for my recently taken philosophy exam so… even if I don’t get a score that high..I now know what it would feel like if I did…

@janbb Thanks! :D

I received texts from a boss and a co worker, both telling me I am missed already. I work between two stores and have gone permanent with one, the one I like less

I had a great water yoga class. Feel like I’m getting the forms better all the time. In the p.m., I walked to the ocean. Just a calm, gray sea, a few fishermen and me.

@janbb I could really do with a walk by the sea at the moment.

@Leanne1986 You can come and join me next time although your sea and my sea are far apart.

@janbb I’m sure your sea is probably a bit nicer than my sea is at the moment!

I finally am recovering from strep throut and I’m doing good and I talked to my awesome 3rd grade teacher who was the best ever and it felt nice.:)
I’m going back to school on Thursday and I can’t wait to see my friends and have fun!
Ok..and learn..=/

I finished the homework assignment for the class I hate most!

I’m at the midway point in a 25-hour yoga teacher assistant training. We were encouraged to “practice on our friends” during the week, so I put out the call for a volunteer on Facebook. I helped my friend (actually, I only know her from class) into yoga poses she hadn’t been able to do on her own yet (like headstand); I helped her get much deeper into other poses; I massaged her neck, arms, and legs when in resting poses. The best part of all was the foot massage at the end of class to help her completely relax and recover. Truth be told, I think I got even more from it than she did. It feels so good to help someone else.

She was so grateful for the help and attention, that she sent a note to the studio owners to tell them how good of a job I did. This could help lead to a paid teaching position at the end of training. Woohoo!

Morning phone call from my partner while I was still woozy from waking up, I’ve become a recent mush head :)

I discovered why I crave pickles a lot

My boyfriend called me just because “he wanted to hear my voice”. It was just nice to hear him say that as I was feeling a bit down in the dumps!

I had a quip removed by a moderator for the first time ever. :)

I took on an indoor cat for a two-week trial period two weeks ago. Today, I bought him a collar and name tag. :-)

I published my very first piece on the Fluther blog. :)

I had a pretty good date, even though there has been some weird aftermath. I did, however, face my fears and go ahead and put myself out there for once. I’ve learned things about myself, if nothing else.

I watched my grandson learn that the hall light turns on at both ends. When he turned on the light outside his playroom, he said “Off is on” referring to the position of the switch. He ran to the other end of the hall and said “On is off”. He ran back and forth then I stood at one end and showed him when I turned it off, he could turn it back on. We played with the hall light for about a half hour.

Something I had planned for this evening was cancelled which means I will be able to get home earlier and have an early night. BTW my original plans were not in anyway unenjoyable and it is a weekly arrangement but I am very tired at the moment and in need of a good nights sleep so I was glad that this week my plans were cancelled.

As I was driving to an appointment this morning I was lamenting the craziness that is my schedule and wondering how I would get it all done. Turns out the place I thought I had an appointment is closed for Veteran’s Day! This gave me an extra hour and half I was not counting on to get things done.

I have a day off, first one in over a month and I’m lying in a super comfy bed in super comfy pyjamas, clown hair sticking up all over and my partner still smiled at me, gave me kisses and asked me to be here when he gets home. now, if I can figure out how to restore volume to his laptop then I can watch some hulu or netflix or maybe I’ll figure out how to turn on the TV.

Lol @hungryhungryhortence and the TV! Some things never change… ;-)

@augustlan Aww, thank you!

I went for a wet and windy after-work walk. In the middle of all the gray there was a walk planted with those cabbagey plants in a myriad variety of purples. It was heart-stoppingly beautiful.

@janbb Nice alliteration.

@ru2bz46 Thanks. I like to write.

My boss will be leaving work early today. This will be great when it happens because he doesn’t appear to be in a great mood and is making me feel uncomfortable!

Also, my boyfriend called for a chat this morning because he was driving a long distance and was bored. This meant that I didn’t get quite so irritated whilst being stuck in rush hour traffic :) BTW we were both on hands free!

I had a really, really good laugh tonight!

Part of my daughter’s Language Arts homework involved writing down vocabulary words from a book she’s reading, looking up definitions in the dictionary, and then using each word in a sentence. I happened to be talking to her while she worked on it, and looked down to see that she had come across the word “unmanned” and had to look it up.

First, she wrote down the sentence from the book. “The deck was unmanned.” Then, she wrote the dictionary definition: castration. Then, she wrote her own sentence: “The unicorn unmanned the lion.” I couldn’t help it. I just started laughing so hard, imagining what the teacher’s reaction would be. My daughter has already told me that they go over the words and definitions as a class!

Of course I had to explain to my 5th grader what castration is, and then she was laughing as hard as I was. She said, “I’ll just use the other definition.” She erased castration and wrote, “removing one’s manly confidence.” That only made me laugh harder! I couldn’t believe the dictionary didn’t have the definition the author had intended, but when I looked it up myself those were the only two definitions given!

I gave her the correct meaning for that particular usage of “unmanned,” but now I kind of wish I hadn’t. It would have been great if she’d turned that homework in with the word castration, but probably not so great to bring it up in class and have the other kids tease her about it for the rest of her middle school career.

@MissAusten Isn’t English fun?

I had to put another notch in my belt this morning :-)

I LOVE that feeling @lynneblundell. Congrats!

My job called and woke me up on a my day off (rare) to tell me my current pay period is subject to a pay increase. This was worth being woken up for.

my son swam all by himself in the pool this afternoon (with armbands of course!)

I had a great water aerobics class and got my heart rate higher than it’s been before.
Then a long boozy lunch with a friend sharing confidences and insight.

A great day off!

MY SO got back from a business trip after being away for 11 days.

My oldest grandson brushed the leaves off the roof and discovered a huge branch on the back side, where we couldn’t see it, plus a hole in the roof that went all the way through. Thank Goodness this happened before the rain storm that is forecast for later this week. He covered it with duct tape until we can notify the insurance company and get a repair order.

I had ten whole hours of sleep! That is about double what I get most nights. :)

I left wet, windy and gray New Jersey and got off the plane in sunny Florida! Threw on a pair of shorts, walked down to the causeway out to the beach and watched the afternoon “show.” Joggers, dogs, bikers, hobie-cats whizzing by on the water, herons stalking fishermen. One woman kept a hula hoop up for over 10 minutes! What a rush!

I went to a sports bar to watch the Alabama vs. Mississippi State game last night with my really good friend, and we got there early to watch the end of the Florida game and the Stanford vs. USC game. Almost all the right teams won, ‘Bama being the most important of course! We had a great time, drinking, admittedly, pretty heavily. Things got a little out of hand when we left, though, because we were both pretty toasted and, en route to putting her on the subway or in a cab, my friend literally ran away from me. I couldn’t find her for the life of me, and called a guy I’ve been talking to recently but had yet to meet. I was crying and upset, and he came pretty far downtown and found me and “rescued” me. He brought me home, my friend called to say she was okay, and we cuddled for awhile until I fell asleep. He was gone when I woke up, so I hope I didn’t scare him off, because we have a date planned for Tuesday that has the potential to be the most romantic date ever (coffee, city wandering, sneaking into Central Park late at night with a picnic to watch the meteor shower). He was totally wonderful last night though, even in the tipsy, rained-on, upset state I was in at the time.

A co worker located a horrendous knot under my left shoulder blade and nicely rubbed it out. It’s nice when someone is willing to give a backrub for more than 3 minutes without you having to pay them.

my mum cooked a three course meal, just for me and her

I spent the evening at my dads where he made a nice roast dinner and we watched a film (Twilight). I had been feeling quite low throughout the day and really didn’t want to drive over to dads and pretend I was feeling ok however, when I got there I really did start to feel better!

Went for a walk in the cemetery with my wife. It was a beautiful day, and the foliage was marvelous. We sat on one of the walls around at plot, and talked, and it was like old times. She was laughing—delighted. I felt almost ok.

I found a Wilsons Leather black briefcase/tote bag at the resale shop for $10 today.

How big is it? It carries notebooks, my digital camera, makeup bag, phone, wallet, mp3 player, pens, keys, gloves, umbrella and a 5“x8“x1.5” book. And it’s stunning. It’s one of those bags that, when empty, one could never imagine it holding so much. I’ve been looking for such a bag for 3 months. It was worth the search/wait.

I found out that yet another very cool person at work has my back.

I saw this two weeks ago and had to wait until today before I had something to share.

At my son’s invitation, I went to a recital of Bach organ pieces on the mighty pipe organ at the beautiful Memorial Chapel on the Stanford campus. Sat and watched the light change behind the stained glass windows while the music poured over me. Very rich and fulfilling.

I finally managed to sort out a problem at work that has been bothering me for a week now all it needed was a fresh pair of eyes and so I learnt that asking for help is not always a bad thing!

I also got a small amount of peace of mind in my personal life which lifted another weight off my shoulders.

We walked on the beach at sunset last night. The sun went behind a cloud and then re-emerged bright red – first as a lip-sticked smile and then gradually a whole round red face before sinking into the water. Just beautiful!

Lately, I’ve been lacking motivation when it comes to getting healthy/exercise. I really have been feeling it this last while. Feeling “gross”, and sluggish. I made myself take the arse for jog tonight. I have jogged a few times in the last month, but, they were short runs, as I was tired after about 15 minutes. I used to go running all of the time.

Yesterday, I bought a bunch of healthy eats, as well. Just want to feel better…So, tonight, I decided that I was going for a run and that I was going to push myself and go longer than 15. I ended up going for a jog from my place to Canatara Park (6 miles). I went through the park, ‘rounded the bend at Lake Chipican (small Lake) and saw the silhouette of a Blue Heron in the moonlight (about 10 feet away from me). Awesome. I’m so glad that no one was around because I was so excited when I saw her and ended up saying “Hey, pretty girl”. Ha.

There is one Blue Heron that stays around that Lake. You don’t often see her. The last few times, when I was struggling with something, I’d either run or walk through that park, and when I’d come around the bend, she was there. The first time, was right after I had lost my Mom. I was struggling with getting it together and moving on. On my walk, I saw the Blue Heron, standing ever so still, only a few feet away from me. Seeing her brought me out of my head for a moment and made me smile. And, now this time—again, I was pushing myself, wanting to get healthy and feel better.

According to most Native American tribes, the Blue Heron is a symbol of determination. I don’t know…just seeing her made me all sorts of happy.

One of my friends is an usher at a theater, so tonight I got to see the Men Who Stare at Goats movie for free, and, also, there were cookies!

I liked it. It was a good movie and it had a near Coen-like lightness amid the relatively serious subject matter. And Ewan McGregor. MmmmmEwanMcGregor…

Did I mention Ewan McGregor? No? Ewan McGregor.

Winterbock is in season. Yay! I got to be there for the tapping.

My partner came home unexpectedly for a few minutes to find me still in bed, stinky and lazy with coffee breath (fluthering) and still had a smile on his face, wanted to hug and kiss on me.

My boyfriend sent me a funny email that brightened up an otherwise dull day at work. It also made the two girls in my office laugh.

My husband and I got to hang out with a friend who recently moved up here from our old town all evening. It’s always good to see him and he seems so much less stressed than when he was in the middle of moving. We’re planning on pizza with him and hopefully some other old friends we haven’t seen in a while this weekend.

We had a Skype conversation with my son in Paris yesterday and I got to see my grandson Jake sitting, rolling over and looking generally adorable.

I had a great evening with my husband. A regular old conversation spontaneously erupted into hours of thoughtful (and lively!) debate in which we pretended to be Emperor and Empress of the world. Our goal was to guide society towards Utopia – always thinking of the greater good, no personal gain allowed – and we had to make the laws from scratch. Since he’s a conservative and I’m a flaming liberal, this was pretty damn interesting. However, we’re both pretty logical people and after arguing over the issues, we were able to arrive at mutually agreeable solutions. Though we only got through 2 or 3 issues. Long way to go. Fun, funny, and brain stimulating… all at once! And then we watched Fringe. :D

My family is moving tomorrow from a 4bd 3bath huge house to an apartment that is a 2bd and 1bath. You can imagine the stuff (the loads and loads of stuff) that had to be culled for the move. It’s an emotional and draining process in and of itself, but with the hell week at work involving going to and from the court house several times a week, I thought I’d never finish in time.
But then miracles happened. =)
1. the plaintiff who filed a claim against us didn’t show, leading to the dismissal of the case. WHOO HOO!!! lawsuits like this make me not want to live in the USA. Miracles like this make me feel like perhaps God’s telling me to hang in there =P
and 2. I finally finished packing up all the boxes by 11 pm, and felt good enough to stay up and watch an episode of fringe. (@augustlan yay fringe!!)

Thank Heavens for two what felt like insurmountable tasks this morning being resolved before the day went out!! =)

My soulmate broke up with a girl that was no good for him. Now we’ll see how this pans out!

My boss had to have a private meeting but had nowhere to go so he gave my colleague and I an hour off work and some money to get drinks so he could use our office without us being there!

My friend made me smile all day about something.

My best friend and I exchanged how we are still each other’s biggest fans after 24 years :D

I went to the grocery store to buy the ingredients for Thanksgiving desserts. Pumpkin pie and cinnamon ice cream, and cupcakes for all the kids to decorate like turkeys. Just looking forward to making those goodies makes me happy! I love Thanksgiving and can’t wait for the main event.

Tonight my sister in law and I are going to a wine tasting/appetizer tasting event at a local kitchen store. I so can’t wait to get out and spend some time with grown ups. Depending on how we feel after sampling all the wines, we might stop somewhere for another drink on the way home. I wonder how a martini will go down after the wine?

When I woke up today I pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Came downstairs, logged on to find a 20k party in my honor. What a lovely surprise that was!

It was only hours later that I realized I was wearing my Fluther t-shirt… and it made me happy all over again. :)

The roof repair man fixed the roof before the storm got here. ***YAY*** The rain stopped and the sun came and my grandson and I and the dog went outside to play. We had a great couple of hours. We found some grapes hanging over the fence from next door, and washed them off and ate them. It’s raining again now.

My best friend and I exchanged how we are still each other’s biggest fans after 24 years :D

I had written a response to a Fluther question and a few minutes later my son, a rare poster who lives far away, responded. Kind of a kick.

A long lost friend from 20 years ago looked me up on Facebook out of the blue last night, and we chatted for an hour. I had tried to look her up several times to no avail. It turns out she’s been using a pseudonym to keep her ultra-religious family from getting on her case.

I was able to sleep in because a co worker switched schedules with me.

I just went through a 25-hour training course to assist during yoga classes. An assistant is someone who moves through the room during class and connects with the students by helping them into a pose, helping them go deeper into a pose, remind them to breathe deeply, give a brief massage, offer moral support, or whatever makes the experience better for the students. After the course, we’re supposed to practice on at least five of our peers and get feedback on where we need to improve.

I practiced on two of my peers, but the only feedback I got was “that was really good!” Wanting some hardcore criticism, I asked to practice on the fussier of the course instructors who is the studio owner. She is also the only one to fail anybody from the course. I also picked a more difficult class during which to assist her; one with a faster pace, handstands, deep twists, difficult position changes. My job was to stick to her and assist her through every pose. This was going to be tough!

At the end of the class, I was sweating as much as she was; it was like dancing with a disabled person for 75 minutes, having to help them through each step of the dance, not even knowing what the steps were until they were called out. Then I sat down and awaited my feedback.

My teacher sat down with her forehead on her knee in thought for a minute, and then she started to cry. I got confused and asked her what was wrong. She finally looked up and said through her tears, “I am just so proud of you. I have absolutely nothing to say. You don’t need to test later; I’m calling this your test, and you passed. Would you please assist at my studio?” I was blown away. I then probed her for something I could improve (I was still looking for that hardcore feedback she had been giving everybody else).

Anyway, I’ll be assisting in two of her classes each week, and I get unlimited free yoga at her studio! Woohoo!

The weather here is horrendous at the moment, gale force winds and lots of rain and this afternoon I got very wet and cold whilst sorting the horses out. It was worth it when I got home had a piping hot bath, hot chocolate and now I am cuddled up with the dogs about to watch Pocahontas!

I was really, really productive this weekend, which was absolutely necessary, and I have three dates in the next four days. Phew – I’m gonna be busy!

I reread some birthday card that I got from my friends. They were so great and I have a newfound love for all of them. I teared up a little there.

My husband and I had planned to take our kids to a Lego Kids Fest about an hour from home. We were really excited about it, and the kids were nearly beside themselves with joy. However, when we pulled up to the convention center where the Lego event was being held, we saw an extremely long line and a sign that said, “Current wait time: 3 hours.” Let me tell you, we are incapable of waiting in line for three hours.

Instead, we took the kids to an awesome, hands-on children’s museum where we all had a wonderful time. The great part was that the kids (10, 6, and 4) handled their disappointment very well. No whining and no tears! Also, the museum trip cost less than half what the Lego experience would have, even with a trip to the gift shop! My husband has been working long hours lately, so it was great to spend an entire day doing family things!

I turned 15 today.

@toomuchcoffee911 Happy Birthday!

I started my Christmas cookie baking today. I haven’t felt in too much of a holiday mood since my sons now live far away and won’t be home for Thanksgiving. Starting my marathon baking spree, however, got me in a better mood.

I tried out the bread machine my Mother In Law dug out of her storage closet and gave to me last month. It works perfectly. The bread I made is better than cake, and we put real butter on it. mmmmmmmm

@toomuchcoffee911 Happy Birthday

I went to a friend’s place for dinner last night after yoga with a bunch of other friends from the class. She had everything already prepared (from scratch), so all we had to do is heat it up. She made everything from whatever was in “the box” of veggies from Farm Fresh to You. Sure, it was all vegan and gluten-free, but it was delicious! The company was great as well, consisting of whoever wanted to come from the last class of the day. We get together each week (a core group, plus any add-ons), and it is always different and always a great time.

I got paid and started my Christmas shopping (I’ve only bought for my dad so far but it’s still a start!)

A friend I hadn’t heard from in over a decade contacted me on facebook. Life is good!

We closed on our house yesterday. After signing far too many papers, and agreeing to pay until 2024, we are now the proud owners of a two-story four-bedroom. Also, we were able to put together two piece of IKEA furniture without killing each other or filing for divorce~, so that’s a good sign.

Well, my boyfriend and I broke up on Sunday, which is not good, what is good is that we seem to be getting along very well and we are continuing to be friends. Everyone is being very supportive of me and I am not angry at him. Life isn’t good, but the turn it has taken is not bad.

Way to go @KatawaGrey!

Another friend I lost contact with 20 years ago (ex husband of the one I mentioned a few posts above) contacted me on Facebook. We’re trying to get together for lunch…

@ru2bz46: Thanks. It’s nice that I don’t want to strangle this one.

I have a pumpkin pie in the oven, homemade cinnamon ice cream in the freezer, cupcakes baked and frosted on the counter (all for Thanksgiving tomorrow), and my third glass of wine in front of me. Kids are eating popcorn and watching a movie quietly, and my husband keeps hitting on me.

It’s a lovely night. :)

Yesterday was a great Thanksgiving with great food, I’m seeing my family for the first time in a couple months, we saw The Fantastic Mr. Fox, which was very good, the Broncos won by a landslide against the Giants, and I got a great night’s sleep for once. Now I’m watching the dog show I missed yesterday, waiting for the Crimson Tide to kick off in 45 minutes. Being home is a nice break from the city too; this weekend has been much needed.

A friend of mine scheduled to leave out of state in search of a better job has decided to stay and stick it out here. We have been each other’s “stand-in-date” for a few years now so I’m selfish in being happy not to lose a sushi & movie buddy.

My cat, Charlie, who I thought had disappeared returned today. Not that he went very far…my mother accidently shut him in a wardrobe for 24 hours. She claims she looked in there in her search for him but she obviously didn’t look hard enough. The poor little thing was starving when he was freed!!!

11–27-09
Woo Hoo, it just got better! The guys at work noticed the expired registration on my car and took it to the emissions station for me so I can get my shite together and not get pulled over. of course they did peek into the trunk and found a ‘bag o tricks’ they’re getting some amusement out of. sheesh

Cable/phone/internet were down all day. Just got fixed. Back to Fluther!

It’s getting chilly up here in Southwestern, Ontario. After work, I bundled up in my warm woolies and took the pooch down to the dog park for a walk/run. Right beside the park is a rather large man-made lake. In it there had to have been about 10 different groups of geese. It was sort of like JFK airport, where one by one each group would take off out of the water (others waiting for their turn)—all heading South. You had a few stragglers in each group, flapping their wings like crazy in order to catch up. Such a cool sight. I saw a few cardinals out our walk, and some tall Spruce trees amongst many leafless maples. All a sign that old man winter is on it’s way. I felt rejuvenated after our brisk walk. And, as we approached my car, the sun was setting – a beautiful orange/red sky.

My roommates are siblings and their Da is an awesome cook. Awesome. Yesterday, the boy roomie went to his house for Thanksgiving (girl roomie is in San Juan, PR) and brought back deeeee-licious num-nums! Including homemade cheesecake!

I had Thanksgiving dinner with my (estranged) wife and her roommate yesterday. His divorce was finalized last week, so he is free and is interested in marrying my wife. They were discussing baby names at dinner! If all works out, I won’t have to keep giving her 40% of my paycheck! Now, that’s something for which I can be truly thankful!

I get both my grandson for a few hours, while their parents go out to their Anniversary dinner. I’ve been getting the older one (2½ years) every weekend, but the baby is nursing, so I only get him a few hours at a time.

@ru2bz46 I love how you are friends with your exes. Same here. :)

I am going to see Anastacia in concert tonight. I am very excited :)

@Leanne1986: You were looking forward to that! I’m also going to see a concert tonight, only this one is for my friend’s band. Hopefully, my computer will also be fixed!

Having a hot, turkey sandwich, hot coffee and am getting all retro, watching the old Incredible Hulk.

It’s the little things

We had this great cab driver in Boston. He was awesome; we got his whole life story- he came over from Iran and has two daughters (one turned 20 today) who are both in medical school (imagine that!). After he dropped us off at the airport, he gave us all hugs and assured my sister and I that if we ever needed anything we should just call him right up.

@toomuchcoffee911: I had a great cabbie on my early morning cab ride to the airport too. Makes the ride so much more enjoyable.

Last night, I went to a friend’s concert and discovered some other really good bands. I talked to my most recent ex on the phone for the first time since the break up a week ago from today. In the morning I took my computer over to a friend’s house also an ex-boyfriend, but from long enough ago that his official relationship to me is friend and not ex and he fixed it for me and we had a lot of good chats. All in all, a good day. :)

My boyfriend paid me a surprise visit.

A good friend of mine had a beautiful baby girl this weekend (her first), and they just came home from the hospital yesterday. Mom and baby are both doing fine, and since it was Thanksgiving weekend, they’re surrounded by family who were visiting for the holiday. Definitely something to be happy about!

@sdeutsch: That’s wonderful! Congratulations to the new momma!

Well, as it turns out, an ex-boyfriend of mine who I thought was asexual (the same one who fixed my computer) is very sexual and wants to hook up with me. I am very excited about this since I am still very attracted to him and, frankly, it feels a little like unfinished business since I had banked on losing my virginity to him when I was 17. To make matters even better, he wants to lay out ground rules ahead of time to clarify what can and can’t be done and to make sure that this is just two friends having sex and not the beginning of a relationship. Bliss!

As I was watching a movie online, I started getting really sleepy but also really cold but was too lazy to get outside the covers to put on more bedclothes. I kind of resigned my self to just going back to sleep, cold or not when my friend’s big dog got up alongside and lent herself as warm squishy body pillow. :D

@KatawaGrey TMI

@hungryhungryhortence Aaaahhh…warm squishy body pillows… :-)

@KatawaGrey Very nice, indeed! I hope it lasts exactly as long as it works well for you!

I went out for the weekly post-yoga random draw dinner gathering with a bunch of friends from class. We had great food and conversation as always. Few times in my life have I left a gathering feeling as good as I do each time we get together, even though it’s different people each time. What a great community we have at this studio.

@ru2bz46: Thank you! I knew you’d appreciate it! I love hearing about your yoga stories. You make me want to take yoga. :)

I got to 10K and my party is going on!

@janbb Where’s the thread? I must post my congratulations!

I went away for Thanksgiving to a place I had not been before on the Eastern SHore of Maryland. We had a wonderful relaxing time including being snug and warm indoors in bed during a fierce storm on the Chesapeake and discovering a new style of architecture, The Tilghman House, a style from the 1890s on Tilghman Island.

I got my computer back today, after sending it off to be cured of a nasty virus. I can Fluther again. :)

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving, got our Christmas tree set up, and decorated the house. It looks very festive—indoors, anyway. For some reason this house has only one outside electrical outlet, and of course it’s in the back. I think my husband secretly likes having an excuse to not hang up lights in December and take them down again in January!

well, I was kneeling down next to my son’s chair after tea, cleaning his hands, I told him I loved him and he said “I love you mummy” and kissed my forehead with his chocolately mousse smothered lips..he then said “oops…sorry mummy, you got chocolate on your head” and I felt like the luckiest parent alive.

I was also told by a new consultant that there might be a solution to my urological disorder and feel like there is a ray of light finally after all these years since childhood being told that there is nothing “they” can do….

My husband made an awesome halibut the other night. Cooked that way, I’d actually ask for it because it tastes good instead of just getting it because it’s more edible than lots of other healthy foods.

I discovered a tall glass jar in the breakroom of perfect size to fit the ice cream bar from an ice cream sandwich in and then drown it in a can of Root Beer! I love Root Beer floats.
and my special someone called in the morning to say they woke up missing me there

Glad you like it @KatawaGrey.

I just saw Eric Weiner speak about his book, The Geography of Bliss and realized I’m pretty damn happy, even though I live in California. I also noticed that many of the concepts he spoke about that helped make people from various regions happy are things that I happen to get through yoga. Maybe there’s something to this yoga stuff after all… ;-)

I finally figured out how to use my digital camera and took pictures of a bunch of stuff I’ve been wanting to sell for eons. So, I posted the first half of the stuff on ebay! This may not seem like a big deal, but I am to borrow jmah’s word a technotard. I’m also a world-class procrastinator, so it felt really good!

I got an iPhone. What a fun toy! (And I’m a Luddite.)

I had a fabulous counselling session, Theo’s father has paid some money he’s owed us for a long time and I realised how wonderful life is when one opens up to the magic of possibility rather than crouching in the fear.

@lynneblundell We can’t go on meeting like this.

I got to see one of my favorite, if not my absolute favorite, band in concert last night. The Mountain Goats played at a venue right near me, and I went with my best friend, a guy I’ve been sleeping with, and his friend. Final Fantasy opened for them, and they were very, very good, though maybe not as good as the first time I saw them, but still quite impressive nonetheless. Then the Mountain Goats played, and I was absolutely floored, as I have been the past two times I’ve seen them. They played a few things I really wanted to hear and a lot of selections from their new album. (Some people aren’t so excited about their newest album, but, to be quite honest, John Darnielle could record himself puking and I would happily listen.) I bought the tour shirt too :)

The only negative about last night was that the guy that I went with was acting seriously odd. He had two drinks and said he was a tipsy from that, but he wouldn’t stop stroking/playing with/putting his nose in and smelling/running his fingers through my hair and saying and doing other weird things. It was so out of character for him too. When I asked him why he kept touching my hair, he would only respond “I like hair.” It was very, very strange.

@TitsMcGhee High on something else, maybe?

@janbb: Tbqh, it seemed like he was rolling on E, but I asked him repeatedly, and, every time, he said he wasn’t on anything. He had seemed pretty normal before the show, but who knows?

I took two difficult tests recently, I today I got the results: on the biology test I got a 83% and on the spanish I got a 90%! I was so happy; those are my two hardest classes, and I did well on the tests and if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t think a 83% is very good… hey, I was happy with it Anyway, this should be good for my grades! :D

On my out the door to go to work, my SO blew me kiss- no one’s ever blown me a kiss so I’ve been all smiley and goober since.

I just found out that my two sons – one who lives in Paris and one who lives in SF – will be home at the same time for a few days in mid-December. We will celebrate Chanukah and an early Christmas together.

@janbb I am so happy for you, I wish I could get my two together, my oldest son lives in Sweden

@YARNLADY Yes, I totally didn’t think this was going to happen this year.

Today my 10 year old daughter came home from school with the most entertaining new useless knowledge. She showed me how, in Microsoft Word, you can highlight what you’ve typed, then press the “windows” button and S at the same time, and the computer will “read” what you’ve typed in a strange computer voice.

We spent quite a long time taking turns typing in goofy stories for each other to listen to. The boys got in on it, and we were all laughing so hard we were in tears. There’s nothing like an expressionless computer voice saying, “The kids all pooped until they were dead” to brighten your day. :) Kid humor is so disgusting.

@MissAusten didn’t work for me…:-(

@hungryhungryhortence Muuuuaaahh! <3

@lynneblundell I wonder if not all Word programs have that feature? Our isn’t a recent version (2003) but is part of Microsoft Office.

I had a wonderful date last night with a boy I really like (the one for whom I made the mixtape). He seems to like me a lot, and he paid for dinner, which is always a plus for me. He told me repeatedly that he thought I was attractive, smart, funny, etc., etc. and that he was glad he met me. I think we’re hanging out again tonight, and I’m really excited to see where things go from here.

@TitsMcGhee: EEEEEE! (that was my girly squeal. :)

An epiphany (not really) just a few minutes ago; that I’m the only one who can make this happen (being happy and getting to where I want to go).

My car broke down today and when I took it to the garage I was told that the head gasket was gone. Obviously this is an expensive thing to fix and usually I would be worried about how I was going to be able to afford to pay for it. However, the great news is, I have only had the car a few months and so it is still under warranty. The garage are going to fix it for me completely free of charge. Phew!

My job gave me a little holiday bonus, just enough to where I was able to gather up enough to make a full mortgage payment this morning.

I learned my 3rd kata today in 5 minutes where it took me a month and a half to learn my 2nd kata.

I fenced saber today and pwned everyone.

I just got back from laser tag. It was for my friend’s birthday. I made a new friend, ate delicious vegan cake and generally had a good time. :)

I went to a yoga class this morning before having lunch with a friend. After class, one of the teachers asked if I wanted to do lunch and check out the street fair happening in town. I turned him down because of the other lunch with our mutual friend. While he and I were talking, she called and had to cancel, so I stayed and did the street fair and lunch. At the fair, we met up with another friend, then later, her roommate and the roommate’s friend were out jogging, so the five of us hung out together. We stopped by a new yoga studio that two other mutual friends just opened, and I was offered an assistant teacher position. It’s funny how a cancelled lunch date with one friend can lead to an afternoon with six other friends and an opportunity to share yoga with a new studio community. Life is good.

My daughter brought home her first middle school report card—the first time she’s had a report card with letter grades. She got straight A’s and made the high honor roll! I can’t wait for her to show it to my husband when he gets home from work!

I woke up to soft rain outside, a warm bed inside, smiling cuddly buddy, snuggly licking doggies. All feels right with the world.

@hungryhungryhortence I can’t think of anything nicer than a warm bed and something to cuddle…

@lynneblundell: It’s the best feeling, one I don’t take for granted and one I try to celebrate as a new experience each time :)

Today, my part decided to migrate to the other side of my head. I like change.

This actually happened a few days ago.
I sold 24 Lladro Christmas ornaments on ebay, and made about $300.00!

Last night, my husband and his friend replaced the hot water heater in only 10 minutes, and I got to take a hot shower for the first time in days!

I was feeling a little tired after work and wasn’t able to get the arse up and go for a jog no matter how hard I tried. The arse wasn’t cooperating. Then, I found this clip and I was up dancing. OOW!!

I saw Metallica last night for the first time since the mid ‘80s. They’ve come a VERY long way since then with their stage show, and their energy is still there after all these years. I’m a little bruised up from the mosh pit, but that’s a small price to pay for the tons of fun at the show!

I actually stuck to my diet for the first day this week…but think I’ve actually put three and a half pounds on :-( botheration!!!

I’m on my way home after a painful family visit.

I got an A on the paper worth almost half my grade in one of my classes. Our final project in media production went really well. I ate lunch with the cool kids and the guy I have a teensy crush on was chatting me up.

My best friend paid me back some money she owed me and even though I told her there was no time limit on when she could pay me back it came at the right time as I was seriously worrying about how I was going to survive the rest of the month.

A friend had an epiphany about wanting better things for his life I’m one of those things.

@lynneblundell Lurve for botheration. :)

I only put 3 pounds on..yay!...and back on track…Big Time!! thanks A! xx

I am back from aforementioned “painful family visit” and have spent the day going to water aerobics, walking and Fluthering. Delicious!

I just returned from a company dinner, held at the estate of the “big boss”. It was very interesting, because it was held outdoors, in the pouring rain, under a catering tent. They had heaters and everything.

I finally had a much needed lie-in!

ooooh @YARNLADY that sounds amazing…I’d love that!!

Two years ago, I tried to get my friend to try yoga with me. He kept making excuses. He watched me advance in my practice, lose a bunch of body fat, become toned, find a state of calm in my mind, etc. He still made excuses. I started teaching yoga, and I invited him to my classes (free). Still no. Finally, yesterday, I went to his house and gave him and his wife a private lesson. He loved it! He’s going to start attending my classes twice each week, starting Tuesday. Since his family is almost all dead from heart disease/obesity, I am happy to see him make a good choice for his health.

I’ve just received all my new course materials and books for the philosophy of the mind course that I’m starting at the end of January…I’m soooo excited..and the smell of the freshly printed books has just sent me to heaven!!

I finished writing another sketch! It was hard because I’d been procrastinating.

I past my philosophy course and exam with a DISTINCTION!!! I got 82% for my exam and 85% overall assessment…so I’m over the moon!!!

I am one test closer to being done with school for the semester! While writing my script, I have discovered some new things about my characters that make the story flow much better. I have two possible roommates for next year. I have not lost the internship like I originally thought. I have awesome plans for my 21st birthday that do not involve alcohol but do involve spending a few days in Massachusetts with a friend. Speaking of friends, I’ve also made a couple new ones in the past few weeks. Life is good!

Congrats @lynneblundell !

Today the UPS man stopped by with six packages! I love opening packages, even when they aren’t for me. These will have to wait until the kids are in bed, because I think they’re Christmas presents from my family, and then I will rip them open gleefully! I’d make a horrible UPS person because I’m not sure I could resist the temptation to open packages.

Also, my 4 year old let me keep him busy long enough to get the kitchen completely cleaned, swept, and mopped. Next job to tackle is the living room, and then I am going to sit around for the rest of the day!

thank you @MissAusten :-)

I fenced for a total of four hours I’m wiped and did surprisingly well in the open bouting. I was really doubting myself last week because I didn’t do very well at a tournament, but I’m quite proud of myself today!

@toomuchcoffee911: Yay! Fencing is great. I hope you do better at your next tournament!

I reached 8k lurve today! I can almost taste the 10k castle…

My kids are coming home tomorrow for a few days. One lives in SF and the other in Paris. We are celebrating Chanukah tomorrow night and then fake Christmas Eve and fake Christmas on Friday. I’ve been cooking up a storm – all of their favorite foods. Can’t wait!

I assist (help into or deepen a position, give comforting massage, keep people from hurting themselves) in yoga classes at a local studio. Being assisted at just the right time can make a good practice great, which is why I do it for others. I just got home from a class, and the feeling of appreciative love that I received from the students tonight has me on such a high that I just need to let it out to someone. Thanks for listening. :-)

@KatawaGrey Thanks! And congrats on the 8k!

We celebrated “Fake Christmas” today because this is the day both of my sons are home. The boys got me a Fluther t-shirt as one of my gifts!

I just saw Avatar with some good friends and the whole night was beyond amazing.

I just saw Avatar with some good friends and the whole night was beyond amazing.

Prior to that, I started my day by stopping at Starbucks on the way to a yoga class. At Starbucks, I ran into the yoga studio owner, and she gave me a birthday hug and kiss, then bought my tea.

At the class, my teacher asked if I had any requests, so I asked for some serious core work (much to the chagrin of the other students) and Metallica. My abs hurt by the end of class, and I got to hear Metallica during class. Then she gave me a birthday hug and kiss.

From there, I went back to Starbucks with one of the other students, and she bought me a tea and banana bread. We stayed for a couple hours of great conversation, and I got another hug and kiss.

I left there to meet my wife and her boyfriend, and they bought me a delicious sushi dinner and gave me a big bag of assorted gourmet dark chocolate bars.

It was after that when we all met more of my friends at IMAX and saw Avatar in 3D. Freakin’ awesome film!

All in all, it was a great day with great friends, and the friends who couldn’t make it called or texted. I’m even meeting another friend for breakfast and another for lunch since they couldn’t meet with me today.

It’s a beautiful snowy day and the juncos are eating at my birdfeeder.

…yep it’s snowing here too and I can’t remember ever experiencing a White Christmas…

We woke up to 18 inches of snow this morning. The kids are dying to get outside and play! We just had nice pancake breakfast with homemade cinnamon syrup, and are planning on going over to my sister-in-laws for sledding on the big hill in her back yard. She said she’d make cocoa and chocolate chip cookies for everyone! Now I’m off to dig out all the snow pants and boots. I’m also kicking myself for mopping the floors the other day. Now they’ll get all wet and dirty, and I’ll have to do it again. Bleah.

I woke up, opened my eyes and felt… loved. It’s been a very long time since I had that feeling versus the anxious kind of being in love with frantic passion and not being quite sure what’s going on or when the other shoe will drop kind of thing. Oh wait, I think it’s called contentment. Cool, there might be a gawd after all.

I cooed, smiled and giggled with my 6 month old grandson who lives in Paris on Skype.

I saw my ex boyfriend for the first time since we broke up yesterday and we had a pretty good time. Things weren’t awkward until the very end when we hugged each three times and then kinda stood there figuring out what to do next. Also, we saw Avatar first time for him, second for me and he loved it! He said it was the first movie in a long a long time to suck him in so much that he actually forgot he was watching a movie.

@lynneblundell You’re in the UK too right? I can’t remember experiencing a white Christmas here either and we have lots of snow at the moment!

I was out of town for my real birthday (a few weeks ago), so we celebrated with my family yesterday – brunch at a fancy restaurant, decorating the Christmas tree, and lots of time hanging out with my family, including my sister and her fiance, who drove in from Illinois over the weekend. It was one of the best birthdays I’ve had in a long time!

It was even better because we were celebrating my brother-in-law-to-be’s birthday too, since his is Christmas Eve – we blew out the candles on the cake together, and we took turns opening presents. I’ve always loved shared birthdays – it makes it even more festive! Although, if I’d had to share a birthday with a sibling growing up, I’d probably feel differently – sharing with a friend is a whole different thing!

@Leanne1986 yes that’s right I’m in Lancashire… it’s amazing,... loving it… although….

I drove (an hour down the motorway) to see my best friend today just for a couple of hours and she made me feel a million times better about myself and life and I now feel refreshed… it really helped that I made it back in one piece as I was totally freaked out at the seriously thick 1–2 metre wide sheets of ice flying off lorry roofs at 70mph going down the M6… I’m pretty sure if one had of hit my windscreen I’d have been a gonner!!

@lynneblundell I live near Bristol and spent the day in London yesterday. Well, driving on the M4 back to Bristol at 2am this morning was not much fun at all. I couldn’t see the road for all the snow and at one point we were travelling at about 15 miles an hour!

@Leanne1986 I’m American but i lived in Bristol for a few years. Great city!

@janbb Coooooool! Small world :)

I sorted clothes and toys for babies today! I’m happy that many NYC-area babies are going to have a Merry Christmas.

Nine of us went to a friend’s house tonight after yoga to celebrate my and my teacher’s birthdays. One of them gave me a BEAVER Xmas tree ornament! We had a great dinner and opened several bottles of wine. One of the bottles was made from grapes that one of my yoga students grew – a delicious Syrah.

Another friend made homemade tamales and brought me a cooler full of them. I’m set!

today it snowed for the first time after 6 Christmases without it.It was unbelieveble,i stayed 3 hours in -11 degrees Celsius just to feel my favorite natural phenomenon.i think i’ll buy some special presents to celebrate this special event.
HAPPY SNOWY CHRISTMAS

I recently got a new computer and when I was transferring my music over, about 200 songs were lost in the process somehow. And they were good songs, too! But today I was syncing my old iPod to my computer, and it had all the song that I had lost before, so now I have them! Yay!

Tomorrow’s my last day of work before Winter Break. Yippee – a month off!

I spent almost six hours shopping with my four year old. The poor kid managed not to complain until we were at the very last store. Even then, his complaints were entertaining and he had everyone giggling. The good news is that I am almost done Christmas shopping and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I found exactly what I wanted for my husband, who is very difficult to shop for.

I also had lunch at McDonald’s for the first time in months and months. Oh, those fries were lovely. :)

I have had my grandson for five days in a row. I love playing with him. His parents were unable to teach him to behave, so they have a hard time with him acting up a lot. I have taught him to behave at my house, and I have a lot more time to play with him.

@YARNLADY Can I send my son to you for five days?

@casheroo I love children The training methods I use should be started when they are infants, and are mostly ‘in place’ by age two ½. I have done extensive work in the child care field, and was a foster family provider for several years.

@YARNLADY What would you compare your parenting to, book wise? I follow some of Dr. Sears, and we listened to a couple 123 Magic cds to help with discipline. We’re just having issues lately with proper discipline for a child that’s almost 2½.

Maybe I should write a book on it, myself. I do not use or approve of the use of hitting, swatting, spanking or any other word you want to use for swinging your hand at them to frighten or cause pain.

What I do, starting as young as they can understand no, first use misdirection, substitute a toy for whatever they grab which they are not supposed to touch. When they grab at eyeglasses or earrings, I hold their hand and say a strong but not too loud NO, and hold their hand for several seconds, until they realize they are being restrained. I also use a very sad face, so they can see I am not happy. It comes in very handy when they get older, a frown will stop misbehavior from clear across a crowded store.

Every time I want them to come where I am, starting at a few weeks, yes, they cannot come on their own, I say “Come into the playroom” as I carry them and hug them. they learn to associate my words with being happy. As they grow, every time they do as I ask I give them a big hug and smile.

There are lots and lots of other tips, but I don’t want to bore people. I’m going to try and put them all in one place, so I can link it for you, but it’s dinner time now.

My colleague bought me a mini hot water bottle for Christmas :D

I arrived home at 12:30 a.m. this morning after 12 days of training and freezing my ass off in Indian Springs, Nevada at Desert Warfare Training School. It was great to once again wake up in my own bed and get some very needed quality sleep.

@Bluefreedom: Glad you’re home. You’re not leaving us, are you?

@Bluefreedom Welcome home!

I got a Christmas present in the post from one of my sisters! I have promised not to open it until Xmas day.

And today I told someone “No” who’s been trying to pressure me to do something I don’t want to do. I told that person “No” without being whiny, bitchy or defensive, and though this person pressed me extra hard, I just kept saying “No” without explaining anything or giving excuses and that person backed off. I’m so used to feeling guilty telling people “No,” especially when they’re acting like they have my best interests at heart, but my gut is saying, “No, they’re just being pushy! No! NO!”

My mother baked a delicious Cranberry, marmalade and almond sliver strudel for breakfast coffee.

@hungryhungryhortence Mmmm…I hope you saved me some!

@ru2bz46: She says she’ll make another for Christmas morning and I think it’ll be extra delicious with hooch jelly instead of the marmalade

@KatawaGrey. Thank you. I will be deploying to Kyrgyzstan for 6 months in February but I’m taking my laptop with me and hopefully I’ll be able to get onto Fluther and still participate whenever I get the chance.

@janbb. Thank you. =)

@hungryhungryhortence Yum! I can’t wait to get there!

I had my girls this past weekend, and we got over two feet of snow! We were good and snowed in, so they stayed an extra day. We had a “crafts day” while they were here, one of our favorite things to do together. It was lovely. :)

@Bluefreedom Welcome home!

A couple of weeks ago, my Canon DSLR camera, which I’d spent a long time saving up for and finally bought over the summer, broke. I took it back to Best Buy and was told it would be sent off for repair and I could pick it up in 4–6 weeks. I was really bummed about not having it for the holidays, when we normally take a lot of pictures. Yesterday afternoon, Best Buy called to say the camera couldn’t be repaired and if I came back to the store I could pick up a replacement! Not only do I have my awesome camera back, but they didn’t ask for the old camera’s box or accessories. Now I have an extra battery and battery charger. :) It was like a Christmas present from Best Buy!

First day of a month off of work – Chirstmas break! Will I be productive or will I waste it Fluthering??

It’s freaking Christmas Eve!!! :D
Me and older sister and my younger sister are planning on having a sleepover and staying up ALL night waiting for the presents and we’re obviously going to go a little crazy and go sledding over the night.:D

I got the opportunity to make lemonade! Woohoo!

JiffyLube was open! (on Xmas Eve) Now, I can make my 2,000-mile drive for vacation!

My favorite Dim Sum place says it’s open for brunch tomorrow morning, our clan will be happy!

let me see…
I’m still bashful and cheered about getting “looks” in the supermarket yesterday from a gorgeous guy, even though nothing came of it…
It’s still all white outside
I got a Christmas present from someone I’ve never met in person that lives in the US, but who I cherish dearly…
I wrote an honest letter to my sister and gave it to her about the recent disappointment
And the letter was received with humility
I made my signature dish for all my family and they all loved it
I’m watching While You Were Sleeping (favourite Christmas film)
Presents are wrapped
House is tidy
...and I’m actually OK about it being mine and Theo’s first Christmas together alone…(we usually spend it with Grandma and Granddad)...
So I’m beginning to feel enough

Starting with dim sum, a fantastic Christmas day of food, friends, driving, etc. (not necessarily in that order)

Great family, friends and a lot of love over some fantastic meals, conversation and even a spell of Scrabble.

A spell of Scrabble! I am so stealing that phrase. :D

I get to see Avatar again tonight with my favorite former family!

@hungryhungryhortence I’ll beat you in the next spell! (It’s so unfair trying to play Scrabble against a poet…)

Things are finally back to normal after a hectic but very fun holiday. :) Now I can finally get cracking on all the new books given to me as gifts. My kids were thrilled, even though none of them got what they most wanted (no way in hell am I buying three Nintendo DSI thingies when we already have two perfectly good old DS thingies), they got to spend a lot of time with all of their cousins, and we all ate way too much great food.

No Scrabble for us, but we did play Battleship and Connect Four. We also had a huge Nerf dart gun war this afternoon. So much fun, and now so peaceful and quiet! Whew!

@ru2bz46: Virtual high five. I’ve already seen it three times and I have yet to be bored. :)

Woohoo! That film still rocks! Planning to see it again… Virtual high-five back @KatawaGrey!

I saw Avatar today.

Ah, I see you guys up there are talking about it . It was incredible, no?

I met my brothers new girlfriend, Laura and I think she’s lovely. He was with his llast girlfriend for four years before they split up. It was very sad and I know he missed her for quite a while after but he seems so much happier now. Laura is a lot more laid back and free spirited than his previous girlfriend and he says the relationship is fun rather than paranoid and obsessive. I hope she sticks around.

My ex husband and future-ex-husband went out shooting together :D
I reminded them that today is an exception to, ”...two go out but only one comes back”, heh

thinks she’s going to have to see Avatar!

just ran upstairs because I heard my baby crying…he’d not well and with a bad cough at the moment… he’d wet the bed, bless him and was so upset, but the great thing is not only am I grateful that I heard him above the television and the washing machine (- I was tuned in…) but that I got an extra cuddle and I get to have him in my bed with me tonight, have him close to me and hopefully we’ll both get a good nights sleep because of it…thank the lordy for the continuum concept…

@hungryhungryhortence We both made it back and even had drinks and a bite to eat after. Mmmm… Blackened burger with bleu cheese and jalapenos with a side of sweet potato fries and a Black Russian. Your new gun shoots very well and groups a bit tighter than the Sig! ;-)

@ru2bz46: Thank you for being the blessing you are in my life and for everyone you become friends with.

My oldest grandson got to go home for Christmas. His Mom has been hired back at her old job, and his brothers are both home as well. My youngest son, his wife and two boys were here all afternoon on Christmas day.

We had a wonderful ham dinner, and I got to keep the toddler for the weekend. The 6 month old is starting to eat real food, so I will get to keep him overnight once in awhile real soon now. I can hardly wait.

I’ve had a great couple days…. a wonderful Christmas with the family, saw some old friends from elementary school, and drove to pick up my ex boyfriend on Monday. It was really good to see him, because I’ve always felt we had unfinished business. It was almost two years to the day the last time we saw one another (we dated long distance), and we got to catch up a bit, and ended up hooking up. That was all well and good, but it was settling to assure myself that I am ready to move on emotionally. I know I’ll always love him, but I am certain now that I’m no longer in love with him. It’s sad in the sense that I miss what we used to be/what we used to have, but I’m excited about really putting my all into a few guys I’ve been getting to know who I think have potential. I have a few days to relax coming up, and I plan on using some of that time to fluther!

I had a surprise visit from my boyfriend who attampted to fix the heating in my flat. He didn’t completely succeed but it is better than it was and it’s the thought that counts. I was more than happy just for the visit :)

I didn’t know but I was the only family member (and the unlikely one) that texted my sister whilst she was away this Christmas several times… I missed her..and I didn’t think we had a good relationship… but she cam e back and thanked me for texting her… I didn’t expect it at all.

Loser PM’d me

I stood up for myself

I admonished myself for not doing the best thing for my son, but found a better way to deal with it next time

I looked in the mirror and realised I didn’t want to be anyone else…at ..all

@lynneblundell I’m loving you more and more all the time! You’re doing great, kid.

Had a date with Rosie Palms
feels good man

thank you janbb and thank you so much for what’s going on on that other thread… that hurts you know… but…thank you…it means a lot…I’m sure “she’s” there to teach me something??

Tonight we had several of our best friends over. The kids were in bed, and we set out this fantastic antipasto spread. Lots of wine kind of hard to type now and great food followed by yummy desserts. We watched “The Hangover” and laughed our butts off! It was such a nice, relaxing evening. Now I am going to crawl into bed with my honey and will hopefully get to sleep in!

Happy New Years everyone!

Went up to the snow today during my desert vacation. It’s been many years since I got to play in the snow, have a snowball fight, and build a six-foot snowman!

I’m going to start sharing on this thread again. Hello again, everyone! I’ve been gone awhile, and glad to be back.

Today I watched Louise Hay’s movie, You Can Heal Your Life. I hadn’t been feeling that great the last week or so, and I cried and cried watching this thing, and let go of a lot of… whatever I was holding on to. I feel much healthier and happier.

It was too good to tell, but I’ve got a big grin on my face! Let’s just say, I started the New Year right.

It’s very cold here but lovely and sunny. I took the horse out this morning and despite a few icy patches which almost caused Bambi impressions it was very pleasant indeed. I feel nice and refreshed now despite feeling a little bit poorly when I woke up this morning.

@Trustinglife: I haven’t seen you around lately, so I went to your profile and saw that your second to last answer was a month ago, but your most recent answer was ^that one yesterday. I’m glad to see you around.

I went for a walk in a toxic wastland wooded area near my house today with my sister. There are all kinds of contaminated pieces of garbage old bottles on the ground all over the place, which we collected. We’re going to wash them up and my sister is going to display them in her room.

@Trustinglife I haven’t seen you around either. How are you?

My ex and I got back together a few days ago. We really missed each other and are going to try and work on the problems that we split up over. :)

@KatawaGrey Woohoo! That means make-up sex! ;-)

Yesterday my husband and I took the kids over to his sister’s house to go sledding. They have a great hill in the back yard, but the bottom of the hill is very close to the edge of the woods. You have to make sure to stop or jump off the sled before you crash into the trees. Well, I don’t know what she was thinking, but my sister in law went down the hill at top speed, didn’t manage to stop herself, and didn’t roll off the sled. She went straight into the woods and scared us all half to death.

The “great” part is that even though she hit a tree and had to go to the ER, she didn’t break anything and will be fine. She had to get 11 staples in her head, but didn’t need to have her beautiful long hair cut or shaved.

Also, our kids quit complaining about having to sled down the hill with a parent. And I think we are going to set up hay bales at the edge of the woods and wear helmets. It wasn’t quite the fun day of sledding we had planned, but it could have been a lot worse.

@MissAusten When I was a kid, those were always the best sledding days ‘cause that’s where the memories were made. Very cool story!

@ru2bz46: It was quite fun. ;)—

@MissAusten: I’m so glad she’s okay! Unfortunately, it is a good cautionary tale for your kids. I hope there are no complications!

My mom bought me a new phone as an early present for my birthday. It’s green and very cute. :)

I was on a hike in Florida today and got to see a pileated woodpecker on a tree about 10 feet away. It’s a very dramatic bird, about 18 inches long, with a bright red crest on its head. Thrilling!

The amount of snow we have had here in the UK has caused lot of work places and schools to be shut, my work has been closed for the past few days and shut early tody meaning that I have had some free, much appreciated, time off and now I have the weekend to look forward to!

I wonder if I will ever be able to participate in this thread.

I still have ¾ of a cheesecake left over from a party last Saturday. I can hardly believe I’ve not scarfed it all down like a starving cheetah. Score one for self-control!

Oh, and I woke up, which was good, and the stretch upon arising was really good this morning.

I came back ..cause (I miss you all too much and) I’m really really mad this time

@lynneblundell Glad to see you back; I’ve been wondering where you were.

@lynneblundell – I am glad you’re back, too! So, it’s “angry” mad and not, y’know, mad mad, I hope?

thank you, and…both I think…...intermittently

I had a great talk with my son who lives in Paris. He’s really starting to get a sense of where his work is going and what he wants to do next. He sounded so happy with what’s going on in his life right now.

It <strong>SNOWED</strong> today! We got about 6 or so inches! It was awesome! And it was powder, too; no ice or anything! Not sure why I’m so excited… our school didn’t have a snow day the only school in the county. I know, right? But it’s so pretty out! I’ll see you all later, I’m goin’ sledding :D

I woke up today feeling alive again, for the first time since last Saturday. Oh, what a blessed relief to feel better! :D

I woke up feeling really alive today too. Just really felt great overall today and got a lot done, even though there’s still so much I didn’t get to. Damn!

I’m starting to work on a collaborative project – putting together a book with my Enneagram teacher. He’s made a big difference in my life, and I’m really excited in putting this book together!

Another Ultimate frisbee tournament tomorrow morning….....

Thanks for the welcome back, Jan, Pete, and others!

@augustlan Flu?

I guess this is a negative “Something Great”, but I’m pretty pleased that I didn’t freeze solid while walking the dog.

@pdworkin Not freezing your goolies off is something to celebrate! :-)

I also woke up feeling alive again today after a week with the flu, so I went straight to yoga and got my butt kicked. I think I’ll get a massage to balance out…

Today, I drove into San Francisco with a friend and took three 2-hour yoga classes at my teachers’ teacher’s studio. The first was a level II/III class, followed immediately by another for all levels. After a very tasty lunch and a 2-hour walk through Chinatown, we went back for the third class, which was taught by a friend, and all in Spanish (well, with some Sanskrit thrown in, of course).

While in Chinatown, I found two new Yixing teapots to add to my collection. This was a killer 13-hour day!

I went to my job’s christmas party today and it was great to see everybody. My secret santa got me a bunch of mario candy. :)

I’m skyping with a bunch of fellow jellies as well and it’s fabulous!

I realised that I’m actually meant to be here… alive I mean…

“The harmony between our minds and the world is due to the fact that the world is responsible for our minds” – Simon Blackburn

@lynneblundell: I’m certainly glad you’re here. :)

I found my old ‘N Sync CD and downloaded it to my iPhone! It’s amazing how I can remember all the lyrics. I love ‘N Sync.

It looks like I don’t have too go to work today due to more heavy snow!

I trained a new mod last night, my second newbie in three weeks. Yay for new mods!

Today my husband and I finally sat down and reorganized our finances. It’s such a relief. We’d gradually gotten sloppy about keeping his business finances separate from our personal finances, but I think we are now back on track. He’s also decided that he doesn’t need the added expense of having an art studio in a separate commercial location. He’s going to relocate and work out of our house, so while the kids were at school we started moving things out of the basement, rearranged the kids’ playroom so we can also use it as a spare bedroom, and boxed up a lot of toys to take to Goodwill.

We also talked about all the perks to having him work from home and ways we can pass the time when the kids are school and he needs a break from painting. ;)

I got drunk tonight for the first time ever and it feels kinda good. Don’t tell my cousin!

He’s the one person who would never let it go. I made my boyfriend promise like six times tonight. Oh yeah, I’m still a little drunk. :P

Drunken Fluthering, FTW!

On a side note, perhaps it’s time to make a new thread… this one is taking forever to load. Full of good stuff!

haha, good idea, @augustlan. Mayhaps you could start one?

Holy crap, it is really hard tp type when your arms won’t go where you want them to…

Done! New thread can be found here.

@augustlan I was thinking the same thing. Good idea!

Im watching the Superbowwwwl!!! :) That’s a great thing!!! :D

I just had the best Superbowl Sunday ever. In fact, this might be one of the best nights ever. :) We watched the Superbowl a little, the Puppy bowl with the kitten halftime show and the hamsters in the blimp, of course and a couple movies. We played two games of risk, the second with four people, one of whom is one of the most bubbly wonderful people I know. She and I have been becoming better friends as of late which is great. After the risk was done and after we had finished Silence of the Lambs, the four of us sat around talking about all sorts of stuff. My friend told me my Ghana name. It’s Yaba because I was born on a Thursday and in Ghana everyone is named for the day of their birth. :) I finally got home around two thirty and am in bed fluthering!

Also, as silly as this sounds, it’s nice to know that I can still do big stuff like this without my boyfriend. We spoke a few times during the night but we were at separate parties doing separate things. Sometimes I worry that I’ll become one of those people who is defined by their romantic relationships and it is nights like this that prove that I am not one of those people!

@irocktheworld and @KatawaGrey Psst. We’ve moved this question over here.

I knew that. I don’t know why I posted over here… Oh well, I’ll just put it over there!

It’s because @irocktheworld posted, and it came up in our “activity for you”. I was confused for a minute, too!

Im sorry..:P I didnt know…