Friday, February 17, 2017

Giving Thanks

This has been a very rough week for me. Work was brutal, moving snow has taken up a lot of time and energy lately, it's coming up on my father's birthday, my own birthday (not an occasion to celebrate) isn't too far out, I'm painfully broke, and my 95-year-old grandfather is in the hospital in Florida with an iffy prognosis. So with all of that weighing heavily on me, it seems like a good time to practice thankfulness.

I am thankful that I have a flexible job. Having money coming in, even if it's not really enough right now, is better than having nothing. Being able to ask for a change of assignment or to leave early without getting the third degree is helpful. Having a boss who appreciates my skills and does his best to make my shift go a little easier is nice.

I am thankful that I have a good relationship with my former boss. We enjoy doing site work together, so when he's doing something that requires an extra set of hands, he calls me. We had a great time taking out windows in a meetinghouse-turned-town-office the other day -- the work went smoothly, the conversation was easy, and I felt like a respected and valued colleague and friend.

I am thankful for snowpants and fleece-lined tights. I've had to hack the top two feet off the snow pile next to my driveway twice in the last week, and having the wardrobe to stay warm and dry while doing that has been wonderful.

I am thankful for 4-wheel drive. Coming home from doing window work the other day had me right in the thick of a snow storm that had tractor trailers, tow trucks, and even plows sliding off the road, and I made it home without anything more than a little fishtailing around difficult turns. I love my Jeep.

I am thankful for my cats. Kira and Maeve have been extra-attentive lately, likely sensing my emotional distress, and it's wonderful to have two purring balls of fluff to cuddle with after a long day.

I am thankful for my sister. I wasn't feeling well enough to shovel after a few inches of slush fell last month, and the result was an icy hill at the mouth of the driveway -- one I needed to switch into 4wd to get over. Sis showed up last weekend with implements of destruction and helped me get it into a more reasonable state, and then left me with those tools so I could continue to attack it as time and energy allowed. As of today it's very close to being gone, and as it's going to be in the 40s over the weekend, I should have it completely clear by Monday.

And right this minute, I am thankful for Aleve, which is the only thing that's going to keep me from screaming for the next two days. My body gets very angry when I don't use the eggs it goes to the trouble of making... but hey, I'm thankful for my body, too. Even if it is a vindictive prat sometimes.

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