55 - monday

I made the executive decision today to designate mondays as thankful days, in the form of a gratitude list.  every monday, from today onwards, I'll list five things that I'm grateful for that week and that day.  I even got a slight head start last week, when I was super grateful/excited to have the keys to our new place.  I've been all kinds of stressed and whiney this week so taking a minute to pause and be grateful seems appropriate.

the gratitude list:

1. our unbelievably cozy, awesome new apartment.  we're finally fully unpacked and settled in. the sun rises on the other side of the house, and the neighborhood is sooooo quiet, which has led me to the life-altering discovery that I am, in fact, quite capable of sleeping in past 6am.  jackpot. (...this is extremely problematic when I have someplace to be in the morning.  like work, for instance.  but I digress; this is a list of thanks, not gripes.) 
2. the proximity of the saturday farmer's market at lippett park to our new apartment.  it's one of, if not THE biggest in the state, and it's a less-than five minute walk.  this weekend is supposed to be gorgeous weather, and I know exactly where and how I'll be spending mine.  I need fresh ingredients if I'm going to give the new kitchen a proper christening, right?
3. awesome, supportive friends who will get on a plane just to cheer me on.  even though miriam can no longer make it to seattle, we'll have plenty of time to visit her later - she's headed to uw law school in the fall.  marissa and I chatted for a while on the phone today and got ourselves into an excited frenzy for our weekend vacation.  even though the purpose of the trip is the marathon, seattle is one of both my and emily's favorite cities and this will be a first trip for marissa.  can't wait to explore and play!
4. my family.  all of whom put up with me shamelessly using their house like it's a public library.  I DID fold some towels yesterday, if that counts as helping out in exchange for their awesome free wireless internet.  
5. most of all, t, who always finds a way to bring me back to center when I am stressed and spinning out in all directions, about evil internet technicians and grad school loans and work and a million other little annoyances.  whether it's a five minute phone call or an hour on skype, knowing that he's doing well makes everything else I have going on seem so much more bearable.  I only hope that I am as helpful to him as he is to me.  

this is seriously how dark it is in my room at 7am.  waking up is IMPOSSIBLE.