30 Days of Ineptitude
Tonight when I got to the gym after work, I discovered I hadn't brought my work-out clothes. After about 15 minutes of panic, anger, and indecision (and a frustrated trip to the the club store), I decided I could work out in my sweats, my regular (black) bra and a slightly see-through lacy tank top. I reasoned I wasn't indecent or anything, I just looked like an idiot, and I could live with that. (Luckily, I had brought my tennis shoes and sweatpants).
This little drama reminded me of something someone said at church recently, that they were going to be grateful for all the minor irritations of life. This little incident seems the perfect embodiment of this sentiment. Despite all my frustration, it contained many things to be grateful for: that I can afford a gym membership in the first place, that my schedule is flexible enough that I can go to the gym after work, and that even though I had to deal with bra-strap slippage, I'm not well-endowed enough to need a sports bra for support. And I'm thankful that this experience could be turned into blog fodder.
I attempted to do the "30 Days of Gratitude" challenge this year and failed completely. Not because I'm not grateful, but just not disciplined enough to express this gratitude on a daily basis via Facebook. I also was stumped on how to express gratitude in ways that were meaningful, interesting, and didn't make me sound like a total twit. I mean, yes, of course, I am thankful for all my dear friends and family and my health and my house, etc., but who isn't? And blanket declarations like that just don't feel real or have an impact. Mundane pleasures and joys, after all, comprise most of our days. So I wanted to give specific things I'm thankful for, but if I mention a specific friend, does that make others feel slighted? In the end, most things I came up with were about food (and alcohol). Despite these limitations, I am throwing out an all at once list of 30 things I am grateful for, in no order of importance. Some are big, some are small, some are specific and some are vague, and yes, many, many are about food.
30(ish) relatively recent things I'm grateful for:
This little drama reminded me of something someone said at church recently, that they were going to be grateful for all the minor irritations of life. This little incident seems the perfect embodiment of this sentiment. Despite all my frustration, it contained many things to be grateful for: that I can afford a gym membership in the first place, that my schedule is flexible enough that I can go to the gym after work, and that even though I had to deal with bra-strap slippage, I'm not well-endowed enough to need a sports bra for support. And I'm thankful that this experience could be turned into blog fodder.
I attempted to do the "30 Days of Gratitude" challenge this year and failed completely. Not because I'm not grateful, but just not disciplined enough to express this gratitude on a daily basis via Facebook. I also was stumped on how to express gratitude in ways that were meaningful, interesting, and didn't make me sound like a total twit. I mean, yes, of course, I am thankful for all my dear friends and family and my health and my house, etc., but who isn't? And blanket declarations like that just don't feel real or have an impact. Mundane pleasures and joys, after all, comprise most of our days. So I wanted to give specific things I'm thankful for, but if I mention a specific friend, does that make others feel slighted? In the end, most things I came up with were about food (and alcohol). Despite these limitations, I am throwing out an all at once list of 30 things I am grateful for, in no order of importance. Some are big, some are small, some are specific and some are vague, and yes, many, many are about food.
30(ish) relatively recent things I'm grateful for:
- Easy availability of faux meat in all its many forms
- Chad found it endearing when I got drunk and cried when I told him about seeing "The Muppets Take Manhattan"
- our heated mattress pad
- coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee (usually French Roast, definitely dark and black)
- the Current (radio station). I really can't specify because I love all the DJs and shows!
- Twin Town Guitar band camps and recitals at The Whiskey Junction
- the "save" feature on Facebook
- (vegetarian) bacon salt
- lasik
- Moisturizer, our electric razor, and at-home hair dye
- can cozies
- Target's fleece-lined leggings
- audiobooks I can listen to on my phone
- Kitty cuteness, including purring Sprout, cuddling Pepper & Sprout, and kitties sleeping with us. I also think it's adorable that Sprout wails like a demon.
- Chad doesn't mind when I compulsively look at Modcloth's website when we are watching TV
- a new script to highlight
- date nights at the Guthrie
- getting to play (or at least attempt to play) Christmas music on our digital piano, and (re)learning music theory
- that I learned to love brussel sprouts
- wasabi soy Triscuits (and sharing the joy they bring) and people liking my chili
- thinkgeek.com
- A perfect Chad & Amy fight. Me: "I'm mad because you never tell me what you're thinking." Chad: "I'm mad because you tell me everything you're thinking."
- Making an audience laugh or cry
- Getting to hang out with my brother and sister-in-law more
- How much Chad loves The Counting Crows
- Listening to Chad practice guitar
- Getting to learn about new things: Guernica, disaster preparedness, website usability, Hank Williams, Alex Chilton
- No way to do them justice, but my awesome, funny, talented, supportive friends (The Girl Posse, the Scooby Gang, and many more I haven't actually named) and my hilarious and crazy family
- People who've known and loved me for a long time and remind me of things (even embarrassing things) I've forgotten
- A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
- Duck Soup and Applause theaters and all the wonderful people involved in them
- and yes, RED WINE!!!!
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