Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Nikki's Thanksgiving Thursday Thirteen

For a variety of reasons, none of them particularly onerous or challenging on their own, it's been a rough last couple of weeks. I haven't been feeling especially thankful lately, so it really is the perfect time to count my blessings.

Here are 13 things I'm thankful for this year:

1. My family. I am so lucky to have them close, and to have close, loving relationships with so many of them! I'm also going to get to see a little more of them than usual this holiday season, and I'm really looking forward to that.

2. My job. I feel very fortunate to still be working despite store closures nationwide, and to have a crew of people I can enjoy and respect.

3. The Pomme de Sang Forum and Fanfic Archive, the Fiction Writer's Workshop, and Romance Divas. I have met so many wonderful people since I joined them! I have been able to get back into writing again and found a great community to share the experience with. Not to mention just having a ton of great stuff to read and talk about! Thank you everyone.

4. Fluffy the cat. I'm sorry for the unfortunate circumstances that brought him into my home temporarily, but it's been great to see him come out of his shell and find his voice. He's definitely getting the hang of lazy weekend mornings sleeping in, and that's a great thing :)

5. Good friends. I've thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people, but there's nothing like the friendship of women I've grown up with. I'm glad you're still in my life.

6. My apartment. The housing market being what it is, I feel very lucky to have my apartment stay at a rate I can live with so I didn't have to move this year. I hate moving, and am very cozy in my little apartment. (Across the street from work - woohoo!)

7. My muse. I'm so glad it came back! Shame on me for letting it get away. Thank heavens it was willing to come back around once I decided to get off my butt and write again.

8. The new Star Trek Movie. I love movies, and it's been ages since a movie came out that I just had to see over and over again. Hurray for spending a summer at the movies again!.

9. iTunes. I feel sort of ridiculous saying this, but I'm really glad to have been forced to get used to iTunes. I finally feel free to just download the songs I want instead of the whole cd, and I've been able to find a bunch of new music I would never have risked in a store. I need new music almost as much as I need new books to read, and it's great to have a place to get a new bite if I need to.

10. My Blackberry. Hurray for getting email on my phone, and for Pandora radio and an ebook reader on my phone when I get to restaurant before my friends do, or just want to read in bed!

11. Studded tires. I would not have been able to buy Christmas presents for my family in time for the holiday last year, or even made it to Christmas breakfast at my mom's if I hadn't had studded tires on my car. Two solid weeks of snow and ice is more than I ever thought I'd see in the NW. I wasn't sure I'd ever use them again once I moved across the street from work, but got my money's worth out of them again last December.

12. Line dancing. Finally, something that'll get me out of the house on Friday night! I don't even know the names of all the dances I've learned, but I'm having a great time and learning more every week.

13. Elliptical machines in the workout room. They're my favorite cardio to do, and now that they're in the fitness room in my apartment complex I actually visit the place once in a while :)


Happy Thanksgiving and best wishes to all!!

11 comments:

  1. Yay! I'm pleased you decided to do a grateful list. I love these. I always feel better after I write them, you know? I love that Fluffy the Cat made it on there, too. That's cute. And I know what you mean about iTunes. I feel the same way about Pandora. Thank you for sharing your list!

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  2. This is a really nice list, Nikki, and lucky you to LIKE where you live. I'm looking for something more affordable myself right now and it really sucks. Happy Thanksgiving!

    My Post

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  3. Thank you, Noony and Heather!

    Noony, I'm glad I did a grateful list, too. I almost didn't, but I needed the reminder.

    I actually got into iTunes because American Idol wouldn't let me download any of their songs any other way. I was so bitter at first, lol. My brother turned me on to Pandora, and now I listen to it all the time. Thank goodness my Storm's got good batterly life!

    Heather, I'm so sorry you're having trouble finding a place! Finding the right mix of square feet and location and affordability can be very challenging.

    I won't pretend my place is perfect, but a fireplace and a laundry room with a perfect spot for the cat box (so it doesn't have to go in the bathroom or bedroom) can make up for a lot :) Have a wonderful holiday, and best of luck to you on finding a place!

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  4. You have a fireplace?! Lucky you!

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  5. Here in the suburbs it seems to be that you either have a washer and dryer and a fireplace, or you have none of those things. I wanted a fireplace, but it was the washer and dryer I really needed. With the schedule I work, I either do laundry on the weekends or not at all. I got so tired of fighting the rest of the complex who had the same idea at my old apartment, I decided to make sure I got a washer and dryer in the unit when I moved. Fortunately for me, that meant a fireplace, as well :)

    I don't think a lot of the apartments in the city have them, though.

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  6. Thanks for sharing all these things with us. I think seeing everyone's "thankful" lists keeps all of us aware of what's important in our lives.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

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  7. I think we all need to do a list like this more often. You are truly blessed. Happy Thanksgiving.

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  8. Thanks for sharing your grateful list. Isn't it wonderful when we count our blessings?

    Happy TT and Turkey Day!

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  9. fun list. I am not a fan of the elliptical, but... hey, whatever gets you movin'.

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  10. Thank you to everyone who responded!

    Adelle, I am very lucky. I feel even more so after a wonderful day spent with my cousin Alex and a delicious family dinner!

    Elise, the elliptical totally kicks my butt, but I like it because it's less impact than a treadmill. And it's bouncy when I'm up to speed, lol, which is fun. As you say, though, the moving is the important thing, however we do it.

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