This week, I am thankful:
that I feel more like Regular Kristen than I did last week
I got a chance to get a bit more rest over the weekend, and I think that helped a lot. I feel more like my usual self this week, and I am grateful.
that it worked out to walk to school yesterday
I haven’t done that in a bit for a variety of reasons. But yesterday everything aligned to make it possible.
that we are halfway done with exams in this class
I got a 92% on my second one, so I have lots of wiggle room to pass this class. You need a minimum of 150 exam points, and I already have 94, so it should not be a problem to get the remaining 56 points over the next two exams.
You all know that I love me some margin! So this makes me very very happy.
Also, we are way over halfway through the material…exam 3 has all new lecture material, but exam 4 is a cumulative final exam, so that’s all on material we have already learned/studied/been tested on.
that I only have to go to clinical in the city one more time
I do not love this clinical assignment, largely because it requires a lot of driving time. It’s an 8-hour clinical, but I leave my house at 11 am and don’t get back until about 10 pm.
So, it’s almost as long of a day as when I work 12-hour shifts at my nearby hospital!
My group and I are super happy we are almost done.
that we haven’t had to pay for any parking
We get one validated parking pass per group per week, and since we have faithfully carpooled each week, we all have paid exactly $0 for parking. Yay us!
that I haven’t lost the packet of parking validations
My instructor gave them to me at the start of our rotation, and I was very nervous I would misplace them (they are very small!)
So, I stuck them in a zippered inner compartment of my clinical bag, so that they are safe and secure.
I know myself well enough to realize I would almost certainly lose a small packet like this if I was not careful. It’s just so easy to mindlessly put things like that down and then forget where they are.
(I have lost enough things in my life to make me grateful for the times I don’t! Ha.)
for the knowing-your-own-foibles that comes with age
The parking validation responsibility made me think of this:
When you’ve stacked up enough trips around the sun, you start to be able to anticipate your own mistakes, based on past history.
For instance, you know how I have forgotten to bring doctor referral forms or bloodwork orders with me so many times? Well, because of that, I always put them in my glove compartment right away, even if the appointment is months down the road.
And now I never show up without the form.
(I do, however, sometimes have to run back out to my car because I forget that I even need a form until I arrive at the front desk. Ha.)
I also know that I should never trust myself to throw everything in the dryer and then remember to come back in a few minutes and pull out the things I only want to be fluffed a bit.
So in that scenario, I just turn the dryer onto a 5-minute setting. That way if I forget to come back, I haven’t accidentally shrunk anything.
Life operates more smoothly when you are able to compensate for your persistent flaws. 😉
for Chiquita snuggles
I don’t often sit or lie down on the couch, but when I do, Chiquita is SO happy. She always comes and sits on my lap or lays down on me.
And then, of course, I feel like it would be rude to get up. So it’s some nice quasi-forced rest. 😉
She may have only two brain cells, but she is a good cuddler.
for the mint KitKat that Zoe brought home for me
A million miles better than regular KitKats if you ask me!
Maureen
Thursday 21st of November 2024
I am having a hard time find some things to be thankful for when I found out that a friend's husband died last night of cancer. On the flip side, however, my other girlfriend's daughter is 34 and just had a double mastectomy because of stage 2 cancer. But they found no cancer in the lymph nodes, so that is excellent news. So cancer takes away, but also sends good news sometimes, so I am thankful for that.
I have another friend with cancer and a broken hip and I was worried about her, but she texted me this morning about her great support team, so that is a relief. I pictured her sitting in her house all day without anyone contacting her, but I was so wrong. I will keep sending cards to make her smile and continue prayers.
I am thankful I have a paper cutting machine and I can make and send cards to people. And I have plenty of paper in my stash to make said cards, so it really will only cost me a stamp.
Thankful that my daughter and son-in-law were able to purchase some land for hunting and possibly a house in the future. They are hard-working people and I'm glad they were saving for something like that. Maybe sometime in the future when they build, they'll build a granny pod for me. LOL
Weather is getting cold (finally!) and I am so thankful for all the wood we purchased in Aug and Sept and for the fires that are built every morning by the time I get up. The animals are happy too.
And Kristen, I am happy that you are having a better week. And the semester is almost over and that you are not stressing too much about your upcoming tests. I know you will do well!
K D
Thursday 21st of November 2024
I am thankful for my cuddly grandkitty. When I visited on Monday she wanted to sleep on me the rest of the afternoon. Since I made her get up so I could go home she let me know on Tuesday that she was calling the shots that day and only sat on my lap for a short while.
I am thankful for the wonderful weather we've had the past six days. It has been warmish and there has been some sun. I am also thankful for the rain we received last night. We really needed it.
I am thankful for the ability to be active, as Kristen says "being temporarily able bodied".
I am thankful for this exercise. I have been a bit down this week but I think today will be a better day.
I am thankful for a decent home, heat, food, vehicles, friends, family, and neighbors.
Lea
Thursday 21st of November 2024
Chiquita is terrific! She makes me laugh so much.
Tarynkay
Thursday 21st of November 2024
I have been doing a work training all week. So I am grateful for:
1) free lunch all week long! It’s been good, too.
2) spending a whole week just learning, even though I will have to spend the weekend catching up on regular work
3) we did a domestic violence simulation as part of this and we were all given envelopes with random amount of green cards representing money and yellow cards representing “goodwill.” If you wanted to leave the abusive home and stay at a hotel, that cost a lot of green money cards but no yellow cards. Staying at a friend’s house cost a lot of yellow goodwill cards, but no green money cards. I was given only one yellow goodwill card and felt so bereft with no options for help from a friend, even though this was a pretend situation.
4) the next day, my son’s school flooded and I was so so grateful that I gave “yellow cards” in real life so he is able to stay with a friend during the day and that I also have real life “green cards” so I can pay her for the extra time and effort she is expending in keeping track of his virtual school on top of her kids.
5) That I am steadily getting better after being very sick all last week.
Victoria
Thursday 21st of November 2024
When I have been shopping the last two weekends I have found parking quickly in really busy places.
The training I delivered on Tuesday went well and I got great feedback.
I had my partner help me rest last night when my brain was screaming at me to start painting my kitchen. Which is followed by thankfulness for being more awake to start fresh this morning.
Both of us spent half a day in online queues but did get tickets to a sold out exhibition.
I have a home with heating that is safe for me.