1-30-2012 Tap Water

There is so much to be grateful for tap water.  We take it for granted in that so many people in this world can't just go and turn on their tap for a glass of clean and safe to drink water.  Every now and then for various reasons, I'll go up to the tap with my glass in hand, flick up the faucet lever and expect my glass to be filled - but nothing happens.  Or perhaps, some water comes out but it has sort of a brownish color.  Hey? What happened to my clean, clear water that I expect? I'm entitled to it and I even sometimes complain when that's all there is to drink.

When the water does not come out of the tap it kind of gives you that surprised feeling like when the milk carton is empty but you think it's full - you kind of sweep it off the table with no resistance.  Or it's like that feeling when you flick the light switch but the light doesn't come on (I'll save that for another day).

So, today I'm grateful for tap water.

1-29-2012 Arriving Home Safely

My wife went out of town for two days.  Not that far out of town and not to any place new or difficult to get to.  But still, no matter the distance, it's always a good feeling and sense of relief when someone you are waiting to return comes home safely.
So, today I'm grateful for arriving home safely.

1-28-2012 A Friend to run with

I have a friend that loves running.  I was scheduled to run for 25 miles.  Usually for a run that long I will run with some people at the beginning of the run.  But who really wants to run 25 miles just because someone else is?  The answer is a friend.   Of course, there are many ways to be a friend to someone, and you don't have to run 25 miles to be a good friend, but who else but a friend would do that?

I didn't even have to really ask for this help.  Sometimes people see you are in need of help and they just offer.
I'm grateful for that and will remember to be on the lookout for someone who could use my help.

1-27-2012 Rain Stopping Just in Time

I was about to not run outside because it was raining.  As I walked out the door, the rain stopped.  Although I had my keys in hand and had made up my mind to head over to the Y and get on a treadmill,  I dropped off the keys and put on my garmin.  It was too good of an opportunity.  The rain doesn't always stop when you want it to, so take advantage of it when it does.

1-26-2012 Ok to Miss a day

I'm grateful for the fact that missing one day of something you intended to do everyday does not mean it's the end.  It's not a good habit and can be a slippery slope of excuses, but it can also a time to reflect and regroup.  Ok, so it's not the first day I've missed, but other days I've gone back and filled in the missing days.  But today, I'll leave that day open and not add a post for it just because I can. 

1-24-2012 email

I'm grateful for email.  It's quick and easy.  It is just a tool like anything else, but an unexpected good email can really make your day.

1-23-2012 Mondays

Yes, I am grateful for Mondays.  Just like mornings, they are a new beginning.  They are not as bad as the dread one might sometimes feel on a Sunday night.  Appreciating a Monday is a powerful way to live in the present.

1-22-2012 Florida Winters

I pulled the pool cover off and went for a swim.  The air was nice but the water felt warmer.  I swam a few laps and then floated for a while.   I talked to my neighbor earlier in the day about how nice it is here in the winter (he is from CT. - where people complain about the cold and stay in doors during the winter).  There are many great places to live and  you can find something to love about almost any place - but I'm here and happy right now, Florida in the winter.

1-21-2012 Long Run Magic

Something happens between the beginning and end of a long run.  You feel it more if you start out not feeling up to the task of running or even feeling like doing much of anything at all.  But something opens up, whether it is all the fresh air, a good conversation or extra blood flowing to the brain making you see things more clearly.   There is a magic that happens which I have felt many times.  Sometimes it is the one thought that gets me started on a run - to never underestimate the power of long run magic.

1-20-2012 Eye Sight

I was cleaning up the kitchen this morning and was looking for dirt and things that needed to be wiped down.  I was looking in close and then standing back for a bigger picture to see if I had missed anything.
Then it dawned on me what an amazing thing that eye sight is.   We don't always appreciate it and sometimes forget to really use it, but for most of us it is there for us every day.

Some are not so lucky.  Some have never had it and some had it at one point but lost it.

I am grateful for eye sight today.

1-19-2012 Running Friends and hindsight

Running Friends
Today I'm thankful for my running friends.   They are easy to make since you start out with something in common.  Pretty much if it wasn't for running friends I would not have any friends or very many friends.  It's mostly just meeting up with other people who like to run.  But every now and then when you haven't seen someone for a while you get a text or an email saying "hey, what's up, how have you been, miss you" or something like that.  It's nice to know you are remembered.

It's also nice when you find out that you made someone's day by being there for them or encouraging them to do something they didn't think they had in them.

Hindsight
Now, I think hindsight gets a bad rap, and you hear things about how it's "always 20/20", which I don't think is true.  Sometimes you look back at things in a new light, a more objective and calmer light and things make sense.  I'm grateful for those moments of clarity that hindsight can bring.    Then, just like history, you have to learn it and learn from it so as not to do be doomed to repeat it.

1-17 and 1-18, 2012 Curried lentils and Rice

So much for an entry every day.
Anyway, yesterday I was grateful for curried lentils and rice for dinner which Jenny made.  This is a meal which makes me not worry about if I was ever forced to be a vegan.  There's is nothing about meat that I miss when eating curried lentils with rice.

I enjoyed it so much, I'm having it for lunch today.  And in general I'm grateful for leftovers, something that kids including myself once upon a time were not always grateful for.

1-16-2012 Grilled chicken, green beans, sweet potato

Today I'm grateful for one of my favorite dinners, which Jenny cooked for us tonight -  Grilled chicken, green beans, sweet potato.   It's nothing super complicated but the three things just go so well together.  She is masterful at timing everything so they all come out just right.

Also, grateful for massages.  I had one today, first one since sometime in November.  Was really good to help get the kinks out from yesterday's race.  I'm feeling like I might even be able to go for a short run tomorrow.

1-14-2012 Books / 1-15-2012 Falling Down

1-15-2012
Today I was grateful that when I fell down I was running up a hill.  I think that is much better than falling when running down a hill.  I fell down an actually, involuntarily said "Ooof!", I landed on my hands which fell on something that was not sharp.  It was kind of like doing a burpee which I often do during Jenny's boot camp classes, so that really came in handy.  So, I'm also grateful for all of the burpees Jenny has made me do!

1-14-2012
Also, I seemed to have missed yesterday.  I am grateful for books (as well as being able to read).  There's always something to do if you have a book, you can transport yourself someplace else without leaving where you are.  I started to read Steinbeck's  East of Eden  which I was probably supposed to read sometime during high school. I've rediscovered reading recently, and I'm very grateful that books don't hold a grudge for having been ignored so long.

January 13, 2012 - Weekends

I am grateful for weekends.  Without these, the weeks would never end and life would seem like one big long grind.  Of course, it is still possible for this to happen if you don't appreciate the weekend or if you have to work on weekends as many people do.  But, it is still something to consider and sometimes just by thinking about it you can get into a weekend state of mind even if  you have to work.

Kids have a very acute sense of the weekend thanks to school.  It is something that should never be forgotten as we get older.

This weekend I will sleep in a little bit later on Saturday since I'm not going to run long, then I will take Thomas to bowling.  Not sure what else yet on Saturday, but will think of something.

Then on Sunday is the 50K race followed by some relaxing.

And who knows what else the weekend might hold.

January 12, 2012

Today I was thankful for seeing old friends who are really glad to see you and make you feel like you made their day by showing up.  I had not seen Eudair in a while but she was at Longleaf for a run this morning.  She's always been a huge inspiration and has such a positive can-do personality.

January 11, 2012

I'm thankful that sometimes when it looks cold and rainy outside and you were planning on running, and almost thought about not running because it looked cold and rainy, but you go out anyway.  Once outside you find it is not nearly as cold as you thought, it's actually kind of warm.  The rain has pretty much stopped and you don't feel anything.  You come home and you are glad you took a chance despite how it looked at first.

Backfill and Why this Blog

This is a very simple blog to list each day one thing I am grateful for.  This blog was inspired by my old high school friend Dan Weber (who we sometimes called Grateful Dan, a big dead head at the time).  I saw him posting these on Facebook.

So, since today is the 10th, I will cover from Jan 1 - 10th today and then try to do one post a day, unless I can't get internet access, then ASAP.

January 1st - I'm grateful for the start of a new year and sleeping in a little bit.  I count it as sleeping in even if I wake up early as long as I don't get out of bed and can fall asleep a little bit.

January 2nd - Check in for the cruise went pretty smoothly, I'm grateful that I remembered to bring everything we needed.  The agent even complimented us on having our stuff together.

January 3rd - Grateful for treadmills.  Some people call these "dreadmills" but I don't mind running on them and can sometimes be nice.

January 4th -Grateful that all the tours we were interested in were not filled up.  I was supposed to sign up for zip lining in Belize but waited too long.  Some of the other tours had restrictions which Thomas was too young for.  Fortunately cave tubing was still available.

January 5th - Grateful for nice weather for the cave tubing trip.

January 6th - Grateful for spectacular sunsets on the beach

Sunset in Cozumel

January 7th - Grateful for DVD players.  Watched the last Lord of the Rings movie today.  The DVD player in the state room was a great way to pass the down time.

Sammy Pick Up

January 8th - Grateful for safely arriving home from the trip.  Disembarking was very smooth, walked right off the ship at 7:46 (grateful for Jenny signing us up for expedited disembarking, customs was a breeze and it took just a few minutes to get the car.  Very little traffic so the drive back was easy and I did not get lost this time finding my way to I-275.  Andy and I picked up Sammy from the kennel at 3:00 for the Sunday pick up hours:   
Most importantly grateful to be back home.

January 9th - Grateful for Jenny's boot camp

January 10th - Grateful for inspiring friends like Dan Weber