21 Days of Gratitude: Day 6

What an interesting day.

I woke up not wanting to do anything but be lazy, but thankfully, my husband felt otherwise. Although it was a movie he had already watched, because he knew I wanted to see it, he gladly took me to see Get Smart, then out to lunch at Applebees. The movie was just okay, but I enjoyed the time alone with Gareth. Life gets so busy that even though we see each other every day and end the evening in the same bed every night, quality time together seems so few and far between. I honestly can't imagine how much more fleeting it could become when we add children to the picture.

I am thankful every day for Gareth, that almost goes without saying. But it's important to say it. I believe it's too easy for people to take their spouses for granted because you know they're always around. I didn't always appreciate Gareth as much as I do now because he is such a big presence in my life I just figured, "Eh...we're married, he knows I love him, that should be enough."

But it wasn't until I started spending more time with him after my grandmother passed away that I realized what an important role he played in my well-being. From the day I met him he brought new experiences for me, pushing me constantly to broaden my horizons, do something different. I wasn't always comfortable with that ~ I'm a creature of habit and to try something new was quite a challenge.

Some of those new things didn't meet with great success (i.e., riding a scooter), but not since I was little girl do I remember laughing so much with someone. He definitely brings out the kid in me. Sometimes it's awkward to find ourselves the only adults in a line at an amusement park, but I have to admit one of the most liberating experiences I've ever had was a water ride at Bullwinkle's Family Fun Center where Gareth and I were the only ones careening around the pool shooting water at each other. It was definitely more fun for me because Gareth's controls didn't work and he was more or less a sitting duck. But to be able to laugh and giggle and scream like a little kid really did make me feel young again.

So for days , like today, where I wake up feeling old wanting to just be lazy, I remember how fortunate I am to have a husband who refuses to grow old and forces me not to waste a day away. I know it's easy now because we don't have children, but I believe even when we do, Gareth will make sure we still have these fun moments. I just have to remember to be open and receptive to them. That's the tough part, because the role of serious, responsible adult came with turning 30, and this month I'll have 6 years experience at being one.

We get so caught up in being responsible adults we forget we weren't always so - and who can blame us? We have jobs, we have mortgages, we have bills to pay, groceries to buy. Most of you have kids to take care of, or maybe even elderly parents to care for now. The list of serious stuff in our lives is endless.

When I tell them my weekend plans, my coworkers always say to me, "Wow, you and Gareth get to do a lot of fun things together." It's hard for me to explain to them that we don't just get to do these things, we have to do these things. We need to do these things. For our sanity's sake, for our health's sake and for our marriage's sake. I'm so grateful to have a husband who knows this and makes things happen for us.

Now, by no means is he perfect. There are times we get on each others nerves, do stupid things, make thoughtless remarks. He loves TV shows I sometimes find disturbing, while he can't understand why I'd watch a TV show like Friends or Sex and the City. I grin and just barely bear it when he puts on his 80's rock CDs while he doesn't understand my thing for jazz or hiphop. There are times I feel he's very demanding and I'm sure there are times he wishes I would ease up on things I want done around the house.

There are plenty of times I feel he doesn't listen to me fully, but I've caught myself listening with half an ear just as many times. Maybe more. He does tend to talk a lot. There are times I'm sure he wishes I would be more affectionate, usually at times when I wish he'd give me some space. Yet at the end of every day, he's the one I turn to for comfort, love, reassurance and support because all he really asks for in return is the same thing.

And for all this I am grateful.

21 Days of Gratitude: Day 5

It's the summer solstice and my office celebrates it with an all day snack day. I made chocolate chip bar cookies. I was too lazy to do the whole spoonful drop thing. I just dumped the dough into the pan and rolled it out. It was a hit, but then again, all the contributions were thoroughly enjoyed.

Today, I'm thankful for all the great snacks brought in. My personal favorites were Dave's apple fritters, Tonya's ham & cream cheese wrapped asparagus spears, Wendy's guacamole, Vivian's summer sausage and Kerry's salami & cheese tray.

I'm grateful for a phone call from my mom telling me she and Papa and Ateng would take me out to lunch next Friday for an early birthday lunch. I not only appreciated the call, I appreciated the one week advance notice. LoL... My family's not well known for pre-planning.

I'm grateful for a phone call from my Kuya who always manages to make me laugh with his somewhat regular calls as he drives to work.

I'm grateful for an easy commute home where no one slept and easy conversations flowed.

I'm grateful that summer has finally arrived in Washington, just in time for the official first day of summer. Now I feel like I've just been ridiculously impatient.

Here's to a weekend with more things to be grateful about!

21 Days of Gratitude: Day 4

Today, the commute home just wiped me out for some reason. I didn't drive, I was just a passenger, but the time from Tumwater to Federal Way just sapped me of any energy to talk, write or even eat. Luckily, my mother-in-law was home and tossed something together for dinner. I was just so tired though that I couldn't remember what I ate an hour after I ate it.

If there's a negative with my job, it's the commute. But thank goodness for my vanpool. I know I already blogged about my gratitude for only spending $74-$76 a month, when some people are spending that every week now, or maybe even more frequently, on a tank of gas. I used to be a casual passenger, because I couldn't totally give up the freedom and convenience of driving myself. But my Honda has sat in my driveway now for quite a few months. I can't even remember the last time I filled up the tank, since when I do use it, it's to either go to the library or the grocery store a mile or so away.

I now take the van home at night and bring it back to the park & ride in the morning to pick up the other riders. Being responsible for getting other people to work on time has pushed me to have a better work ethic. I used to stagger in to my old office 15 minutes late, and it was only a 10 minute drive. Now I'm early to work with a commute 5x as long.

In addition to the van, I'm grateful for the 4 other certified drivers in my vanpool who don't hesitate to take a turn at the wheel.

Mary has fast become a good friend. She's a young librarian for the state library across the street from my building. She is a great storyteller whose vocabulary I envy and admire. We're both avid readers, fans of The Office and Lost and fierce competitors on MarioKart.

Bob is a Southern gentleman, complete with an Alabama drawl. He's an industrial insurance adjudicator for Labor & Industries and he's my go-to-guy for all things mechanical and electronic and he's equipped with all kinds of tools! That he lets me borrow without hesitation! When he found out I built my own computer, we added all things computer related to our list of things to talk about. Some may find him a bit of a know-it-all, but he does really know quite a bit.

Robin is this brusque woman social worker with a big heart. She can't remember a name to save her life, and she can't tell a joke to save her life either, but she tries. She also has a habit of sharing too much information, using euphemisms like, "Sorry I'm late, I had to drop the kids off at the pool." And even though most of us figured it out but just chose not to comment, she still had to ask, "You get it? Drop the kids off at the pool? I had to use the bathroom...." WTF?!

The newest driver is Margaret, an auditor with the Department of Revenue. She's a middle-aged South African woman who has the cutest of giggles. I love her curious turns of phrases, which actually is just very proper English. She's so short, when I get in the driver's seat after she's driven I have to adjust the rearview mirror from giving me a good look at my neck. When she drives it's a bit like riding a roller coaster, and we all make jokes about kissing the ground when we exit the van.

Without these folks, I'd be one tired, miserable commuter. So for the van and for the drivers, I'm grateful.

21 Days of Gratitude: Day 3

So, today I made myself get out of bed and go to work. There are days when calling in sick is just the easiest thing to do, especially when the weather's so nice. But I've been very good so far this month, so I trudged through the morning and by the time I got to my office I was glad I made the effort.

Nothing spectacular happened at work, but I'm staying on top of my workload and feeling pretty productive. Today marked my 1 year anniversary with the Department of Retirement Systems. I've been working for the state of Washington since July of 1994, and I have to say DRS has been the best agency to work for.

I still have many great friends from my two previous agencies, so it's not like they were awful places to work, but as far as my actual job duties, this is the first agency where I've truly enjoyed what I do. With my previous job duties, I wouldn't have fought the idea of staying home. I look forward to getting things done and I think a lot of it is because the people I work with and the atmosphere of the office is so laidback, that you want to get your work done so you can spend time being laidback. Does that make sense?

I am moving from training row to my new team's section in the next couple of weeks. I actually like moving because it gives me a chance to set things up in a better semblance of order. In 12 months I've managed to amass tons of files from fear I might need something from them. Now I know I can purge them and start anew. For that I am grateful.

My new team is an interesting cast of characters. I'm the type that gets along with anyone, so I'm not worried about fitting in. I can find you to be the most annoying being alive, but as long you don't impede my progress in getting things done or getting where I need to go, we're cool. It amazes me sometimes how much people thrive on drama or let the smallest things rattle them.

I'm not a workaholic by any means, but I certainly know how to look like one. I learned to fly under the radar in my previous offices, avoiding cliques and I always manage to always be at my desk when the bosses come around. Sometimes my cubicle becomes party central, with my coworkers gathered 'round. I'm a bit of a girl scout, try to be ready for anything, so people know to come to me if they need something like a nail file, floss, safety pins, hair clips, etc. But I generally try to avoid office gossip and if it's unavoidable, I ask subtly pointed questions that make the person start wondering why they thought the information they shared was worth sharing in the first place. Sometimes my curiousity does get the better of me, but if it does, I don't go for secondhand information, I just go straight to the source.

So what does this have to do with my subject? I don't know. It was just something to write about. I have an awesome workplace, with great people I get along with, and for that I'm grateful. I enjoy my work and the clients I get to serve appreciate my efforts, and for that I'm grateful. My trainer is a wonderful person who is generous with her time and praise and for that I'm grateful.

The majority of DRS employees are housed in one building, which is rare for a state agency. I was used to being out in a field office, just lugnut on the wheel of a giant vehicle. Now I feel like an integral part of a well-oiled machine. Where at the other agencies I felt there was us against them attitude between the different divisions, at DRS I feel a great sense of camaraderie and teamwork. Who knows, maybe it's still the infatuation phase and I'm just a giddy kid in love but that's okay. This is a nice change from feeling jaded and cynical about working for the state.

And for that I am grateful.