I had my first cup of coffee in just over a year yesterday. I was amazed at just how much I missed coffee. I'm sure it has as much to do with all the little associations as with the actual coffee or even the caffeine jolt.

Some of my favorite contemplation moments were sitting quiet somewhere with a book and a cup of coffee. I am convinced books are better with coffee. Now if I can just scare together a few extra minutes to sit and read...

I just bought a ton of veggies. With Thanksgiving being a largely meat/bird affair, I think I will make something yummily vegetarian to bring with me. I am making my zucchini tomato casserole. That seemed to go over rather well last year. I also found a nice roasted sweet potato recipe. I think I will make that as well. I am super excited to go cooking. I think soon I want to do a big affair of my own with lots of vegetarian dishes. I forget how much I like to cook when I am tired and uninspired.

I caught a blog today showing a wonderful garden, filled with all the yummy things that I like to eat and had a moment of envy. I may at some point come to terms with making a garden for myself in planters as I don't actually have a yard. Mmmm. I want a garden. And baby chicks. Yeah!

Getting ready for the ramp up with COD MW2 launch really kicking off the holiday season at work this week. Good times! Started off a bit frazzled but I think that I have recovered and am ready to face this new adventure.

Plan A
Sell tons of crap!
Don't piss off customers!
Don't have a nervous breakdown!
Hold on tight!

Had a good weekend geeking out on food. Made the best red beans and rice today. Mmmmm! Will make lentils this week. Super happy with my crock pot!

Also, Tekken 6 is awesome therapy! Woot!

We have gotten a handle on D's Bar Mitzvah, or rather all realized that reality was not to be ignored, postponed it till after the first of the year. This is awesome.

I am hopeful that this will give us time to plan a really great event. We had begun pruning rather heavily due to time constraints and other conflicts. This delay will make it possible to plan something with more meaning, and hopefully a bit more participation from all of us.

Now just have to make it through January, sanity in tact, and life will be good. :)

Not so much a problem of too much on my plate as too many plates, not enough hands. This makes it re-evaluate goals time! Yay!

I am tired of crash and burning each weekend, only to have missed my days off entirely. So for the next three months this is what I have to do.
1. Work, lots, lots of customers, lots of hours, love holiday shoppers.
2. Figure out D's Bar Mitzvah. I have volunteers to help me make this happen, so its a matter of getting all the details of things hammered out. Have meeting on said details tomorrow.
3. Set a sustainable routine that involves 20-30 minutes of walking and 20-30 minutes of yoga daily.
4. Good meal plans that allow for short prep, good taste, and cheap ingredients.
5. Study. Love me a fat stack of books. Finished another two, got three more. Wow they multiply.
6. Sleep. Eat. Breathe!
GO! I am wonderwoman, it shall be done.
7. Occasionally clean house.

Taking some days off this week, hoping to work on 7 and maybe 5 and 6 too.

Had my first phone conversation with Rabbi Joe. I was a bit nervous, but it went really well. We talked about books, and things to study. I am excited about all the books. So much to learn, and so much to read. It makes me happy.

I left the door open at work today so I could smell the rain. It was wonderful. I could hear it over the store's noise part of the day.
The rain always makes me feel introspective. Sigh, I love the rain.

Off to a running start this week. Back at work and ready to role. We have a midnight launch this week, whoo Uncharted 2.  The store looks amazing, the list of changes got made over the weekend, and then some. I have a great staff. I love that I can come to work and things are often better than when I left.

Finished my book, and on to another. So much reading to do...Yay!

Now if I can just get my shoes replaced, I'll be back on the machine!!! Just doing it! Hah!

I love some of the random things that hit me at work. Yesterday I was arranging the layout of the store just a bit, just tweaking things to optimize space when I realized that I absolutely love that. I love digging into something, even something good and making it great. That is the joy for me, not the greatness, but the refining. This drives me more than the success, or the hopes of reward. So I let that sink and and suddenly so many of the other things I love made sense.

It may be a little weird, but I just really dig it.

I was sitting in my car during my lunch today and suddenly realized that the trees are blooming all around the shopping center where I work. Then I realized that I don't remember when they bloomed. Now I see the blooms everywhere and am saddened to think how many blooms I have missed.

Had an amazing burst of "finish things" today. It started as an urge to clean at work and just sort of exploded from there. I am pleased with my closet and my mantel. Woot for small victories.

This year I have so much to be thankful for. First I am grateful for my family. I have three beautiful and wonderful children. While they may make choices I would rather that they didn't, they are able to make those choices. I am grateful that they are intelligent and healthy. I am grateful for my husband. Five years is a miracle.

I am grateful to be in a job in a strong and stable company within a growing industry. It is sometimes stressful and rocky, but I love what I do and that by itself is worth being grateful for.

For all the people who help or have helped to shape me into the person I am becoming, I thank you. May you all be blessed by your own actions.

Happy Thanksgiving. May you all be richly blessed.

Today feels calmer. Things are wrapping up. The kids are back in school which lowers the daily stress level a lot. Today is my last shift as acting store manager till my store opens up. No more overtime for a while, giving me more time for family. Time for my practice.

Good thoughts for my mother who is in for surgery in a few minutes. May the healing be more than physical.

Onward and upward!

Managed to get a walk, breakfast, and a lunch packed. I may be on my way back toward healthy routines. I do not like changes in my schedule. Hrmmm, do not want to become a creature of lazy habit.

So, perhaps my promotion is delayed. Perhaps it will just evaporate like the dream upon waking. It has been a spectacular week.

Learned a lot today. Recognized some bad habits I need to break. Work has been giving me all kinds of crazies, and my mom is queen of teh crazies, so this weekend turned into a clusterf**k of joy!
Today from the other side of last week, I see all the possibilities.

The best way out is always through. We <3 Robert Frost!

has been my root canal. l Iove life.

Has been a rough week. I found myself lingering in the negative, and missing some very awesome stuff. Lily has decided she can conquer the use of chop sticks. This was an adventure.

I have focused on all the crap at work, at home, and in general. I have learned so much in the past month, have been pushed and stretched as a person. It is an amazing process. If Lily can use chopsticks I can smile.

Not my best idea in a while, nor breakfast of champions. It just seemed like such a great idea at the time.

Back on the no sugar wagon. Sigh!