Giving Thanks!!!!

Today is one of my favorite holidays (besides St. Pat's of course). Family, friends, and tons of food, what could be better?! I mean I could practically eat stuffing and sweet potato casserole for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

While most American families have their set yearly tradition, I've realized mine is to not have one. As I look back through the years the food is usually similar, but the setting and the people are forever changing. I don't know if this should be considered kind of sad or actually pretty special. While I'm all about family, traditions, and cooking mass amounts of food all day, it's kind of fun to never know what the following year is going to bring. A life of constants and certainty? Well, that's never really been in the cards for me. 

Some of my more memorable Thanksgivings have been spent:
-in Florida with my grandparents, holiday CD skipping and my grandpa so trashed that he spilled the wine in the mashed potatoes right before he passed it to me...yum....
-at my other grandparents house in New Hampshire secretly awaiting the lobster meal the night after Thanksgiving more than actual Thanksgiving night, and going fishing with my uncle gossiping about family on my grandpa's boat
-at my step-grandparents in Tennessee, riding around on the lake on their pontoon boat feeding the catfish
-cooking and drinking all day with my (ex?) step-dad, starting with mimosas and making the most amazing meal (minus my mom's TOFUrkey..yuck!) with some unintentional bonding along the way
-going to Ted's Montana Grill with my big sister in my sorority and her mom when they adopted me for the day while I was family-less in Tallahassee


and now this year at the fancy shmancy Equinox restuarant in DC, just my mom and I...no cooking, no crazy extended family members, I think it will be actually pretty peaceful for a change


I feel so fortunate to have such special people in my life that have literally opened up their homes and offered to allow us to join in on their family festivities, but it will be nice to have a simple dinner with the one person who I know will never fleet in and out of my life like many of the others throughout the years, my mom. 

It's so easy to complain about all that is wrong in your life. I hate my job. I don't feel good. This person doesn't like me. Things aren't fair. My family is screwed up. I don't know what I want to do with my life.
...Those are my usual go-to's


The reason I love the holiday season is because it puts me back in check, and makes me really think and appreciate all that I do have, and it all so outweighs the bad. 


So here's the things I'm thankful for in 2011...so different than 2010, and I can't even imagine all that 2012 will bring


1. To have such a close relationship with my mom and grandma. Our Europe trip really brought us together this year. It was the trip of a lifetime that most people will never be fortunate enough to experience. My mom and I haven't always had the best relationship through the dreaded teenage years, and now as a young adult she's my sounding board, biggest fan, and I would be so lost without her. 

2. To be back in Northern Virginia. I never thought these words would come, but I really feel like I'm back where I belong. My closest friend in the world and I are back together, and while Florida was a fun 4 year escape, it was never really home. There's something about driving down a familiar street, facing old memories (the good and the bad), and being around people who have known you from the very beginning and still love you anyways. I mean who else will get you huge penguin slippers for your birthday?! On top of that I have roommates who transformed from strangers into friends seemingly overnight, who have opened up their friends and families to me without a second thought. It is nice to be surrounded by such wonderful people on a daily basis. 

3. To have family and friends from a distance. When I'm not working or with people here, I am most likely on the phone. To all my cousins, uncles, best friends, ex-roommates, old friends, college friends, sorority sisters who aren't in my day to day life anymore- I am a better person because all of you are in my life. I love each and every one of you and am so glad that we keep in touch, and love it when we can visit every so often. 

4. Getting my dad back. My Dad took his last sip of alcohol this summer and hasn't looked back. I am so proud of him for sticking with this life commitment, and prioritizing his 4 beautiful children who amaze me more every time I see them. My parents even get along now. Perhaps a little too much, if ya know what I mean. It's a relief to have them on speaking terms after all these years, but the flirting and rekindling old flames is something I could do without!

5. Freedom. No I'm not going to go on some America rant, although America is great! I've learned so many fun facts after my 3-day 8th grade history DC tour ;). But what I mean in this sense is I have the freedom to do so much in my life. I am so lucky to have the financial support of my family along with a full-time job. I have the opportunity to travel, explore, and change career paths as much as I want. So while I'm not always in the most ideal situation which can be frustrating at times, I am so lucky to have the ability to change the parts of my life I'm unhappy with, and not settle for anything less than I feel I deserve and need to live a fulfilling life. 

6. And finally...I guess...sorry I've gotta go here. It still amazes me how things happen. Most of my college friends know me as the most happy, single, never-to-be-tied-down person they know. I never would have thought that I would  end up where I am now. Relationships have aways had a kind of negative connotation to me from past experiences and witnessing the rise and fall of my parent's marriage and second marriage's throughout the years. Putting your faith and trusting someone else is not only scary but seemingly a losing game. Brandon I am thankful for you. If for nothing else, restoring my faith in so many things. We somehow never run out of things to talk about, I am happier when I am with you, and I've never felt so comfortable just being myself. Even if this were to end tomorrow, you are such a special person and I am the most thankful for you being in my life this year. 

So that's that. A very lengthy, sappy, Thanksgiving post. I have nothing else to do while I'm sitting in my office this Turkey Day morning other than halfway watch the parade playing in the background. I am working REALLY hard on not complaining that I am here today and am looking forward to the rest of the afternoon! Eat well and enjoy your family, friends, or whatever Thanksgiving tradition you're taking part in this year!


XO, 
yours truly :)

Having an off day?

Well world, this has been one of those days. I don't know about all of you, but it's rainy and cold in the district, and everything has just been off today. I blame it all on one thing...I do-not-sleep-in.

In my opinion, sleep is severely overrated. Do you know how much you could be getting accomplished in the morning rather than laying in your bed like a useless dead body?! Hence the reason why me sleeping past 9am NEVER happens. I don't care if I've been up all night, if it's a weekend, or if I have nothing to do the next day. I literally can't make my body sleep in.

This morning for absolutely no reason at all I woke up around 11am which TOTALLY threw off my whole day. I worked at 2pm today (in theory) and had a ton of things I needed to get done before that. So I showered and got ready quickly so I could head to one of my LEAST favorite places on earth to pick up a birthday present for my little brother and sister...Toys R Us. 

While this used to be the most magical place on earth (after Disney World) to me while I was little, I have now come to realize that most Toys R Us' are in sketchy areas and are complete dumps. Do I freaking know what 8 year old boy/girl twins want for their birthdays?! Especially since they already have EVERYTHING possible in the entire universe. Not kidding. 

So clearly I buy this plastic dog Nintendo DS contraption that I saw advertised in TV. It was 50 bucks so no way I was springing for two. Knowing my father this is a huge mistake. I'm sure I will get a phone call when they get it saying they're either fighting over it or don't like it. "WHY WOUDLN'T YOU GET TWO OF THEM!!!" or "THEY ALREADY HAVE THIS!!!" It's really a thankless job. One year I got them all a different stuffed animal from Finding Nemo. One didn't like the turtle one so they returned it for a different character. Then she decided she wanted it back a day later and they couldn't find another one so they had the nerve to call me to send a new one. I wish I could make this stuff up. I'm still somewhat bitter that they were born 3 months early, miraculously 2 days before my birthday. But I love the little tyrants so I always send them something even though it never ends well for my team. 


After this adventure I went to Target to get a gift bag and the cashier lady who was overly joyous and had all of 5 teeth rang up the tissue paper twice. I was too afraid of her to say anything and just paid for it...

Then by the time I got to the Fed-Ex to ship the dumb thing to Georgia and out of my life, it turns out that it would cost another $50 to get it there by Saturday on their birthday. So they will be getting their present on my birthday instead. SORRY.


I had plenty of time to get to work but naturally had no idea how to get there from the hood of Alexandria by the Toys R Us where I was. So after getting lost about 50 times I ended up by my work that was all of 5 miles away 30 minutes later. I stopped by Carribou Coffee to get something to help me survive the next 6 hours at work. They broke out their holiday stuff which brightened my day. For those of you Floridians who don't know...Carribou > Starbucks any day. I tried the new ho ho mint white mocha...DELICIOUS. 

I casually strolled into work right around 2pm with my coffee, oblivious and carefree. I chit chatted with my coworker and dealt with some student travel craziness. As soon as he pulled away it dawned on me that I was supposed to come in an hour early for him so he could leave on a vacation with his wife. I felt like the biggest jerk in the world!!!! 

Anyone who knows me knows this is completely out of my character. I do not miss ANYTHING. And look at me, I just sailed on in an hour late with my coffee and he literally didn't even bring it up. Poor guy. I called him and apologized profusely and luckily it worked out because his wife couldn't leave early anyways. STILL. I am a moron. 

Moral here people:

Things hit the fan when you break your routine and too much sleep isn't a good thing in my life.

Wa.

I know all of you really cared about this annoyingly detailed story about absolutely nothing.

It's my birthday week I do what I want. Like every other week.