Tag: little things for which i am thankful

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri
If you know Boston at all, you know where this was taken.
If you know Boston at all, you know where this was taken.
  1. I am so thankful for my friends, both new and old, in person and online. You know who you are. I’m grateful for all the questions you throw in my direction when you feel I might have my head stuck in the clouds about my dreams, because they keep me down on this earth. And I’m grateful for your ability to make me smile and laugh.  You teach me that it’s ok to dream, and not be like everyone else. And that if you work hard enough at it, your dreams CAN become your reality.
  2. Air conditioning, folks, plain and simple. Yesterday, there was 93% humidity in the Boston area at one point. In case you live in a climate where you never see those kinds of numbers, well, let me just tell you, it’s GROSS. You basically walk outside, take a breath, and wonder why you ever bothered to shower that day already.
  3. It has actually been really nice to have a roommate these last few weeks. While it’s been an adjustment to having someone else around, she’s pretty respectful, and so is her partner, and when I walked into the apartment last night, she was doing some exercises, so I got to teach her a few things and correct her form on some others. It was nice to see her doing something which I love so much, and to realize, you know, I really can help people with this. I may feel like a fraud some days, not having the hands-on experience yet, and I definitely don’t know everything there is to know (and won’t even claim to do so), but it’s something to work on. When you know everything there is to know about a subject, then it gets boring. Luckily, my current field, and my next one (notice I didn’t add in the word “hopeful” after next…I AM going to make it happen) are fields where lifelong learning is involved.
  4. Baby geese!!!
    Baby geese!!!

    I came in late to work on Monday because of an appointment and because our policy is either you make up the time or have to take an entire half day off, I took the half day. It allowed me to spend time on my way home just gazing at the Charles, sitting (and laying part of the time) on a park bench, as if I didn’t have a care in the world. And I truly didn’t for that short period of time. I was still enough that even the baby geese felt safe enough to walk right past me.

  5. I am so very grateful for the view below and the cloudy skies. A lot of people don’t like having an overcast day. But for me, I enjoy them. First of all, I LOVE running in overcast skies. In sun, I literally feel like I am going to wilt. And also, they make me appreciate the sunny days all the more. I’m grateful for this realization because it has really helped me to focus and decide on an area of the country where I want to move. At least a state and a few regions of that state anyway. More on my decisions in a later post…..dum dum dum….. (by the way, I was touched with how many of you responded to my request for information on WA state. Thank you…)
  6. I think I have made a few decisions this week about the direction of my life over the next year or 18 months and while they are a bit terrifying, they’re also exciting. Might involve slowing down some of my paying off of debt so I can bank a lot in savings, but I’ll keep at both goals. I”ll explain in a later post.

 

:-)
🙂

 

As always, thanks for reading, and I hope you will all have a great weekend if I don’t post over it (although, I’m in a writing mood so you never know…)

If you’ve liked this post, please hit “like” below or subscribe or drop me a line! Thank you!!

 

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri

photo (16)

1. I haven’t fallen off my bike yet today – woohoo! Hey, it’s the little things, folks, the little things… (Explanation  – I have fallen off of my bike the last two days in a row. I’m just glad I only got a bruise or two, and no broken bones.)

2. I was able to go to a Perform Better Functional Summit last weekend in Providence, RI. For the most part, the speakers were very good. A couple were impressed with themselves, but I’d been warned of those two egos before I went, so I wasn’t surprised. But honestly, I obtained a wealth of information and met a few very nice people. I’m sure that as with every profession, there is a lot of competition but  can I just say – it was so nice to sit at a conference in really comfy clothes!!

3. The other night, my roommate and her boyfriend were cuddling with little baby Osito and they saw what they thought was a mole on her so they asked about it. We looked closer and it was a tick! So that reminded me to put her Vectra on her (it’s better than Advantix/Advantage? because it also protects animals from mosquitoes.) I’m just glad we found it, and she was such a trooper when we took it off of her. I’m just grateful my roomie’s boyfriend was there to help get it off. I don’t know what I would do if my little O were to get sick or get lyme’s disease. I’d be crushed.

4. The last few days have been so gorgeous outside, I can’t even describe it. It’s made me realize that what I do love about living around here is the greenness of spring and summer. So, it’s helped me decide that I will most likely be looking to move to Washington State when I make my move west. Coincidentally (or not) but I reconnected with an alum of the law school where I work this week, and she is in Seattle. So she gave me her thoughts about the place, and especially the winters.) It’s extremely green there, there are mountains everywhere, and the winters are nothing like the brutal cold and snow that we get here. I can deal with the rain – I actually like rainy days dispersed among the sunny ones, because it makes me appreciate the sunny ones all the more. Btw, the picture above is from my regular route with Osito in the evenings.

5.  My roomie and I are motivated to help each other follow our dreams. We’ve got our goals on the wall, which we have even labeled with signs, “Wall of Dreams.” It’s a reminder everyday as to what we are working toward. We just have to remember to also live for and be happy with the present.

6. Speaking of the present time, or is it near future? A friend of mine gets married tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to seeing the culmination of her months of planning and stress! It’s going to be a casual affair and I know a bunch of people going, so it’ll be fun. And I’ve already found someone to hang with who also doesn’t dance!

If any of you reading this have lived/do live/traveled through Washington State, please let me know your thoughts! Is it good for the fitness industry? What did you think about the weather? Good things you can tell me about? Bad things? (I know there are a few of you who have already planted this idea in my mind….)

I hope you will all have a great weekend. If you’ve liked this post, please  hit like or subscribe, or leave me a note!

 

 

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri

It’s about 5 a.m. and I’m up because, well, I’m normally up at this time. But today I’m leaving at 6:30 to catch the T so I can also get a 7:30 a.m. commuter rail to Providence. I’m going to a conference/summit down there held by Perform Better and it’s for personal trainers and people in the fitness industry. So this is a really quick post!

1. I’m so glad I had the money back in May to pay for attending this conference, or that at least I prioritized and spent the money on the ticket. $289 was the Early Bird pricing, but I totally think it’s worth it. I am sponging up all the information I can get into my brain! Don’t get me wrong, I’m still learning things in my new career every day but not at this rate, since I’ve been doing it now for about 10 years.  But it’s been really refreshing to be at a conference where the speakers occasionally swear, and it’s considered normal if you are wearing gym clothes!!

2. My Bonkers, who was feeling kind of crappy last week (to put it lightly, he was constipated, so pun intended, I suppose!) is feeling much better this week or at least it seems.

3.  You can now buy your commuter rail tickets  your phone. No standing in line, or anything like that. I wish they had had that technology back when I lived in the suburbs – life would have been so much easier then!

4.  I’m so thankful for the support of friends and my family, especially my younger brother. When I made the hard decision to stop training for the marathon last week, you were all so supportive. And, sitting at the conference this week, feeling a ton of pain in my SI joint and glute, as well as my lower back, I know I made the right decision. I’m not working out over the next few days because of the schedule, so  my body will get a rest, anyway.  So, thank you, everyone, for supporting me.

Like I said, this is a very short post – please everyone, if you have liked it, please comment, subscribe or hit like! And also, more importantly, have a great and healthy weekend, whatever you are doing!

 

 

 

 

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri
My Boy, Bonkers (who I also call The Bonk-Man), photo taken yesterday :-)
My Boy, Bonkers (who I also call The Bonk-Man), photo taken yesterday 🙂

If you are friends with me on Facebook or know me In Real Life, you know I’ve had a sick kitty over the past week or so – my “elder statesman” as I like to call him, Bonkers. He’s my oldest cat, at about 13 years old. He’s the one who had a rough first year of life when he got out in the cold of winter and got frostbite on his ears. So both of his ears are much shorter than most cats, and they are rounded, so he looks like a super cute teddy bear.

1. The first thing I am thankful for is that Bonkers appears to be on the mend. I’m in the process of gradually changing his food to one that is very high in fiber.  If any of you have or had pets, you know how stressful it can be when they are not feeling good. They can’t tell you what’s going on no matter how much they want to. (After a bout of diarrhea and vomiting, the medicine appeared to work too well and he became, well, constipated…poor guy….)  I don’t even care that his bills amounted to almost $560 over the past week, all I care about is that he is feeling better. And he’s definitely showing signs – his appetite is returning, and he’s hanging out with us more.

2.  It’s Friday, and I am really tired. But luckily, I don’t have to work on Saturday so I get at least one day off! (It’s the little things sometimes, really…)

3. My roomie got a job! She started on Thursday night, and I’m very happy for her. While I think my apartment is nice and all, I also think it could get depressing if you didn’t have anywhere else to go, ever. (Although there are all those furry creatures, so why would you ever want to leave them??)  This will do wonders for her self esteem, I’m sure of it.

4. I get paid from the gym job this week. It will put me at almost halfway to my savings goal for the motor home. I should hit that halfway savings goal by next Friday!!

5. I have such wonderful friends, both in person and in real life. This week, two of my online friends, J & J, sent me a gym shirt that says “Beautiful is the New Strong” and I absolutely love it!! It’s bright blue with pink lettering, so it’s super girly and super me. 🙂  Was it coincidence that one of the stronger guys at the gym showed me how to this arm-hang thing? I think not. Ladies, never let yourself be intimidated at the gym. You are JUST as strong as they are, so get out there and lift heavy!! No two-pound dumbbells!!

6. We started getting 80+ degree days this week – woohoo!! You know what this means – topless running! (For those of you who used to read my old blog, you know what this means…)

What are you thankful for this week? Please drop me a line and let me know! And if you have liked this post, please hit like or subscribe!

 

 

 

 

 

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri

As you can tell from my lack of posting this week, it’s been another busy one! So, as you can imagine, TGIF!!!

Tookie and Po (a perfect pair)
Tookie and Po (a perfect pair)

1. I am thankful that as soon as I decided to put less into my motor home savings account, I started getting even more hours from the gym! Those hours’ pay automatically go into that account, so I feel like I haven’t really lost ground, while at the same time, gaining ground on my debt. (For the next paycheck, it’s more than what would have normally gone in from my full time job!!)

I’ve also taken on a temporary roomie and her mom is paying rent to me for her, so that’s been a help as well. She’s also been a big help where the animals are concerned, and it’s nice to have someone around to talk to for a change, so it’s all good.

2. I got the picture you see above this week. The cat in the photo was a foster cat of mine for many, many months due to his “unique”  litter box habits, or so we thought. Turns out, he just wanted to be able to go outside! Tookie is his name, and although he hated cats, he loves dogs! And Po, the very large dog you see in the photo, absolutely loves him! I just love this photo and the way it looks like Po is protecting Tookie while at the same time, sharing in whatever cool thing that they are looking at! I am grateful to his forever mom for sending me photos of him and keeping me updated on his antics. She said that as soon as they started letting him go outside, no more accidents. And he never strays far from the house, and doesn’t mind occasionally being “herded” back to the house by Po!  (As of this Sunday, he will be with his new and forever family for a year!!!!!)

3. This week was graduation for the students at my school. That means we get our school back!!! 😉  And, the students at the college near me also graduated last week, so we get our neighborhood back!!  (Mind you, they are not all horrible but it does make the place a bit quieter.)

4.  I took the final exam for my online physiology and anatomy class. While I don’t feel like I retained a ton from the class, I got a 92! So it counts, woohoo!  And the good thing is, I have the materials from the class to refer to in the future whenever I need them. (And honestly, not all of the class was relevant to what I will be doing for a new career, so it was good that I didn’t have to memorize a lot of stuff to then just later on dump out of the memory bank.)

5. My motorhome/tiny home land fund just hit another milestone!!! Woohoo!! It’s funny how once you set your mind to a goal, you don’t have the same problem saving money as you used to when you didn’t have a specific purpose in my mind for everything you spend. Now, when I spend money, I literally think to myself, “is this worth however long it will delay my motorhome dream coming true?”

6.  While I am not happy or thankful that my oldest kitty, Bonkers, had to go to the vet this week for diarrhea and throwing up, and the resulting $407 bill, I am grateful that I have finally gotten to that place in my life where a bill like that doesn’t throw me into a tizzy and make me wonder, how is everything going to get paid this month?  While I did use my CareCredit card for the first time, I’m able to pay it off this afternoon. And that card can only be used for medical expenses for myself or my animals. It’s the only reason I have it. Any of you who have pets know how it feels when they don’t feel good and they can’t tell you why. It’s scary.  He seems to be feeling at least a bit better, and my roomie got him to take his pill yesterday by grinding it into a pulp and then mixing it into his food.  We can’t get him to eat much of the W/D food but he’s been eating some of the other type that I have around, so it’s better than nothing.

7. One last thing!! I don’t know how I didn’t know this before but my CES certification exam is open-book and can be taken at home. I am so thrilled about this. Although it’s 100 questions that must be completed in 90 minutes or less, and that’s not super easy, I am extremely grateful that I don’t have to memorize absolutely everything. I will make sure I know the material thoroughly, of course, but at my age, it’s been harder to memorize things like I did when studying for the Bar Exam.

It’s just a bit after 6:30 a.m. here and this post is done and in the books! And I’ve already done an hour’s worth of work! Woohoo!

If you’ve liked this post, please drop me a line below, hit “like” or subscribe! And thank you for reading – have a great weekend, folks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Things for Which I’m Thankful

Terri

Been a very busy week, so no writing until now, and yes, I’m even a day early! Please enjoy the pic of my little HoneyBun taking a big, BIG yawn!

HoneyBunster!!
HoneyBunster!!!

1. Been working extra hours at the gym this week and since I had a lot of time saved up at my full-time job, I took some half days and full days off this week. But I still get paid!

2. With all I’m juggling, to say I was amazed that I got a good performance review at work is an understatement. But it was even better than last year’s, so I am very happy with that. I am usually at my most productive when I have the most on my plate.

3. I have a roomie for part of the summer and my animals are totally loving her! I’m sure they get lonely during the day. When I came home from working out this morning, one was on her lap, another was right next to her, and yet a third was at her feet on the bed. It was super cute. It’s nice to have someone around since I’ve been on my own for about 4 years now, in July. Her mom is helping me with some rent for her, so I’m planning on taking that and throwing it at my student loan. (Truth be told, I would have let her stay with me even without the money, but like I always say, every little bit helps!) And it forces me to clean up after myself a bit more, which is always a good thing. I also realized it makes me more productive in the mornings, as I don’t lollygag as much as I otherwise would, because I don’t want to wake her up. (I tend to take my sweet time waking up in the mornings.)

4. I’ve been cat sitting this week to make some extra cash. The lady lives super close to me, so it’s not a hardship, and her kitty is super cute. Within three days he was super snuggly with me, and she said that’s amazing because it took months for him to warm up to her like that. I guess I’m the “cat whisperer!” LOL  (Either that, or more likely, he is just super lonely without his mom being home.)

5. The corrective exercise science stuff has finally started sticking in my brain. Which is great because I need to take the certification test soon! I get three tries before the end of July. And my online physiology and anatomy class ends soon with a take home exam. Only thing is, I’m behind so I’ve got some work cut out for me to do this weekend. Thankfully, it’s the holiday so I have two days off.

6.  Got another chapter to work on for my author!! And this one is a good one, for sure. So, I definitely have my work cut out for me when I take everything into account that I have to get done in the next five or six weeks, but as a friend reminds me, it’s “all a means to an end.”

And that is as good of a segue as I can come up with to end this post! Have a great holiday weekend, everyone, if you are in the US!

As always, if you have liked this post, please drop me a line, or hit “like” or subscribe! And, thank you!

 

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri

Wow, I am SO GLAD today is Friday. I’m just tired. Been a long week with lots to do and I’m feeling overwhelmed about a few things. I just have to keep chugging away.

First, I’m very thankful for my second job at the gym. I never see the money that comes in for it, other than to see my tiny home/motorhome fund growing every two weeks. I’ve become the go-to person, in a way, for extra shifts, because I can usually am able to take them, and I guess they realize I’m dependable. All a good thing. I’m opening up there next week, 6 out of 7 days.  Since I have a ton of time saved up at my full time job, I am taking some time off there so I don’t get completely burnt out.

How can you not fall in love with this adorable face?
How can you not fall in love with this adorable face?

Second, I just have to share this picture of little Osito with you. I was getting ready this morning at around 4 a.m. and she had woken up. She and the rest of the animals were looking at me through these little slits of tired looking eyes, and I thought to myself, “it’s even early for them!” I felt badly for waking them up, but I know what they are going to do while I’m gone today. (Yep, a hard day’s work of sleeping.)   Anyway, Osito just looked so super cute, and as I walked toward her, even though she’s blind, she knew I was approaching and her tail started wagging a mile a minute. On last night’s walk, I’m not kidding – she was practically running! It makes me so happy to see her so spritely moving, and knowing she has that youthful energy at times. She makes me smile so much, I honestly don’t think I could love that little one any more than I already do.

Third, I was able to make that extra payment of $400 on my  LAL student loan today as originally planned. This is in addition to the $167 payment that is regularly scheduled. While this won’t bring the balance below $16K, it will bring it closer, anyway. And I’m not done yet paying on it for the month!  Will keep you updated, as always!

Fourth, I’m going to a party/housewarming tonight and will get to see some folks that I don’t get to see often. It’s a  nice opportunity to just get together and relax.

Fifth, my marathon training is still ongoing. Thankful that my brother, who is also my coach, is going conservative with my mileage so I don’t ramp up too quickly.  It is super important to me to not get injured. And for the most part, I’ve been feeling good on my runs. I’m not fast, but I don’t care. To me, right now, it’s more about the fact that I am doing it.

Sixth, my little brother, the aforementioned running coach, took on a Penniless Challenge over the past two weeks. For one week, he didn’t spend a cent if it would benefit him. (Meaning the money he spent on flowers for my mom for Mom’s Day didn’t count.) He did really, really well, even though I know it was definitely hard for him. But you know what? He found he liked making his coffee at home much better than waiting in line at Starbucks! (This is saying a lot – my brother used to work for Starbucks back in the day and loves their coffee!)

Well, on to the day! If you have liked this post, please drop me a line below, hit “like” or subscribe! And, thank you!

 

 

 

 

Little Things for Which I am Thankful (yeah, really not so little…)

Terri

It was a busy, but wonderful week. I can’t believe it was a week ago that I picked my friend Lisa (Mom to Marathon) up at the airport so she could stay with me and run the Boston Marathon! We had such a great time and even though we started as friends online, 6 years ago, in ways it feels like no time has passed, and in others, it feels like I’ve known her forever. Know what I mean?

So much to be thankful for this week!  If there’s anything you are thankful for, please drop me a comment below!

1. My friend, Lisa, finished the marathon!!! Now, normally this isn’t a big deal. She’s a great runner and has a strong will so if it’s within her power, she will always finish. Last year, however, it wasn’t within her control, due to some a-holes setting off bombs near the finish line.  So, this year she got to run down that wonderful stretch of Boylston that they had stopped her from doing last year. She told me it was one of her slowest marathons ever, but her face hurt from smiling so much. I was sooooo happy for her!

2. I had gotten to the point at work last week where I could just tell I needed time off. Whenever I start to feel like students are “grabbing” at me (for lack of a better word), I know it’s time for me to be out of the office. I mean, being here to answer questions is basically my job, so when I don’t want to do it, I know I am getting burned out. I can’t think of a better way to have spent those few days out of the office than with a good friend. We went to Castle Island down in South Boston, right on the water, on Tuesday. It was a gorgeous, sunny day. We took little Osito with us and of course, we were stopped by many children and adults alike on the way, who kept cooing over her and her cuteness. 🙂 I mean, she was in her summer dress – how could you not?? (Laugh if you will, I love that little girl and she totally doesn’t mind being dressed up.)

3. This was the week I decided to train for a marathon this fall. My second. I’m a bit nervous about my body being able to take all of the stress of the pounding, so I’m going to really pay attention to it along the way. I’m thankful for all the support I’ve received from everyone since deciding to go for it again. I’m especially grateful for having such a wonderful brother who has agreed to be my coach and put together a program for me.

4. I am thankful for having found a brand of sneaker called Hoka One One. Without them, I thought I would be relegated to no longer running races of even 5 miles. Thanks to them, I have felt so much less back pain this week and even been able to run a few days in a row. They have so much cushioning that they have been able to absorb a lot of the pounding for me. Wish me luck for the 5-6 miles I will be logging tomorrow. For right now, it’s my longest distance I’ve run in a while. It will soon be eclipsed.

5. I am so so so so thankful for my chiropractor. He’s given me such great advice and exercises to use and I am feeling the difference every day. I used to feel like my body was that of an 80 year old woman with the constant back pain. I no longer feel that way.

6. My mom got engaged this past week. I’m really happy for her. The guy she is with now is really great and treats her with such respect and admiration. It’s clear he is really in love with her. She deserves to be happy.

7. A photo is worth a thousands words! Tookie, the cat in the picture below, was my foster baby for about 7 months. His mom just sent this picture to me this week – the dog, Po, is now Tookie’s bestest, bestest, bestest friend in the world! Clearly, Po feels the same way about him as he’s letting  Tookie eat his food!  I am not sure Tookie would have been put up for adoption out of the shelter due to his elimination habits, so I felt so happy when I saw this photo and know that his mom is still totally committed to him, quirks and all.

Tookie, my former foster baby!!! (He's the cat, by the way.)
Tookie, my former foster baby!!! (He’s the cat, by the way.)

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri

Although I was quite grumpy this morning, I do feel like this was a good week, overall. Feel like I am writing from a place of abundance, you know? (I just wish I also had an abundance of time to get everything done that I want to do!)

  1. Finally found out what is wrong with my stomach, and the good news is that it is totally fixable. I have something called diastasis recti, which is normally something pregnant or post-natal women get. Or, you can get it from doing exercises incorrectly. I think a large portion of my problem with the tummy and also my back pain is that I breathe incorrectly. I don’t breathe properly through my diaphragm like you are supposed to. So, in a way, it’s good that I have this problem. I’ve thought about having my target audience of clients be middle aged women, who will likely suffer from this problem. Consequently, it will give me more insight into their problems and how to fix it.
  2. I am taking an online course about planning your way to mortgage-freedom. The teacher is quite hands-on, which I absolutely love and the class is very involved in the discussions. We have a lot of writing to do on our own, and we can share with the group if we want to. I think it’s really, really helping.
  3. I started training another friend this morning. She calls herself a founding member of the Chubby Buddy Club, lol.   I am grateful that she’s willing to put in the time with me, and also that I am finding I really love helping people feel better about themselves through exercise and fitness overall. This tells me I am on the right path in life.
  4. It is finally, FINALLY beginning to feel like springtime with temps expected to rise to the 50s. It’s not a moment too soon, believe me.
  5. I am hoping to finish yet another chapter for my author this weekend, which always makes me feel good.
  6. I have some really good friends in this life who have been keeping me focused on my goals and dreams, and they always help to pick me up when I start getting frustrated that it’s not happening soon enough.

If you’ve liked this post, please hit like below or subscribe, and thanks for reading!

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri
#5 on my list for today. Sebastian. My Doofus.
#5 on my list for today. Sebastian. My Doofus.

Woohoo, Friday!!!

Yes, the day I look forward to every week. Seriously.  Even though this weekend I am working at my full time job on Sunday, it’s ok because it’s the end of spring break for our students. It will either be really dead (allowing me to catch up on that stuff you never to otherwise) or really busy and the time can fly by. That’s the way I choose to look at it.

So anyway…. Read more →