Grateful Thursday

My boss accused me of being a negative person the other day. I think perhaps I was being negative that day about how things were going at work. With the stress we've been under, it's a wonder I'm still alive, much less happy-go-lucky. This week has been better. Anyway, I informed him that I keep a gratitude journal and count my blessings nearly every day, so if, for some reason, I appear to be negative about something, it's probably because I am also a realistic person and there's a characteristic of that something that shouldn't be celebrated.

Even though I only publish this gratitude post once a week, I do consider it my "journal," and knowing that every week I will come up with three to five items (big or small, random or planned) keeps me on my toes. I find myself all week feeling grateful for things which previously I wouldn't have even noticed. So here are the three out of a million that I've selected this week.

1) Onion rings, and in correlation, discovering new favorite foods. I didn't think I liked onion rings. I don't particularly like onions, especially red onions, but apparently I do like yellow onion, the sweet ones, and fried and battered with ketchup makes them absolutely sensational. I was so hungry one day in Vegas, and the deli we were in only had onion rings and meat sandwiches, so I ordered myself some onion rings and haven't been able to stop eating them since. I'll be as big as a house if I don't stop soon, but they're just so good.

2) New technology. While also scary at times (I don't think I like that a cell company can pinpoint my location with GPS whenever they feel like it), I do have to admit that I love my new iPhone. I had left work the other day without remembering to call and change my hair appointment, but I realized sitting at a red light in traffic that I could google my stylist from my phone and then with two button presses be speaking to her directly just minutes before she was to leave for the day. A small victory there, but several small victories an add up to a pretty good day.

3) Even greater financial stability. I got a raise, a pretty significant one, 25%. I also have two new employees to manage who took over a couple of my responsibilities. It's been great except I'm kind of out of things to do today and it's only 1:45. I'm sure this will all even out, and my managing of new employees will take over the time I used to spend doing the million things that they're all handling now. I had gotten overloaded with duties so it's about time I got some help. But right now I'm feeling a bit lost. Richer, but lost. It'll work out.