Grateful Thursday

I meant to post several times this week. I had important things to say, I'm sure, but somehow they skipped out of my brain, running for their life as all these work thoughts came pouring in, like a flood. Cat 3 water loss. If you worked here you'd know what that meant.

We've been so busy. We sold our product to a franchise, and January 4th marked the first franchisee to roll-out with us. We're adding two a day now. I don't have much to do with that side, but I've been trying to hire some help for them since they're so snowed under back there. I've had two candidates not show up for their interview. Two. In a row. How does that happen? How do I have a pleasant phone conversation with someone, offer them an interview, schedule it, and then at the scheduled time sit here looking at my door wondering where the heck they are? Twice?

But I do have a lot to be grateful for this week. So here goes...

1) I'm choosing to be thankful for the cold. And when I say cold, I mean freeze the hair in your nose cold, curl your toes cold, frost your eyelashes cold, turn your fingernails blue cold. 18 degrees when I got to work this morning. We are not used to that here, not in the least, and the snow? You'd think the world was ending. But if nothing else, the cold reminds me how much I appreciate warmth. And summer.

My deck this morning. Bub was not a happy camper.

2) Growth. I was angry Tuesday morning, angry about something my boss did the night before, angry that I wasn't given more respect in a certain situation at work. As I was getting ready to come in, blow drying my hair and getting dressed, all I could think about was what exactly I was going to say to him as soon as I got the chance. But I had a thought: let me put myself in his shoes. So I tried them on. They didn't fit at first, and I was uncomfortable, squirming around trying to see myself and the situation from the other side. Once I did though, once I came to terms with what I could have done better, once I saw that he never meant harm, not really, by what he did, I decided I was going to be helpful, not angry, positive, not negative. I went to him when I got to work and told him my ideas for improving the situation, and he agreed and I could see a weight was lifted from him. A few years ago, even a year ago, that wouldn't have happened. I either would have boiled over it or blown my top, but something has happened to me over the past year to give me this new perspective on life. Wish I could put my finger on exactly what it was.

3) Basketball games. I got to go to a college game Tuesday night, and we won! It was exciting, especially for me because basketball is my game. I played in high school, know all the rules, and get so into the games I hardly notice that I'm jumping up and down or yelling or whooping. It was a fun night.