Day 31

Thank goodness it's Friday!

Day 30

Today I'm thankful for a few things:

1. I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to try out a new, adorable coffee shop called Cafe Mustache in Logan Square. I had about a half hour to kill before meeting two former coworkers for dinner. I took that time to thoroughly enjoy my chai latte and catch up on Twitter. It was heavenly.
2. I'm thankful for the delicious dinner I had with Linda and Christie. It's always great to catch up with them. The two of them really help me put life in perspective.
3. I'm thankful that I randomly caught the Luftwerk light show on the outside of the Chicago Cultural Center on my way home from dinner. I just stood on the sidewalk and enjoyed it. A few minutes well spent!
4. And, I'm super thankful for a rather balmy 30+ degree day. It was quite windy but warm!

Day 29*

I'm thankful for a relatively easy day at work, especially since I was by myself since my coworker had to stay home with a sick child. I actually enjoy days by myself every now and then...just so they don't happen too often!

Day 28

Today I'm thankful for a 5 hour work day due to the cold which gave me time to sleep an extra hour, workout with my husband, and spend a little extra time in the shower.

Day 27

Today I'm thankful that I have the proper clothing to wear in this freezing cold weather, polar vortex #2. It's supposed to get as low as -12 degrees F tonight! I wore my ski jacket and snow pants to work today. I may have looked ridiculous but I was reasonably warm.

Day 26

Today I'm thankful that it warmed up enough for me to get outside for a run. My short 3 mile run helped me clear my head and put me in a good mood for the rest of the day. Now we're gearing up for polar vortex #2. Definitely not looking forward to walking to and from work in negative temperatures and even colder wind chills. Brr!

Day 25*

We got home late last night after spending time with "old" college friends so I didn't get a chance to post. Anyway, I'm super thankful for my college friends, who are really more of my best high school friend's college friends but who have accepted me as one of their own. It was great to see everyone again last night. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!

I'm also thankful that my husband came along with me. He was the only guy in the group but held his own just fine. He surprises me sometimes, in the best ways!

Day 24

Today I'm thankful for two particularly great coworkers who talk me off the hypothetical ledge when I get frustrated with my boss. I don't know what I'd do without you!

Day 23

Today, I was going to say that I'm thankful for a wonderful date night with my husband...and I am. We had a great dinner and saw Phantom of the Opera on Broadway in Chicago.

But I'm also thankful that I knew Leonard Sluzewski, my cousins' "other" grandpa. He passed away today after suffering another heart attack over the weekend. He was a very caring man, quick with a joke and a smile. My thoughts and prayers are with Mary, Jeff, Ben, Mitch, Yvonne, and the rest of Leonard's family.

Day 22*

I'm thankful that I'm involved in the Chicago Scholars organization. It's a wonderful organization that helps Chicago high school students apply for and graduate from college. I've really enjoyed being a mentor and getting to know the students.

Day 21

Today I'm thankful that John waited to workout with me after work since it was too cold to run outside. My arms and legs hurt already...a good hurt! Hopefully this is the start of a new routine!

Day 20

Today I'm thankful for many things. First, I'm thankful for Martin Luther King Jr. and his fight for equality.

Second, I'm thankful that John and I were able to visit Grandma Jo today on our way home from up north. I'm thankful that both she and my Grandma Rohrer are recovering from their hip fractures.

Last, I'm thankful for a safe trip home today. It snowed from Milwaukee to Chicago which slowed us down quite a bit but we made it!

Days 17-19*

Day 17 - I'm thankful for this:

Tyree Brown is a 10 year-old actor on one of my favorite shows (Parenthood) who took the time to respond to my inquiry about where he was both skiing and swimming...and then followed me back on Twitter. I may be a little too excited about this!

Day 18 - I'm thankful for an absolutely gorgeous day of skiing at Whitecap Mountains in northern Wisconsin with awesome friends. This may be a new annual tradition!

 

 

Day 19 - I'm thankful for another great day with friends, another day without cell phone reception (and only limited wifi in the lodge/bar) which was actually quite refreshing.

Day 16

Today I'm thankful for this from one of my Chicago Scholars mentees:

Day 15

Today I'm thankful for my (usually) wonderful husband. Tonight I came home from work with a stomachache so he went to Mariano's to get supper for us both: soup for me and food from the hot bar for himself.

Day 14

Today I'm thankful that I don't have to worry about money, especially since I received an unexpected bill from health care services I received last January and April. I'm thankful that my parents paid my way through college so that once I started working and making money, it was mine to do with as I wanted. I'm thankful that I have a partner who is really good at managing our money with me. I'm thankful to have one less worry.

Day 13

Today, I'm thankful for a beautiful, relatively warm day. It was nice to be out without having to bundle up too much! I'm also thankful that I had a pretty easy day at work since I was a bit tired from our travels yesterday.

Days 8-12*

Day 8 - I'm thankful for a safe arrival in Idaho. It was a long trip but we made it! First, our plane left Chicago about an hour late because the first officer didn't show up. Then, we barely made our connection in San Francisco. Due to low visibility in Hailey, our flight was diverted to Twin Falls and we were then bussed to Hailey. We left our apartment at 5:30 am CST and made it to Ketchum about 4:30 pm MST! John's sister Annie had the same kind of luck, arriving at 2 am...late but safe.

Day 9 - I'm thankful for a great day of skiing on fresh powder. I'm not sure if it was the rented skis or boots but I skied better than ever before!

Day 10 - I'm thankful to have great in-laws that I get along with really well. Today John, John, Annie, Natalie and I skied all day. Kathy met us at the lodge at the end of the day for happy hour, then we all made dinner together and played cards. Great day!

Day 11 - I'm thankful for an absolutely beautiful, snowy last day at Sun Valley. I'm also thankful for tired legs as it shows that I skied hard these last three days. I even did a few black diamond runs and enjoyed them...a couple of them raised my heart rate quite a bit though!

Day 12 - I'm thankful for good weather today and no travel delays. As I write this, we're on our flight from San Francisco back home to Chicago.

*I'll update this post with photos once I get them from my sister-in-laws. The one above is one of only two that I took!

Day 7

Today I'm thankful that I have a warm place to come home to and that I have plenty of warm clothes to bundle up in for being out in the cold.

I'm also thankful that today was the only day I had to work this week. We're off to Sun Valley, Idaho for some skiing tomorrow!

Day 6

Today I'm so thankful I got to spend this ice cold day inside my nice warm apartment. (The current temperature is -9 degrees F with a wind chill of -37 degrees F.) I slept in, got most of our Christmas presents put away, put away the laundry, and nearly finished packing for our trip to Sun Valley. And, I feel quite a bit better...woohoo! Unfortunately, tomorrow I have to venture out in the cold to go to work. Hopefully it won't be too bad out there!