I love Mondays

I never thought I would ever say that. I know it helps that I don't have a M-F job. Mondays just means the start of a new week. Mondays are a chance to make up for being lazy over the weekend. Mondays don't care about all of the things you didn't accomplish last week. Mondays are like a blank slate allowing me to start anew and fresh.

Seems like a good time to remind myself what I am thankful for...
- I am thankful for Piper's strong immune system. Despite her parents both being sick, she only ran a temp of 102 for an afternoon and has had more boogers than normal. I am finally done with my lingering cold. Mike got the cold and a fever which were exacerbated by his 4000 foot nearly vertical hike at work last week. He finally had to go to the doctor and the doctor told him to stay at low elevations until it clears up. While I am sorry he's not feeling totally well, I am happy the doctor told him that because he was going to be leaving for his 4th week in a row to work somewhere above 10,000 feet. I am tired of being a single parent on the weekdays.
- I am thankful that September is almost here. I always thought that summer was my favorite season, but not it is fall and spring. I love the change and transition these seasons bring. I love a bit of a nip in the air. I love the smell in the air during the fall. As my sister once said, it makes you a bit nostalgic for some reason. I'll try to embrace this feeling as we approach 99 degrees today...
- This is a big one - I am thankful for Piper sleeping in until nearly 7am for 3 days in a row. She's been on the 5:30am wake-up for months now. Her napping schedule is up in the air as she figures her new schedule out, but that's OK if I can sleep in until a more decent hour.
- I am thankful for the internet and how it helps me feel connected to people at a time in my life when I don't have many meaningful connections in my 3D world.
- I love that I started reading a novel for the first time in over 2 years (gasp!). I am embarrassed to admit it, but it's true. I finally told myself I couldn't buy another book until I did read something. That plan didn't exactly work, but I guess I have plenty to choose from to read now. I think I just found too many other ways to waste my time (can you say too much internet?). I started reading Eat, Pray, Love and I am finding it a very timely read for me.
- I love remembering how social of a person I am, even in just casual situations. I think that was why I was so suited for being a waitress for so many years. I just like interacting with people. I think a lot of my low points this summer have been due to lack of social interaction. I got a Pip-free afternoon to run errands because my was home sick. I was surprised at how satisfying my friendly interactions with the deli clerk, pharmacist, and cashier and Walmart were. Seems silly, but it was nice to be friendly to them and I am sure they appreciated it because they probably put up with a lot of crap working at Walmart. I stopped in to see if anyone I knew was working where I kinda sorta still work. They just remodeled the restaurant and bar there and I hadn't been in since it was finished. I think it may be the nicest place in Bozeman now. Anyhow, none of my friends were there so I ended up sitting and having a couple of drinks with the regulars because I wasn't ready to go home yet. I really don't know these men well, but it was so nice to laugh and joke with someone other than my husband for a change, even if they were men in their 50s and 60s. It was just nice to have some people contact again. It's funny that this self-professed homebody needs the social interaction. Guess that's why the Myers-Briggs test told be back in the day that I was an introverted-extrovert.
- I am thankful for my bargain-hunting, money-saving nature. The increase in the price of just about everything is almost like a personal challenge for me to be even better at getting a deal.
- I am thankful my supportive, tolerant, patient, and loving husband. Our 11th anniversary is this coming Friday and he has been with me through 2 identity crises. I am certainly not the person he married, but I love that he has allowed me to become who I am today.
- I am thankful for Piper needing my attention right now because I have been online for too long this morning.