10 good things

To balance out yesterday's cranky venting post and to assure you I am not completely in the depths of despair, I give you 10 good things that are making me happy:

1. I started reading Joan Hess' Claire Malloy mystery series. I've been reading her Maggody series since graduate school. Why did I avoid this funny, sarcastic, light series about an Arkansas bookseller with a knack for finding dead bodies??

2. It's Spring!!! 80+ degree weather and sunny this weekend! The leaves are finally coming in and the daffodils are beautiful!

3. Saw a student production of a Western saloon themed version of "Taming of the Shrew" last night. Petruchio wore a pair of pants with a fox stole attached to his crotch!! So funny my girlfriend and I nearly died from laughter (and distracted the rest of the audience - oops)!

4. I am employed. Yes, I absolutely hate my job but seeing as there aren't a lot of libraries hiring I am happy that I am employed in my field. I am really hoping that the adage about getting a new job while still employed at your old one is true.

5. I am so grateful for my awesome friends on both coasts (a special shout-out to my former West coast friend who just re-located to the midwest: good luck at your new job!!!).

6. I was able to finagle (ie scam) the Library systems directly East of mine to get a Library card. I cannot tell you how happy I am to once again belong to a Library system that can afford to buy books and keep the doors open!

7. Despite all the death and awful-ness of last weekend I was really happy to spend the time with my family. I am so glad I moved back to this coast when I did.

8. My weekends (and some week nights) for the next month or so are books with plans! I love having plans and being busy! Cooking class, college fund-raising gala, volunteer clean up the town, work (one more Saturday to work), dates, friends, to CT, to ME, etc. The busier I am the less time I have to think about how miserable to am. I just don't want to be so busy that I no longer have time to forge a new plan for job, career, living location, etc.

9. There's only a week and a half of the semester followed by a short break and then the two inter-session sessions. I almost made it through a whole year here!!! It went so fast (and at times so so so slowly). I told myself I wanted to put in a year here and I have almost accomplished that goal.

10. I have actually found the best doctors and the best medical care here than I've had in years. My health is actually being addressed and things are changing (some for the good, and some for the not-so-good). I don't feel so alone with how I feel and when I tell my doctors that something is wrong they actually take me seriously (instead of blowing me off by saying "I wouldn't know anything about that" - grrrr). It's hard not to wonder how I'd be doing if I had gotten better medical attention 10 years ago, 5 years ago or even a year ago but at least it can't get any worse.

Much to my surprise and relief it wasn't as nearly as difficult to write 10 good things as it was to come up with the list of bad. If I can get rid of my leg injury and actually start running, biking and exercising again I'll probably (hopefully!) be able to come up with 50 good things with no trouble :-)