One step forward, two steps back...

...to laugh at yourself.  Yet another really, really, really important lesson that I (and you, if you want to keep your sanity, or insanity, whatever your fancy) must remember.

A very smart person recently shared some simple wisdom with me the other day, which is to take a step back and laugh at yourself.  At the time, I was like, yah, sure, duh.  Like, I don't need anyone to remind me of that, I already know and find humor in all situations!  No, I don't.  I do need the reminder.  Which is why I'm writing it down here, so we all can remember.

For example: (oh yes, there is a fun story that goes along with my little words of wisdom!)  Today, I was crossing the street in Ballston, (oh, Arlington and your poorly-marked one way streets, 7-way intersections and non-blinker-using drivers) mind you, I was crossing at a crosswalk, where cars are supposed to stop for you, but not only that, it was a 3-way intersection with all-way stop signs.  As I started to cross, a car decides to speed up towards the stop sign, fail to stop, and almost (and when I say almost, I mean not even close) run me over!  I promptly yelled out to the car and his passengers, luckily the windows were down so they could hear my little fit of crosswalk rage, "STOP SIGN", pointing and rolling my eyes up towards the sign...well, you can imagine my fury when he just kept on speeding away!!  How dare he disobey the rules of the road!  And, c'mon, the simplest one of them all!  One that 2-years olds (and I know this for a fact) even know the meaning of!  A giant red octagon means STOP!  HELLO!! (can you hear that sarcastic tone in my voice?!?)  Well, I threw one more evil eye his way, just to make sure he could see how enraged I was (like, if I had a milkshake, it would have been all over his back window à la Election) and stormed away through the street, huffing and puffing, fully ready to pull out my phone to dial up the traffic police and....wait a minute...could this...could this be one of those step back and laugh at myself sort of situations??  Maybe, just maybe...

So needless to say, did I need to get that upset about some stupid driver who can't read a stop sign?  No.  And it's not my job to point out such obviousness, especially since he will probably get what's coming to him in the form of some blue lights flashing in his rear view.  No, not my problem at all, so here I am taking a step back and laughing at myself.  Please feel free to laugh along with me (or at me).


Things I'm thankful for today:
People who are smart and make me smarter
Free gym
Easy workout
Beach camping
No work this week
Nice weather
People who are funny and make me laugh!

Have a thankful day!

Great(ful) Day!

No witty stories here today folks, just getting straight to the punchline...

Things I'm thankful for today:
DOPO night tonight with some wonderful ladies
Making my favorite summer drink
Double header softball game, I'm working on my swing
Last day of work tomorrow
Cleaned up my room
Figured out my flight back from home without spending a fortune
That I'm NOT on the bachelorette - just watched the last episode where the dude was a total d-bag
Good food
Nice bike ride today
I finally posted pictures
Great friends
Fun ladies night last night
My team girls, their parents and my other coaches - they threw me a party last night! So sweet!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!  Life is wonderful :)

Don't forget to comment and tell me what you are thankful for today!!

Woe Is Me!!

So apparently the need to wallow in our own self-hatred doesn't build over a lifetime of dysfunctional family problems, bad decisions and abuse, it starts at a much earlier age....like 4, for example.

I found this out today, when the 4-year-old that I regularly nanny for had some seriously hilarious yet perspective-inducing things to say after waking him from his impromptu and restricted nap. (He's getting close to 5 and his mom doesn't want him napping otherwise he won't fall asleep when its bedtime.  So when I went to put the other one down, which took a while, the older one promptly laid down on the couch under a blanket and passed out.) He started whining and crying, which was to be expected, but the after about 10 minutes of this, I ask him what he wants to do.  Does he want to play legos? (his favorite thing) Go outside? (maybe second favorite)  No, no, no, he'll have none of that. So as he's lying dramatically on the ground with his arm draped across his forehead, he says to me, "Miss Courtney, I dont want you to do anything that will make me happy.  Miss Courtney, I'm just going to do nothing, don't try to do anything I like. I don't want to be happy." Oh vey! Whoa is me and my little 4-year-old self!

To see a small child act like a broke, recently dumped, living-in-his-parents-basement-30-year-old is truly a sight to see, but the best part about it was, I can without a doubt say I felt like this, maybe, no less than 5000 times in my adult life, where nothing and no one in the world could make me happy and life was not worth living, over, I'm sure, nothing more than being woken up from my nap.  I couldn't help but laugh at him, and think to myself, no, it does not get any better, my little grasshopper, no and it never will, not until you can see for yourself the humor in the situation.  Until you realize that the terrible horrible life-ending fill-in-the-blank-moment that's happening right now is not the end of the world.  Thank you, young 4-year-old, to help me remember this very important lesson, especially when I'm about to embark on one of the craziest adventures of my life.  This "advice" will be my savior when I'm no doubt feeling like that in Jamaica next month, and probably for the next 27 months.  But alas, no one can expect a 4 year old to realize, let alone understand, this perspective on life; good thing for a short attention span....at the moment he's is very happily playing outside, without a care in the world  :)

God bless me with a short attention span.  Amen.


Thankful for today:
Got out of work early
Going to a free movie tonight (kinda, using my expired livingsocial deal)
Yummy food last night
Ice Cream Sandwiches
Biking
Air Conditioning
My friends <3

Get your "secret" on, post a comment to tell me what you are thankful for today!

28 Days

A little less actually, but that made a better title.  I'm leaving in 25 days!  It's going soooo slow and sooo fast all at the same time, how does that happen?  I'm thinking it has something to do with the time space continuum, or the flux capacitor or maybe H.G. Wells...

Thankful for today -
I still have 3 weeks to enjoy all my friends and the things I love in the States
Only one more week of work!  Whoo hoo
Sold some stuff on craigslist
Beautiful outside
Delicious shrimp pasta lunch that I made myself
No work until Monday!
Ropes course tomorrow :)
I'm finally setting up blog for public consumption, you're welcome.

Thanks you thank you thank you!

Everybody Happy - Nobody Sad

Whoa it's been a while - a whole year approximately. And, boy, has a lot happened. I have a job teaching gymnastics that I still enjoy, great friends, cheap and nice apartment and a wonderful person that I get to spend most of my time with...

But I have the most exciting news that I think I've ever had in my life (and possibly ever will??) I was invited to serve in the Peace Corps in Jamaica! I'm leaving at the end of June 2011, this year. I can't believe it. I'm very much overwhelmed, but at the same time excited, sad, scared, happy, fulfilled, empty, bored, nervous, apprehensive, shy, stressed, joyful, etc. Does the list stop? I don't think so. But for now, I'll just say overwhelmed, which could be a good thing or just so-so, because I should really just say that I don't know how I feel.

Ahh Jamaica, no worries!

Gym-nice-tics

I started teaching gymnastics. Its so fun and the kids are adorable. They say the cutest things.

3 year old boy after gymnastics class: "Well, that wasn't so bad"

Oh really, 3 year old boy? Jumping up and down on a 20 ft trampoline and leaping recklessness into a giant foam pit? Not so bad? That was probably the best frickin day of your little 3 year old life.

I am so happy that I got this other job, it's great and I am so much happier.

Have a fabulous day, I know I will!

Thankful

Things I'm thankful for today:

Wine
Friday
Happy Hour
Beautiful Pink Roses
A book to help me with life
Cheap books at Goodwill
Friends
Yoga
Hulu - work out videos
Deposited checks today
Gymnastics Position
Got my Etsy shop set up

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I am so happy!