Giving thanks

I accomplished everything I set out to do today, including making a trip to Whole Foods with my mom, getting a workout in (ended up being 40 minutes of Zumba which was perfect), making vegan stuffing for tomorrow, going to the race expo and picking up my number/shirt. Go me. I am really tired but it's the good kind of tired. ALSO I met Bill Rodgers and Dick & Rick Hoyt today and received autographs from both parties. I know I need to save money but I bought one of Bill's posters and he wrote me the perfect message:
"Katie, best wishes for years of smooth running and the best of fitness."
Also, the quote at the bottom of the poster is: "To be a consistent winner means preparing not just one day, one month, or even one year- but for a lifetime."
This is getting framed and hung in my bedroom ASAP. I'm probably going to ask my parents for a poster frame for Christmas now.

Since tomorrow is going to be jam-packed (up at 7:00, at the race by 7:30, race from 8:30-9:00ish, hopefully home by 10:30, helping my mom cook, Thanksgiving meal at 1:00 and probably passing out after that) I want to reflect a bit on what I am thankful for. I try to do this every year- at Thanksgiving, of course, but throughout the year as well. I'm not going to list things in any particular order and I'm not following any theme- just typing them as they come to me.

I am thankful for:
-My wonderful, loving, hilarious, intelligent, thoughtful, handsome boyfriend (soon-to-be fiance!)
-My parents, who always support me and love me unconditionally
-My sister, who manages to make me laugh when no one else can
-My best friend of...over five years? Time flies. He's my other half.
-All of my friends, old and new, nearby and very faraway
-Most of my extended family, with very few exceptions.
-COA...the best school on the planet
-A place I can call home (two places, actually)
-My ability (financial and otherwise) to eat a healthy diet, and lately, a mostly vegan one
-Losing SIXTY POUNDS since March 2011
-Running. I will forever be thankful for my most important hobby, my release, my therapy, my motivation for everything, my strength and courage.
-Hummus. I ate an entire container of it this week. No shame.
-Having (more than enough) food to eat and enough water to drink every single day.
-Having (more than enough) clothing to wear.
-Warm fuzzy socks.
-The earth- trees, oceans, animals, rocks, rivers, mountains, fields.
-Awareness. Self-awareness, and awareness of the world.
-My literacy. Reading has changed my life more so than anything else has, I think.
-Pumpkin pie.
-Netflix, a procrastinator's best friend!
-My running shoes, for carrying me well over 100 miles so far.
-Soy peppermint chocolate milk.
-The music of Animal Collective, Bob Dylan, Damien Rice, Joanna Newsom, Coldplay, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, Elliott Smith, Eminem, and others.
-My cheap guitar covered with tacky stickers.
-My amazing roommate at COA! She is one of the kindest people I know.
-The fact that I had a great job/work experience fall term.
-The fact that I have a job on-campus, regardless of how little it pays.
-My dolphin blanket (probably my most prized possession).
-Okay, okay I'll say it..my MacBook Pro.
-All of the trips to Nova Scotia with my family since I was a little girl.
-Knowing how to make fried apples.
-Libraries, museums, historical societies, and art galleries.
-Baby hamsters. Too cute.
-All of my mom's old magazines (super helpful for my collaging).
-Knowing how to cook for myself (and others).
-Adbusters and culture jamming.
-Learning and teaching.
-The way incense smells when it's burning.
-Online Tetris.
-Derrick Jensen and Daniel Quinn.
-Warm cozy pajamas and slippers.
-Kittens. Cats. Dogs. Bunnies. Birds. Elephants. Giraffes. Seahorses. Jellyfish. ET CETERA
-The ocean.
-My singing ability.
-The restorative powers of a good night's sleep.
-Celestial Seasonings apple cinnamon herbal tea.
-Cold, crisp fall air.
-Christmas music.
-ALLITERATION, HAHA!
-Having a camera I can use to document wonderful moments and memories.
-Smart Balance buttery spread.
-My (ongoing) service learning project with the museum at school.
-The opportunities I have over break to volunteer at two different elementary schools.
-Zumba.
-Banksy's artwork and sense of humor.
-My Kindle.
-My Italian, Spanish, and French-Canadian heritage!
-Thrift stores and secondhand shops.
-Watching the sunrise and sunset.
-My long, thick, curly hair.
-The fact that I have not (and likely will never) forgotten how to play clarinet.
-Policy debate...all that it taught me, all of the people it introduced me to, all of the places it brought me.
-My past relationships, for teaching me so much about myself and about love.
-Blue starfish.
-Warm hats and gloves.
-Live music.
-My increased self-confidence and growing acceptance of myself.

Most importantly? This wonderful, crazy, perfect life.


Happy Thanksgiving.