Ahaut’s Thread of Thankfulness

[Ahautenites]

I’m thankful that it’s Friday. Honestly, I don’t think I could have handled this week if it were one day longer.

I’m thankful that I will be making chicken pot pie tomorrow. It’s one of my favorite meals.

And I’m thankful that my folks will be down tomorrow, so they can eat it with me.

I’m thankful that I am one week closer to being done. Only two more to go, tops. (I just have to play the game a little while longer. I *will* win, damn it!

I’m thankful for insight…. I can see the similarities to my situation back in 2002. (Being obese, being depressed, and being in a craptacular job working for the world’s most idiotic boss.) But I am thankful for the differences. Back then, I had no idea what was wrong with me. (PMDD wasn’t even on my radar.) And I had no idea how to fix it. (In my case, it’s caused by a vitamin D deficiency. Some women are not so fortunate to have such an easy solution to this life- & relationship-wrecking problem.) I was much younger then, and much less experienced. I was getting paid a LOT less than now. The boss now is actually worse than the boss then, but because the financial situation is better and the PMDD problems are (mostly) under control, it’s easier to tolerate. (As evidenced by the fact that I’ve managed to stay employed here for the last 4 and a half years.) The whole time I’ve been at this job, I’ve wondered why I was being made to go through the same life lesson again. I wondered if it was so I could learn to deal/cope with it, or if it was to help me learn to tell off someone in a position of authority. It probably could have been either one, but the course I chose was to learn to cope/deal with it. (As enraged as I get at the utter stupidity of my boss and his decision-making, and his treatment of me, I still have a hard time telling off anyone who has the power to fire me.)

I’m thankful for sunshine. Cloudy weather really does do a number on my mood.

[Ahautenites]

Today, I’m thankful that it’s Thursday and that tomorrow is the last day of this work week.

I’m thankful that I was able to get two nights of (mostly) twitch-free sleep. (It really is a vicious cycle. Stress and fatigue keep me awake. This makes parts of me twitch back to wakefulness every time I start to fall asleep, which makes the twitch even MORE pronounced, whcih makes it even HARDER to get to sleep and fall asleep. And on and on it goes….)

I’m thankful that I haven’t killed myself yet by drinking alcohol and then taking Benadryl. (Because the Benadryl makes me fall asleep no matter what, and the alcohol is a muscle relaxant that keeps my limbs from twitching and giving me unrestful sleep, which is almost as exhausting as no sleep.)

I’m thankful for my Raja and my Phoebe. They’re wonderful companions, and I hope to have them around for a long, long time.

I’m thankful that the wait is ALMOST over, and that next Saturday, I’ll be moving. Finally. (Or sooner, if my boss decides to fire me on the spot for only giving him a week’s notice.)

I’m thankful that he withheld my first paycheck. At the time it was withheld, it was a real kick in the teeth because I desperately needed that money, but now, it will be nice to have that one last paycheck come this December.

I’m thankful that no water got into the basement from all this rain.

I’m thankful for the ground turkey I have in the freezer, because I think I’m going to make spaghetti tonight. Or possibly American Chop Suey, depending on what I actually have for a canned tomato product at home. (I can’t remember off-hand.)

I’m thankful that my boss is very occupied today.

I’m thankful that he will be out of the office for most, if not all, of tomorrow.

I’m thankful that I renewed my FlexJobs subscription and that there seem to be some jobs there that I can apply for and have some hope of gaining new employment.

[Ahautenites]

Today, I am thankful that I got a lot accomplished. I now have zillions of trinket boxes prepped and ready to get sketched on and painted and sold.

I’m thankful for Getty Images, because I found the perfect rose held between some guy’s teeth. I used it to sketch the rose in the mouth of the wolf in my "Seducing Ms. Red" painting.

I’m thankful that I am free of the dork I used to work for.

I’m thankful that the twitching/jerking thing finally stopped. It really was just anxiety and fatigue induced.

I’m thankful for the turkey I’ll be eating tomorrow, because roast turkey is my favorite meal of the whole year.

I’m thankful that my brother and sister-in-law and her parents will all be here to enjoy Thanksgiving with us tomorrow.

I’m thankful for the gifts and skills I have….. I’m gonna need them, if I’m ever going to get any income up here in the boonies.

I’m thankful for a new series to watch on Amazon Prime. "The Royals" seems pretty good. (Granted, I’ve only seen the first episode, so far.)

I’m thankful for my violin. I’m so glad I bought it and decided to learn to play. (I just wish I could devote more time to it.)

I’m thankful that I graduated from college before colleges decided to go INSANE with political correctness. (Really? A taco bar offends people? And yoga is a cultural misappropriation?)

I’m thankful that Gram taught me how to knit and crochet, because I love making things with yarn. (Currently working on a shawl and a bedspread.)

I’m thankful that my immediate family is still alive and well and able to keep me company. Life would be far more lonely than it already is, if they weren’t there.

I’m thankful that I have room in this new bedroom to put up my tree this year. I haven’t had my own tree (with my OWN ornaments) up in a few years.

I’ve got more thankfuls, but my attention span is not what it used to be. (Not that it was ever great….)