Today I am Thankful for...

Every once and a while I want to dedicate a blog post to the things that I'm thankful for on that day. It's an exercise I'm trying to be conscious about, because it's too easy to forget and get wallowing around in the things I'm decidedly NOT thankful for.

So today, I'm thankful for the following:
1) An evening at home that I can dedicate to working on my house, and to giving out candy to the little ones on our street.
2) The benefits provided to my by my employer, which are going to pay for WH's orthopedics.
3) For chips and various kinds of dip (especially guacamole).

There now.

Weekend Miscellaneous

Monday morning... at my desk trying to get my mind around the to do list for this week. I'm going to a conference in the US on Saturday, so the list is longer than I'm willing to accept at this early hour of the week. And for some reason, my coffee doesn't taste very good. Harumph...

Anyway... bits and pieces that have been kicking around in the blogging part of my mind this weekend...

1) Wonder Hubby and I managed to install our over-the-stove microwave on Saturday, AND WE DIDN'T EVEN FIGHT. The new appliance is very fun, and even has pre-programmable settings. WH has already programmed in the "defrost my bagel" setting...

2) We carved pumpkins last night. WH went for the classic jack o'lantern look, with great success. He carves a good pumpkin! I went for complicated - printed a stencil of a ghost from the internet, taped it to the pumpkin, poked holes along all the lines, and cut out all the pieces very carefully. Mine looks like crap. Oh well, in my experience, when you put the candle in it, pumpkins are a pretty forgiving art forms.

3) This is our first Halloween in our house, and we're irrationally excited to give candy out to the kiddies in the neighbourhood. Whee!!

4) The Bo-Sox whupped the Colorado Rockies up one side and down the other in a most determined fashion. Too bad; it would have been nice to see a good competitive series. That's true of most of this year's postseason. It's been a very unexciting October, with the exception of the Boston - Cleveland series.

Now, back to that list...

World Series

So, between a particularly busy choral schedule this month and the kitchen renovations, Wonderful Husband and I are starting to run out of steam a little bit. Last night was our first night at home with no other commitments - no rehearsals, no concerts, no pieces of the renovation that absolutely had to get done. Despite the fact that I'm starting to get just a little bit cranky about the state of uncleanliness in the house (pretty much everything, upstairs and down, is covered in plaster dust), we talked ourselves in to having a very quiet evening, sitting on the couch, watching the baseball on TV. It was a very very good choice.

Maternal Unit has a very strong allegiance to Boston, having spent time at Harvard, so I often lean that way too, when the Jays aren't around to cheer for. But this time, I have to say, I can't help but root for the Rockies. I don't think there's anybody out there - no baseball writer, expert, broadcaster, commentator - who predicted that Colorado would be in the World Series, and for that, the team is to be encouraged.

That being said, last night's game was a bit of a bummer.

Incoming Joy!

Wonderful husband and I are in the middle of a kitchen renovation. We have torn out old cabinets, installed some drywall to repair old plaster damage, primed, painted (red!), cleaned, moved appliances, re-wired, re-plumbed etc. The cabinet makers are hard at work trying to get our new cabinets level... this is especially challenging in an 83 year old house with plenty of uneven bits (they add character). WH is at home supervising, engaging the contractor in interesting conversation (contractor was a choir-boy; he and WH have much in common!), and keeping the cats out of the new cabinets as much as possible.

All this means that in a few short days, I will get to PUT THINGS AWAY IN THE KITCHEN EXACTLY WHERE I WANT THEM IN A SYSTEM THAT MAKES SENSE ONLY TO ME!! This is one of the great joys, for me, of having a kitchen. Where will things go? How many things can I fit and still have them accessible? What beautiful things will go behind the new glass doors? Oh, the intrigue, the excitement! A chance to re-alphabetize the spice rack!! Huzzah!!!! I am, actually, really, truly, giddy. I love organizing a kitchen. And now, with more cabinet space, more counter-top real estate, deeper drawers.... this will be great fun!

Now, Wonderful Husband, who does a fair amount, if not most of the cooking in the household, knows that I feel this way about kitchen re-organizing. He has said, wisely, "Babe, you do whatever you like. I might have a few IDEAS, mind you, but you do whatever you like." And that's why I love him, folks!!

Joe Torre

Let's be clear about one thing ~ I have a very very strong dislike for the New York Yankees. Some would call it hate, but I try and reserve that word for how I feel about other things - racists, child abusers, people who kick puppies, you get the picture. So I characterize what I have for the Yanks as "strong dislike."

But I like Joe Torre. There's a certain dignity and grace about him that I've always appreciated. I've wondered for the last few years whether that dignity and grace was stung by the annual post-season manic analysis of his Yankees career amid rumours of impending firing. And I was glad to see that he finally got to walk away from the team (mostly) on his own terms. The offer that the Yankees made to him may have been a joke, intended to force him out, but at least he got to say no. I think it's the best kind of exit he could have hoped for. And I think he would look dashing in a Blue Jays uniform.

Introductions

The Greek chorus is storyteller, commentator, actor and reactor. This blog is my venue for telling my story and commenting on the world around me as both an active participant and an observor.

I am a twenty-something university administrator in Prairie City, Canada, with an undergraduate degree in English and hopes to pursue a Masters in the near future. This last summer, I married a man with whom I have barely-containable excitement at the prospect of spending the rest of my life. We life in a teeny-tiny house built in 1924 in a beautiful neighbourhood overhung with elm trees. I drive a little red sporty car, whose name is Flora. Wonderful Husband and I have two cats, who occupy more of our time and energy and concern than they probably should, but who make up for it by loving us unconditionally. Wonderful Husband is a professional classical musician, and I say "classical" because I have found that the reaction from others to "my husband is a musician" is too often immediate assumption that he must have long greasy hair and play the guitar. To be more specific, Wonderful Husband is a choral conductor. I often find myself in the choirs that he conducts, tucked somewhere comfortable in the alto section. Choral Music is a very very large part of our lives.

I am employed by the city's major post-secondary institution as a special projects administrator, and I love my work. I hope to continue moving up in the world of post-secondary administration. But I also hope to have children and build my dream home and travel the world and run 10km and own a dog... so right now I'm open to all possibilities.

And oh yes, I'm obsessed with baseball.