things i am thankful for...

in the face of the terrible tragedy in haiti, it is of course most important to ask ourselves how we can contribute, monetarily or otherwise. but, perhaps, after that, we should remember for what we are thankful.

(ps--this is absolutely not in any order of importance--i have, in fact, scrambled the entries, and this will be added to daily...AND i don't know why it's doing the weird line spacing thing...)

mom and rick
molly's sweet little face smiling at me, and sitting up all night talking with her
how baby audrey says "i wanh to sit next to auhh keyh because i yuv heh sooo much"
baked scoops
martinis at surin in the highlands
the elderly men who try to pick me up each time i go to the bi-lo beside our house
rice and beans at la fonda on ponce
audrey clair page
how princess isabella sophia the ballerina lets me cuddle her however i want
red wine and french fries at the pub with carrie and lucie
thai restaurant in greenville (and yes, that's the restaurant's actual name)
how hard my mom has worked throughout her life
hgtv--especially vern yip
a great job
bagels at belly general store
how hamilton's bed is right beside my side of the bed so that i can put my hand down and pet him during the night
my amazing brother and sister, gray and amberly, and every moment spent with them
guitar hero (balls to the wall!!)
l'as du falafel in the marais
home movies (the brendan small show)
PARIS PARIS PARIS PARIS---i.e., a lifelong driving passion for learning and amazement
the pictures from molly and audrey on the wall in my office
pedis
books about marie antoinette--especially caroline weber's book
good wine (even if it's cheap)
lucky ducks
femme-bot
trying to hold both molly and audrey on my lap at the same time!
the fun of going out to a great restaurant to eat dinner--be it a hole-in-the-wall or a zagat's favorite
having finished my dissertation
susan c-h and her feisty and loving support throughout our time at emory--my life's wish is to be as strong as you!
louis vuitton
the earl
the spinach salad at figo
having tried the master cleanse once
spikers t. cat's insolent attitude
laughing with jennie faucett--from the days at two in the morning (john e. johns hall or denny's) to now
feeling better after mono
convertibles
gossip girl
my friends and their amazing spirits, which are unique, individual, and indomitable
my private office in strode 301
the vegetarian chili at the righteous room
dishing and girl-power-ing with carrie and lucie (and how they carried me through some of the hardest moments in my life)
days when i don't have to run errands in easley (sorry easlians)
the office--especially those special moments between jim and dwight
nice paint colors that brighten up a room
Granny, Granddaddy, Grandma, and Grandpa
the increase of advertisements on the web and tv about adopting a shelter pet
my old apartment on ponce place
times with saundra, sandra, and rebecca...GIRL TALK!!!!!
the crack-kroger
reconnecting with old friends (you girls know who you are!!!) on facebook
the wonky doorways in my house in greenville
JOSE! and the eclc
fakin' bacon (so that i can still have the savory flavor without the murder)
princess bingo
that cabbage roll thing at that vegetarian restaurant in the 14th
susan clay and her enduring cheerfulness that always comes across no matter the circumstances
when hammy makes his westie-nestie

family moments

here are some more pics of the new kitteh! we have finally settled on a name for her: princess isabella sophia (the ballerina).

[editorial note: if the last part of the name is puzzling, it's a family thing...after sparkles the mermaid--who is a male hamster--all animals have to have a "the ______ " suffix on the end of their name]



so now we can call her bella or sophie...whatever strikes us. of course, audrey has said that she will continue to call her "dude" so that spikers the cat will know that he can't push her around.

she's getting more and more playful--it's just taking her a while to get warmed up to her new home, but she's already established her favorite place to nap: on the green chair on top of enough pillows to keep her right underneath the reading lamp. squeee!

spikers t. cat is getting more comfortable with her...mostly right now we're getting cattitudes like this one:

first day of class!

i love the first day of classes! looks like i have some great students who are game to go for it in french 101...so things should be fun! let's just hope that no one decides to try to navigate the drop/add system...i'd hate to lose any of them...
also trying to get geared up for the big stuff coming up this semester--conference presentations, tech presentations, auralog uploads, etc. etc.

new kitteh!

quickly posting a picture and video of bella, our new kitteh...she is about three years old, and we found her at the greenville humane society petco station last night. it was so hard to choose between all of the wonderful pets that they have at the society's headquarters and the station, but when she cuddled right up in my arms and started purring, i knew she was the one!!!

staying at home...being jealous of people who have "outdoor rooms"

so i guess sometimes a good decision can sometimes still make you sad...i decided not to go to atlanta today with shawn, and although i'm really sad to miss out on seeing friends and family, i know it was the right decision to stay here and rest some more before going back to work on monday. still trying to decide which combo of mono + bronchitis or mono + flu most matches the description of my last week. i guess whatever the name, the non-stop fun is indisputable! (don't ask why getting the doctor's opinion turned out not to be possible, even after the 2.5 hours spent in his office.)
anyway, christmas, new year's, and an impromptu living room redo to incorporate the new coffin bookcase that shawn got for christmas have left our house feeling rather...cozy...let's say. i have GOT to do some cleaning before going back to school! the holidays were GREAT! mom and rick's visit to g'vegas was really fun--if you ever get a chance to go to the lazy goat in downtown, definitely do! the truffle oil fries (of course!) and the italian grilled cheese are wonderful, and the lazy yet uniquely mediterranean atmosphere is very nice.
new year's eve was also wonderful, of course, since shawn is traditionally in charge of the entertainment on that night. we have always done a dancing activity, so after video ballroom lessons the last two years, this year we rang in the new year with dance dance revolution and on tv...as always...the univision new year's eve celebration (with occasional forays onto cnn to see anderson cooper embarrass himself with kathy griffin).
here's wishing everyone a wonderful 2010, and fulfillment of dreams and/or resolutions as applicable! for this year, my resolution is to do more in support of organizations (big and small) that aid homeless and abandoned dogs and cats...