Disclaimer: More Optimism

Many years ago in a land faraway from here (we'll call it Idaho) when I was a teachers' aide, I always loved Thursdays. There was an energy at school on Thursdays that I credited to the impending approach of the weekend and the fact that students had gotten through the malaise that often seemed to strike on Wednesdays, when they were in the thick of it (educationally speaking) and just plain getting tired of all the activities and the demands placed on them. Fridays were often a wash; it was really hard to get anything out of students because they were, I bet, thinking about cartoons and playing outside and sleepovers. This was, I'll interject, back in the day when kids played outside.

I decided to revive my own optimism about Thursdays, so every Thursday I'm going to list and explain a few positive things that have happened this week. If any of you regulars choose to see this as a desperate attempt by someone with a ruptured disc who's been listening to rain for three days, and who was awakened at 5:00 by the sound of "something" landing on her roof, so be it, and of course you're correct. Here goes:
1) Part of the reason I moved back to the East was that I missed rain so much. I think growing up in the garden state hardwired me to at the very least expect rain, so really I shouldn't be complaining too much right now. Rain is lovely in its own way. And it smells good, not like sagebrush like it does in Idaho, but good nonetheless. As long as I take my vitamin D religiously, I should be fine. If not . . . well, I shudder to think of the consequences.
2) My Sarah Palin (voice only, thank you very much) impersonation is coming along very nicely. I've always been pretty good at some accents, abysmally bad at others. Her accent's tricky. If you put too much "Minnesota" in it, you loose some of the roundedness that makes it interesting.
3) The vp debate is tonight, and I think it will be interesting whether or not Joe Biden has been drinking.
4) I was able to do about one half hour of weights and crunches yesterday.
5) I have proudly (in a puffed up moment of what could turn out to be ridiculously false bravado) proclaimed that I might be able to take a short (around the block) walk this weekend. Hey, it's a goal.
6) My Pin (short for Pinhead, the nickname I call my youngest daughter when I want to remind her that no mommy is perfect) seems much happier this week now that some household issues have worked themselves out.
7) Because of my back attack I've lost five lbs. I'm pretty sure they were the only five lbs. of muscle I had on my body, but heck, that's what the weights are for.
8) I'm going to read some poems tomorrow night at the cafe, and it's going to be fun. I love doing poetry readings -- they make me scared and happy all at the same time.
9) I got to kiss the Lean Cuisine goodbye last night and have pho with a certain extra special someone. Man, did it taste good. And driving to and from Pho Mekong didn't make me feel like crap, painwise.
10) The imaging center called, so it looks like my MRI has been (finally) preapproved by the almighty Empire Plan.
11) Dr. Draney's pep talk and accompanying article has really made me feel back on track as a compositionist. Rock on, Dr. D!

Hey, that's a lot of positive things. I'm quite surprised, actually. Anybody out there have any optimism you'd like to share? I'd love to hear it. Carlie, perhaps you're feeling better and have received a lifetime supply of chocolate coffee beans in the mail?

Happy Thursday, drip drip.