Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I know I'm not around much in this space lately, but I mean well. So here's a little insight into what's up with in our lives. I love Thanksgiving because I love a reason to slow down and be grateful. Rob and I have a hectic but happy life, which means there's much to be thankful for.  

This year I am especially thankful for...

... my marriage. I have the best husband ever. Seriously. BEST. EVER. I don't know what I ever did to deserve Rob, but his support this year in particular has kept me whole, not to mention kept me laughing non-stop.  

... my job. Just having a job these days feels like an enormous blessing. I'm lucky not just to have a job, but also to have a job that I enjoy, with colleagues that I love, with kind and quirky bosses, and with interesting work.

... my expanding family!!! I already knew I was lucky to have my family. But our new niece Tess joined the world in June and another niece will make her first appearance in early 2010. Wow! Obviously I have no favorites among my six nieces and nephews (they are the best nieces and nephews in the world, so how could I possibly choose among them!), but there is something incredibly special about meeting the child of your sibling for the first time. Tess has changed my world this year.

... the Chicago Red Stars and the Chicago Blackhawks. I love having hometown sports teams, and I haven't had one in so long. And I love that these teams are Rob's and mine together. 

... Omar Vizquel! Speaking of sports, my favorite sports player of all time, not to mention the best defensive shortstop to ever play the game, is coming to Chicago via the White Sox. While I'll always love the Tribe more, the White Sox are officially my number two team for as long as they have Omar. Thank you thank you thank you White Sox!!!

... my former boss who should have gotten a promotion last spring, but is still making the world a better place because of her current job. (Yes, I'm being cryptic so this isn't google-able. Most of you know what I'm talking about. If you don't and you're curious, just email me. :) DW rocks. We are all lucky she's out there!!

... my friends. I drive myself crazy all the time. So I really don't know how I've attracted so many wickedly awesome friends into my life through the years. In my self-loathing moments, just the fact that my friends exist makes me feel like I can't be all that bad. I wish you all lived closer, but I will always be grateful to have you in my corner even from a distance. 

... travel. Yeah yeah yeah. Work travel has driven me bonkers this year. But I've traveled of my own volition as well this year and loved it. Rob and I have taken our own quick trips to Toronto and to Maine. We took off for Mexico with Mark & Chris. We hit Vegas with Dave & Jen and our new BFFs Jim & Jessica. We made it to LA a couple times to see Lib, Colin & Tess. We went to Cleveland to hang with the whole M-narik clan. We hit NY for the M-ilstein family reunion and NJ for a P-zold gathering. And we flew to DC for Brian & Mariska's wedding and later for Angela & Eric's wedding. It's just been awesome to see so many people we love. 

... my adopted families. I will never stop thanking my lucky stars for my in-laws, who are a wonderful riot. And I am doubly blessed because the amazing M-ilsteins still welcome me and Rob as as if we were their own. 

... my health. Life is too short for too many. So much of it is luck. I'm so thankful my luck is still holding. 

... my reproductive autonomy. Truly. I am grateful that I am allowed to be a 33-year-old married woman and not be expected (or at least not be expected by everyone) to be a mother. I'm glad that I live in a country and in a life where no one but me gets to dictate what happens in my uterus. Most women don't have that. So I am all the more grateful for this blessing (and determined to help this blessing reach others). 

(and finally) ... all of you who read our blog because you care about our lives, even though we don't post often enough. We love you so much and we miss all the long-distance folks out there! We stink at being long-distance friends/relatives. But don't ever doubt how much you mean to us!

Thank you thank you thank you for being part of our lives. From the bottom of my heart, thank you and happy Thanksgiving!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

My wise niece

I call this one, "Hmmm, Patriots, I'm not sure that going for it on 4th down is such a good idea right about now. Not a good idea at all."


Thursday, November 12, 2009

I'm Such a One-Trick Pony

If you follow me on Facebook, you know what's been stressing me out lately.

But the stress continues. Read this.

I love you Katha Pollitt. you are so right, even though your rightness breaks my heart and leaves me in tears.

I am go glad I don't work in politics or live anywhere near it these days. I'm so angry from afar, I don't know how I'd feel if I were in the middle of it in every way. If my life were still fighting this fight. And yet I feel terrible because my life is not fighting this fight.

So in case I have not said it clearly: Abortion is legal. Abortion is a constitutional right. Abortion is healthcare.

Tragically, we're not even just debating whether abortion is healthcare. We're debating whether birth control is healthcare. We're debating whether any reproductive healthcare apart from giving birth is healthcare. This is abominable.

For shame America.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Happy Halloween!

Sorry we haven't been posting much. I'm having issues uploading pictures. It keeps crashing my computer. I think I've figured it out, so I'll post about our maine trip soon.

Below is our Halloween pic. I was a Jedi. Rob was Elvis living in disguise as a Brooklyn hipster.