Today I am grateful for the ability to learn new things . . .

I probably shouldn't admit this, but I seriously don't know how to cook - even simple things.  Tonight, I wanted a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner, but the two kids who know how to make it weren't home.  So I decided it really can't be that hard and made one myself.  I totally burned one side of the sandwich, and it didn't taste as good as it should have, but the point is that I did it myself and that's how you learn.  Baby steps, right?

Today I am grateful for personal connection . . .

I spoke at the Beta Alpha Psi regional conference in Anaheim this weekend.  I really enjoy participating in these events and interacting with some very bright students with extremely promising futures.  After my second session, a young woman who attends Arizona State University and will be graduating in May introduced herself and we struck up a conversation.  She is a single mother of a 3-year-old.  It turned out that she and a couple of her classmates were on my flight home.  We had a couple of hours to kill, so I took the opportunity to get to know them a little better.  As we parted ways when boarding began, I thanked them for letting me hang out with them.  The young lady who had originally introduced herself said "Meeting you was the best part of the conference for me."  I was so touched, and I was happy to have been able to show her that it really is possible to pursue a career and be a good mom at the same time.  She is interested in joining my chapter of the American Society of Women Accountants when she gets settled into her job this summer, and I really hope I get the chance to help mentor her as she learns to navigate her work/life balancing issues.

Today I am grateful that I can find comedic value in Murphy's law . . .

I was traveling today for a Beta Alpha Psi conference I am speaking at tomorrow.  I was so proud of myself for checking in online last night so that I didn't have to do it when I got to the airport today.  Unfortunately, there is no gate information on your boarding pass when you check in that early.  So, upon arriving at the airport, I quickly checked the monitors and saw that the flight to Santa Ana leaving at 11:25 was flying out of gate C 18.  I didn't really need to rush so I casually made my way through security and on to the gate just in time for boarding to begin.  At that point, I realized something was amiss.  This was not my airline!  What are the chances that two different airlines would depart for the same destination at the EXACT same time?  If you are familiar with Sky Harbor Airport, you will understand my panic when I realized that I now had to get to gate A 30 before boarding was completed.  The airport is set up as a giant square with very long walkways between concourses.  Of course the gate I needed to be at was on the exact opposite corner of the square from where I was, and the only way to get there was to walk to the B gates and then to the A gates.  Of course, a couple of the moving sidewalks were not in operation, and I was wearing heels because I didn't want to pay to check my bag and I was trying to conserve space!  Of course, I got to the gate after the boarding had closed.  Luckily, the activity I was supposed to participate in this afternoon at the conference did not require my participation, but I was still bummed to miss it.  So, I made my way to the customer service desk and was happy to be the first person in line.  Just then a woman went up to the counter and asked the agent if she had any scissors she could borrow because her dog's fur had been caught in the zipper of her carrier and it was stuck.  The agent informed her that they are not allowed to have any sharp objects beyond the security checkpoint and that she should go back out to the other side of the checkpoint to see if anyone could help her.  All the while, I could hear the poor little dog whimpering.  So, I got out of line and offered to help the lady try to free her dog from it's carrier.  After struggling with it for a couple of minutes, I remembered that I had a disposable razor in my carry-on bag.  Luckily, the lady was able to hold the piece of fur taut while I shaved it and we finally cut right through it.  The dog immediately jumped out of the carrier and into my lap as if to thank me!  The lady was very grateful and thanked me profusely before going on along her merry way.  At that point, I turned around to see that there were about 30 people in line whose flight was being re-routed!  So, I got in line, still feeling good that I had rescued the poor little dog at least.  :)  I was able to get on the next flight that left about three hours later, so I just hung out in the airport waiting for my flight, which then was delayed about an extra half an hour.  Imagine my relief when I finally got on the plane!  Well, my joy lasted for about three minutes until the little boy directly behind me decided to randomly scream the shrillest scream I've ever heard - not just once, but repeatedly.  Then when the flight attendant came by and informed the mother that she would have to put him in his own seat for take-off, the screaming was embellished to include hysterical crying in between the shrill screams.  This went on for about 15 minutes, until mercifully he finally stopped.  Until it was time to prepare for landing and he was forced back into his own seat again.  Boy, was I glad to finally get off that plane!  I'm hoping that I've used up all my bad luck and the rest of my trip will be smooth sailing.  We shall see . . .

Today I am grateful for times when my kids make decisions that happen to be what I wanted them to do . . .

My husband and I are firm believers in letting our kids make their own decisions (within reason) with very minimal interference from us.  Of course, we're always available to help in the decision-making process if our help is wanted.  One of our daughters has been mulling over a decision for the past several weeks, and I have a very strong opinion as to which way I wanted her to go.  It took enormous will power, but I did my best to keep my opinion to myself.  Imagine my delight when she told me she had decided on the option that I favored.  I really love that they have strong decision-making skills.  Those skills will definitely serve them well in life.

Today I am grateful for bacon . . .

Today I am grateful for Spamalot . . .

We saw a performance of the national touring production of Spamalot at the Orpheum today.  It was hilarious!  I love that some of the newer musicals, particularly those that are based on movies, are so funny.  My husband is a recent convert to the joys of live theatre, and these are his favorite shows.  It's wonderful that they are introducing a whole new audience to the art form.

Today I am grateful for days when I get to sleep in . . .

I'm a night owl.  I have a nasty habit of staying up way too late and then hating life when I have to get up in the morning.  I didn't have to be anywhere until 1:00 today, so I slept until 10am this morning!  A girl could really get used to a schedule like that!

Today I am grateful that one of my kids is a good student . . .

Today I had to go to parent-teacher conferences for my two youngest kids.  I really don't like going, because I hear the same thing over and over from almost every single teacher - my kids are smart enough to have better grades, but they don't apply themselves.  Neither one of them is very good about turning their homework in on time.  Going to their conferences really makes me appreciate the one kid that always does her homework and studies for her tests without any nagging from us.

Today I am grateful for music . . .

I love music!  The only good thing about having a 2-hour commute is that it gives me an excuse to listen to music for 4 hours a day.  I love that it makes the time seem to pass more quickly, and so many songs bring back some really great memories.  I would be lost without my tunes!

Today I am grateful that my husband still thinks I'm pretty . . .

Let's face it - getting old sucks!  Yeah, the wisdom and confidence that come with age are nice, but sometimes a girl just wants to look good!  It may just be that my husband's eyesight is failing in his old age, but he seems blind to my wrinkles, gray hairs and extra junk in my trunk (and elsewhere.)  After 24 years together, I am so lucky that my man still tries to make me feel beautiful. <3

Today I am grateful for opportunities to watch my kids perform . . .

The dance studio my kids attend had the opportunity to perform in the pre-game and halftime shows for the Phoenix Suns tonight.  My son and youngest daughter did the pre-game dance, and my daughter also did the halftime dance.  They were wonderful, and I am so incredibly proud when I see them doing what they love to do.  It's amazing how much joy my kids bring to my life.  I am truly blessed!

Today I am grateful that I don't care about Valentine's Day . . .

Luckily for my husband, I think Valentine's Day is a silly holiday!  I'll take the spontaneous, thoughtful and non-commercial ways he shows me he loves me over flowers and candy any day.  On the bright side, at least the holiday stimulates the economy!

Today I am grateful that my daughter shares my love of live theatre . . .

My 17-year-old and I have a season subscription for Arizona Broadway Theatre.  We both really enjoy seeing their shows.  Today we saw My Fair Lady, and it was amazing!  I am in awe of the actors' talent, and I am thankful that they are willing to share it with us.  :)

Today I am grateful that I am a football fan . . .

My husband LOVES football.  He knows everything about it and can recall plays that happened 25 years ago in great detail.  Luckily, I really like to watch it, too.  It's nice to be able to share that with him, and he's taught me a lot about the game.  We've had Cardinals season tickets for several years, and I've really enjoyed bonding during our football Sundays.  Today we watched the Super Bowl together at home instead of going to any parties, and it was a lot of fun to spend the day watching a great game with my favorite football buddy!

Today I am grateful for running water . . .

There was a hard freeze in Tucson overnight, and Tucson is just not equipped for the unusually cold weather.  Needless to say, the result was a lot of broken pipes.  I arrived to work this morning to learn that the water to the building had to be shut off due to a broken water line!  Unfortunately, we have month-end deadlines, so the accounting department didn't really have the option of going home early.  It was quite an adventure to have to drive to a different location just to use the facilities!

Today I am grateful that my adult daughter still finds time for me . . .

I have been sick the last 2 days and have spent most of the last 48 hours in bed.  The last 2 nights when my 18-year-old has gotten home from work, she's hung out with me to keep me company.  It's nice to know that I can still compete for her time even though she probably has much better offers most nights!

Today I am grateful for pleasant surprises . . .