Things to Smile About

1. I just finished "Half of a Yellow Sun," by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Excellent book. It is a story of life, class, race, poverty, war and love during the civil war that raged in Nigeria in the last part of the 1960s. Told through the eyes of three different people who are all connected to a charming academic, it is insightful, poignant and touching. I'd highly recommend it. It is definitely on my list of all time favorites.
2. My husband is getting ready to teach his first spinning class at the corporate gym of an investment bank here in the city tonight. I went through his program with him last night (he is going to kill them....it is so hard!) and on his playlist was "What'd I Say" by Ray Charles. I forgot how much I liked the song and what a great song it is to work out to.
3. Due in part to Derek's new profession and his need for great music to make money....we are finally going to get a new home computer and an iPod or two. As two music lovers, it is hard to believe we have gone this long without an iPod! However, since we haven't had a computer at home, the iPod wouldn't have been so useful. In any event, we've decided to get an MacBook so will head to the Apple store next weekend. Added bonus, my friend Dave who is an Apple-fan/dork might be visiting, so we can get the experience of going to the Apple store with someone who loves going just for the sake of going. Very exciting!
4. I take my last antibiotic for strep throat tonight:) Yeah. For me, the worst part of it was just that day or two before I got the antibiotics. I have sympathy for is prone to strep. It is no fun.
5. For some reason yesterday, I was thinking of my friend Shauli and her husband Eric. About 8 years ago, right after they were married, they let Derek and I stay with them for ten days while we visited San Diego. I was just thinking of how nice they were to let us be there for so long! We appreciated it at the time, but when I think of it now I appreciate it even more. Especially because this trip was the first time that either of them actually met Derek - they just opened up their home to us out of love for me. Anyway, while we were there they threw a little surprise party for Derek for his birthday (which we celebrated during that trip) and my friends Agatha and Jeff came to their house for it. The night included Agatha trying to walk inside from the porch, and walking right into the screen door. It was so funny and classic, and Ag handled it all in stride. And Shauli and Eric simply said , " DOn't worry. We need new doors anyway." And they did in fact replace their doors with french doors soon after. It makes me laugh just to think of and makes me miss Shauli and Agatha and Eric and Jeff even more:)
6. I thought of that story yesterday while I was upstairs watching football. Derek was downstairs and when he heard me laugh, he came up to see what I was doing. I told him, "Just thinking of our trip to San Diego when you went out that first time." And he said, "Oh, and Agatha walking into the screen door" and he smiled a smile that you can only have when you are thinking of a really close friend.
7. I think we are taking a 4-5 day trip down to North Carolina and staying at our friend's beach house in February. It is a 10 hour trip, so one the dogs can easily do with us. I am so excited!
8. I am really really hoping that San Diego beats the Patriots next week, both for personal and professional reasons. The thought makes me smile because I know that they are so capable of it.
9. Despite our need to re-conform our lives to a new budget, we decided not to go to the free first Saturday of the month event at the Brooklyn Museum (which still has the Annie Leibovitz exhibit) and went to dinner and to watch the Saturday night football game instead. Stupid choice, given one event was free, the other involved paying money for food after having just gone grocery shopping. However, given the stories of the mass crowds at the museum this Saturday night, the inability to move and to even get to the floor with the great exhibit (one that I have already seen), and our neighbors' need to escape through the back exit because of the overwhelming crowd, it was a GOOD CHOICE! Good food, nice waiter, good view of the game, and a nice walk.
10. Did I mention that I got the hole in my Seven jeans patched up? I think they are going to last another 3 years!! Yay!
11. It was 72 degrees in NYC on Saturday. I went on a run Prospect Park, and felt overdressed in my capri-length running pants and a short sleeve t-shirt. I ran into a friend of mine at the Farmer's market, who had just gone on a run, too, who was in shorts and a tank top. 72 degrees on January 6th! It was crazy, and actually a little warm for the run. There was no wind whatsoever. However, much better than being too bitter cold to go outside.
12. I am about to go get a frappucino from Starbucks. Yum:)