June 30th

Today I'm grateful for excuses to get fancy.

I celebrated my new job a day early by going out to dinner. I used the opportunity to put more effort into my appearance and did the whole shebang: dress, hair, and makeup. I don't bust out the trifecta very often so it was nice to make a big deal out of the evening.

June 29th

Today I'm grateful for semi-legit Midnight Whiskey.

Midnight Whiskey has traditionally been a fun tournament team but this summer we're taking things slightly more seriously and having regular, organized practices. This weekend we played in our first tournament and did well. For the weekend we went 4-4. We still have a lot of room for growth and improvement but we had good spirit all weekend and had lots of fun on and off the field. I'm looking forward to more frisbee this summer with this group of folks.

June 28th

Today I'm grateful for inside jokes. 

Today was the first day of LogJam, a fun, low-key tournament outside of Portland. As always, it's with a great group of people and so many jokes were made throughout the day. Many of the jokes were quotes and references to a B- movie that a bunch of watched earlier in the week: A Hard Ticket to Hawaii. So fun to be playing a game that I love, with people that I love, laughing and having a good time.

June 27th

Today I'm grateful for the purple promise.

I have a friend who works for FedEx and he recently told me about FedEx's internal employee oath and rewards program called the purple promise. Basically, the purple promise boils down to "doing whatever it takes to satisfy customers." Because it's sort of joke amongst employees, during the explanation of the motto to me, we had a lot of laughs and I felt more connected.

June 26th

Today I'm grateful for cider.

I have a tradition with a friend to meet for happy hour at a campus bar to drink hard cider on tap. She's been living out of the country for the past year so we haven't been able to go in a while. She recently moved back to town and we finally managed to squeeze in a cider date. The bar also serves free popcorn so we always have a good time catching up and enjoying the cider and popcorn. 

June 25th

Today I'm grateful for finally being brave enough to try something new on the menu.

I frequent a Thai restaurant more often than I should but anytime someone starts talking about Thai food I just want it. I almost always go with avocado curry but I've been wanting to try something new and I finally went for it today. I tried Sen Lek Tom Yum and it was awesome. This dish was more soup like which totally hit the spot since we're getting a little summer rain. And the best part is I have leftovers for tomorrow.

June 24th

Today I'm grateful for chocolate milk.

Had a tough track workout tonight, but purposefully bought chocolate milk to have as a reward at the end. It definitely provided some inspiration and was a much needed post-workout treat. 

June 23rd

Today I'm grateful for Firefly.

I watched Firefly one summer a few years back and thought it was a great show. I only saw it once but a friend is hosting a weekly airing of each episode with grilling every Monday until we finish the season. Then the final week we're going to watch Serenity. I'm grateful for the show, the grilling and sharing of food, and this group of friends who will come up with any excuse to hang out together. 

June 22nd

Today I'm grateful for exploring new neighborhoods.

I've been exploring the neighborhood via daily dog walks for the past few days. But this afternoon I went on a run (uphill) to see more of the area. I found giant, beautiful houses and properties. I did a lot of daydreaming about home ownership and retirement. <--I'm already thinking of retirement and I haven't even worked full time for a year yet. Ha ha.

June 21st

Today I'm grateful for solstice.

Solstice as is in the longest day of the year AND the ultimate tournament. I love being outside in the sun so solstice is one of my favorite days and it happens to coincide with a pretty awesome local tournament that I've been helping out with for the last few years. Next year I just have to remember to wear sunscreen.

Sun going down on the longest day.

Riot and Fury huddle.

June 20th

Today I'm grateful for macchiatos.

My friend recently introduced me to this new (to me) coffee drink. Ever since, I've been tempted to get one every day but have held strong because I can't afford a Starbucks habit. But this morning my co-worker texted me and asked if I wanted anything so of course I caved. What a special treat for the Friday of a very slow work week! Now I'm ready to fly through some e-mails. 

June 19th

Today I'm grateful for house sitting.

One of my co-workers is out of town for a few days and she asked me to house and animal sit. I love these opportunities as I get to explore new neighborhoods, have a house to myself, and it almost feels like a vacation. The house has a back patio and I'm looking forward to the weekend when I can sit outside and utilize this particular amenity.

Miss Lola.

June 18th

Today I'm grateful for Cascade Charley.

My friend and I regularly meet here for lunch. We started in the winter when the fountain wasn't even running, but now with better weather this spot is even more relaxing and enjoyable. Such a quiet and fun little spot on campus.

June 17th

Today I'm grateful for paying off debts.

I loath owing people money. I think it's because it makes me think I have more resources than I do and I hate the disappointment of miscalculating my budget. I much prefer people to owe me money. My roommates and I had quite a tab going in the shuffle of moving and I was finally able to write a check to settle everything. I don't like what my bank account looks like now, but at least it's accurate and I can plan accordingly. My student loans better watch out!

June 16th

Today I'm grateful for (free) elephant ears.

I volunteered at for UO Commencement today and the elephant ear food cart was with in sight all afternoon. I finally couldn't resist any longer and went to purchase one, but then she gave me one for free! Made it taste even sweeter!

June 15th

Today I'm grateful for reunions.

As mentioned in my Friday post, Lindsey surprised Eugene again for a visit. We all got to spend a little more time with her through out the weekend. We managed to squeeze in a Friday night out, a Saturday brunch, and a Sunday afternoon at Noble. I'm grateful that we got to spend some quality time all together before Linds leaves for her big trip. I have such good people in my life--near and far.

Love her surprises.

Of course we visited Ryan.

Group selfie and Noble.

June 14th

Today I'm grateful for trail running.

I went on a very short trail run for the first time and liked it more than I thought I would. I'd like to try again on a flatter trail as this one was pretty challenging (a lot of uphill on the way back). But just being in the woods and close to water makes me feel rejuvenated. This was my second trip to Kentucky Falls this year and it's impressive every time.

June 13th

Today I'm grateful for personal days.

The accountant e-mailed me right before my Vermont trip to let me know that I had a personal day that was going to expire at the end of June, so if I wanted to use it I only had the next couple of weeks. I chose to take today off in order to give myself a three day weekend. I slept it, then did some chores and yard work that I've been putting off. Then I went to two wineries and had a lovely time with friends. I topped off the evening trying a new restaurant with more friends and was surprised by Lindsey. Again. :)

June 12th

Today I'm grateful for my first visit to a tattoo parlor.

I have to start by saying: Don't worry Ma, I didn't get one. I've been curious about the process of getting a tattoo as I have a couple ideas IF I were to ever get one. I have a number of friends who have them and I've always wanted to go with to see how it's done. I had the opportunity today and saw my friend get the tattoo below. It was pretty fascinating to watch and I'm glad I finally saw it in action. 

June 11th

Today I'm grateful for Midnight Whiskey practice.

I went to my first Midnight Whiskey practice today and it was great! There was lots of people, the weather was great, we were playing hard, and there was plenty of positive energy. Loving this team!

June 10th

Today I'm grateful for track workouts.

Okay, that's a bit of a fib. I'm actually mostly grateful for the people who do track workouts with me. It's definitely way more motivating and fun when other people are pushing and inspiring me to keep going. I've done two workouts in the last two weeks and while they're brutal I do feel pretty accomplished after completing them. Maybe, if they get easier I'll be more grateful for the actual workout...    

June 9th

Today I'm grateful for sunshine breaks. 

I had a long work event today that went well into the evening. Fortunately, the event had an inside and outside venue so I was able to take lots of breaks outside in the sunshine. I found a different bench in the sun for each of my three breaks I took during the event.

June 8th

Today I'm grateful for sailing.

Sailing has been on my bucket list for ages now and I was just reminded of how I'd like to try it sometime on the boat cruise I was recently on. Lo and behold an opportunity came up today and I jumped on it. Prior to today I knew some sailing terms i.e. jib, port, starboard, tack, etc. but I didn't know what any of them really meant. I learned those today and more (come about) and even got to steer for a while. It was challenging but also super fun! I think with more practice it would get easier. Again, so great to spend time on the water.

Note the use of two hands.

June 7th

Today I'm grateful for home.

As much as I love traveling, one of the best parts is coming home (except for the unpacking). There's something about coming back to a familiar place, sleeping in your own bed, and having all of your things available and accessible. 

June 6th

Today I'm grateful for jazz music.

Not only did we visit at the perfect time of year weather wise, but we also hit Burlington during their annual Jazz Festival. Every time we were exploring or eating on Church Street there was live jazz music to be soaked in. I think we ate over half our meals outside on patios listening to music. It was lovely.

June 5th

Today I'm grateful for boat cruises.

As part of the conference we took a boat cruise on Lake Champlain. We got sprinkled on a few times near the beginning, but the sun persevered and we had a really beautiful tour of the lake. I love being near or on water and the cruise was such a pleasant (and gorgeous) way to end the day.   

So many shades of blue.

Lake Champlain Bluffs.

Mariko and I enjoying ourselves.

June 4th

Today I'm grateful for work conferences.

The primary reason for my trip is to attend a work conference. I'm having a great time traveling with my colleague, exploring a new city, learning lots of super helpful information, and meeting people in my field. Traveling and conferencing is pretty exhausting but in a satisfying way. This trip has been a perfect blend of business and pleasure.

June 3rd

Today I'm grateful for no sales tax.

As a native Oregonian I'm always startled when I go out of state and make my first purchase and the total is more than what the item said it was. I always forget about sales tax and I'm grateful I don't have to think about it in my daily life. I know they get us through other taxes, but I'm used to paying what's on the price tag. 

June 2nd

Today I'm grateful for easy packing.

I love traveling but don't really enjoy the packing and unpacking that is necessary on either end of trips. I had to pack for an upcoming five day work trip tonight and wanted to be completely ready as I have to get up at 4am to catch my flight. So of course I didn't start until after 8pm, but surprisingly (!) finished in under an hour. I was pro-active in that I started laundry prior to today but usually it takes me a lot longer to make decisions and I tend to over pack. Not this time!   

June 1st

Today I'm grateful for finding a roommate.

As I think I've mentioned, my house has been going through some transitions lately. I've always had quite good luck finding high quality roommates but this time around we came down to the wire. I'm glad we were able to find someone who seems like they will fit in nicely and in time to pay rent!