#365Gratitude Day 310: Cuddle Buddy

I'm lucky enough that I get to telecommute sometimes.  I value the contrast of it.  Sometimes I really like being in the office, in the hustle and bustle of the shared bullpen area I work in.  Other times I need peace, quiet, and calm to get my work done.  One of the very best things about those work from home days is that my cats, Yin and Yang keep me company.  They'll sit in the office with me, sometimes at my feet, often in my lap.

On Friday, I needed to spend some time reading a technical book, so I ditched the home office for the more comfy option of a recliner in my living room.  Yang decided that he would cuddle with me while I read.

Sheer bliss.

#justBecause Is a hot dog a sandwich?

 http://strawpoll.me/5926666

#justBecause Murmurations

My friend Squee saw a Vine I posted this morning, of a Murmuration.

I didn't know it was called that. She sent me this wonderful example of another. 

#365Gratitude Day 309: The Power of The Power

This morning, I shared one of my most favorite things ever with Missy.  It's a TED talk by Brené Brown, called The Power of Vulnerability

A few minutes in, she had me stop it, so she could write down several of the things Brené said.  Then about halfway in she turned to me and said, "This is an a-ha moment."

I just beamed, and melted a bit inside.  She took my phone (where the video was playing) and put it on our bed, and lay down on her stomach to watch the rest of it.  I could see her face move with the emotions, thoughts, self-reflection, and epiphanies the talk was causing her to have and feel.

Afterwards, we hugged.  She kissed me, thanked me, and told me she appreciates what I give her, the philosophical way I approach life, and my drive to share it with her.

I'm still smiling.

#365Gratitude Day 308: It's not a stain

So here's the shirt I wore to the gym yesterday when I ran.

You'll notice it's got this little kind of rust colored mark on it, about halfway down.  The shirt is the won I wore to the Parkway Classic, a 10 mile race I did a few years back when I was first getting started running.  It was my first big race.  I had pinned my number to my shirt with safety pins, like you do, and spent the entire race sweating on them.  Then after the race, I took my shirt off, but forgot to take the pins out, and let the whole thing sit for a while.

Which leads to the rust marks on my shirt.  They used to really bother me, I used to think of them as a stain.  I would actively not wear this shirt to run, because it embarrassed me.  I would seek out any other running shirt I had, to avoid recalling that mistake.

But a while back I changed my mind.  I've actually come to love this shirt.  Because those marks are signs of learning.  The very next big race I did, I got myself these loopy clips that go around my stretchy running belt to hold my number.  

I'm in the space where I'm learning to run again, learning to make it a priority in my life.  When I first found myself back here, it felt almost shameful, like I had lost ground, and now had to work hard to get back to where I was.

In a word, bullshit.

Yesterday I got in a 2 something mile run, doing a 45 second run, 4:15 walk interval.  It's starting to become not challenging.  During my runs I would sprint, big bursts of speed.  It felt good.  My plan is to gradually increase that interval, as I feel comfortable.  (Meaning maybe early next week I'll be doing 1 minute run, 4 minute walk.  I'm aiming at a 3/2 interval, but who knows, maybe I'll go beyond that?"

There's a Lao-tzu quote about this that really speaks to me.

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”

I am so grateful for each step I take, each day I live.