blessings

our company received authorization to perform an assessment for a family who has three children with mental retardation and congenital muscular dystrophy. another coordinator and myself sat down with the mother for two and a half hours this afternoon for our initial interview. this amazing woman had nothing but life and hope in her eyes and voice. hearing all the idiosyncrasies about each individual child was heart warming. she gets on the topic of a few recent misfortunes involving some of her close friends - their home burning down, a close friend passing away and leaving two young children behind - and she talks about blessings...and how fortunate her life is. you hear about putting things in perspective all the time, but hearing this incredible mother speak really put everything into its correct place.

fight on!!!

31 years old and still a daddy's girl

presidents and gentlemen

the blogger gods heard my rant from last night! i was at the very same starbucks at approximately the same time as yesterday. i was looking for a place to work before my last session. my hands were full with my students' binders, my laptop bag was falling off my shoulder, and i was holding a cup of coffee while trying to sit down at a table. a man at the table in front of me got up, took my coffee to place it on the table, then did the same with the binders. we had a lovely conversation about what i do for a living and how his cousin has autism as well. then we both went back to working. well-mannered men are still out there, and i am thankful for that.

congratulations, president obama. congratulations, america.

"courtesy is as much a mark of a gentleman as courage."
-theodore roosevelt

angry

i know that this blog was meant to focus on the positive moments that occur during my day. i have an exception today, and it's worth mentioning because it bothered me so much. i was sitting in starbucks on a drizzly, gloomy afternoon. the coffeehouse was packed with people trying to warm up with a cup of joe. this lady ordered over 6 hot beverages, carrying a double stack of drink carriers. she was obviously struggling while approaching the door, and what does the man in front of her do? he steps to the side. doesn't even think about opening the door for her...ass!

then later that evening, i took out a large bag of trash, and a full grocery bag of cans and bottles to be recycled. a few bottles fall on the ground as i walk out. there's a man talking on the phone in the parking lot, with a clear view and earshot of my clumsiness. i walk closer to the lot, with my hands full, needing to pull the door open to get to the lot where the trash chute is located, and what does this man do? he steps even further away from the door, and as i walk towards the trash chute, he exits from the very door i entered...ass!

my happy thought is to appreciate the true gentlemen out there. the small handful that there are!

beer, beer, beer...oh yeah, and boarding!

ry got us tickets to the sf ski and snowboard expo. it also happened to be a beer tasting event as well. we thought we'd be able to find some good deals, but the prices and the crowded lines weren't really worth it. we did get to sample quite a few beers and got two free lift tickets!