Thankful IV

I'm thankful for lunchtime phone calls and "walks" with Mom. Mostly I am just thankful to have an awesome Mom who is a spectacular listener, great Christmas party-thrower, very savvy businesswoman, Coach-purse addict, natural teacher, fun color room-painter, unbelievably wise and empathetic and who always taught us that it's what on the inside that really matters.

And because you are one of the four people who read this - Mom, I love you. You are the best.

Florence Hotel BOOKED

Hurray! I booked our hotel for two nights in Florence, Italy! We're staying at the Rosary Garden Hotel which has excellent reviews on TripAdvisor.

Normally we stay in the most simple room at whatever hotel we're in. No reason to blow money on a hotel - I've got wine, food and clothes I want to blow money on.

However since we've booked this hotel so early, I was able to upgrade us a little. We'll be staying in a Superior Double Room as opposed to the Classic Double Room. Clearly, we are high-rollers.

Ha! Yeah right! Budget shopper/traveler is more like it. With a little non-refundable risk, we got the fancy schmancy room, breakfast and afternoon tea included, for $43 under budget.

What I need now is Italian for "Florence here I come!"

(By the way, 2 blog posts in an hour - things are crazy around here!)

Thankful III

Last note post-posting I was reading my Google Reader and stumbled upon Jane's blog where she wrote about the #BeThankfulChallenge...which is apparently what I have started participating in without even knowing it.

In honor of the challenge, today I am thankful for blogs. They keep me up-to-date on Delta happenings worldwide, are a big part of me staying employed and per an earlier post, are a great way to chronicle memories. Deltas, paychecks and memories, all three are very good things.

PS As I sip my hot chocolate and get ready to book a hotel in Italy I am thankful for so many things. But I'm trying to keep them on deck instead of sharing them all with you now. I mean - whats if I have a bad day this month? I may need one of these evergreen awesome items to fill my thankful day.

Thankful II

I'm thankful for my Dad who says things like "Wow, this car is great. We should get her this one" and "I know there's a budget, but make sure she has a nice wedding" and "Well, if it's it not gone by Tuesday, you do what your old man says and go to the doctor you hear."

And my favorite: "You go, girl."

Thankful I

So excited for Movember that
he started growing it 3 days early.
This pic marks Movember 1, 2011

On Facebook just now I saw an old high school friend posting her "Day 2 of Thankfulness" status update. I gotta say, I dig it (and I'm feeling a little ADD at work...last distraction, I promise). So guess what blog readers, in addition to the usual stuff, you are getting the Thankful series this year, counted out in Roman Numerals (because seriously, that's way fun).

So it may be a day late but better late than never.

Thankful I is my enthusiastic for life, fun and ridiculousness husband who is growing a moustache in the name of cancer-free livin', the best kind of livin' if you ask me.

Movember is here!

Movember is here!

Movember is when moustaches invade November in the name of awareness for and fundraising to fight prostate cancer. There's some disagreement about when and where Movember began, but in a nutshell it began 7-11 years ago in Australia (either Adelaide or Melbourne, we aren't sure). I first got wind of it while studying in Sydney and interning for the Cancer Council Australia. Last year US participants raised $7.5 million to fight prostate cancer through orgs like LIVESTRONG and the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Creepy Ross 'stache from earlier this year.
Get ready for more of the same...and then some

As you know, Ross is a lover of moustaches and firefighters worldwide are among the best growers of moustaches. Add into it our strong opposition to cancer and it's only natural that Ross bring Movember to the guys at GFD.

Led by their fearless moustache growing Movember captain Ross, the GFD Mo-Bros are 19 strong for their inaugural year.

And it's a very serious effort, complete with email heckling, posters, business cards and maybe a moustache growth flip book at the end.


If you would like to support Ross and the GFD Mo-Bros, you can donate to him online right here.

Check his "Mo-Space" and my blog throughout Movember for updated pics of the 'stache. It's bound to be epic.