Thoughtful Thursday

 I am going to take a hot second today and tell you about how much I adore having a dog again. It took us awhile to be ready for a new dog after we lost Beatrix because we just loved her so darn much. Annabel, though, has been a total joy.

I guess there was that time when she was very little and Ben missed the call from the vet's office telling us she had worms and we thought she was just going to defile our deck in the most horrific way for the rest of her life (POWER WASHER FOR THE ABSOLUTE WIN), but then she took meds, and she's been really truly delightful ever since.

She IS kind of a biter (just your achilles tendon!)  and a jumper and I don't usually let kids pet her at the playground (which! PARENTS! It is so nice that you have taught your kids to ask if they can pet a strange dog but also SOMETIMES THE ASNWER IS NO and stop being so JUDGY ABOUT IT) because of the jumping and the biting (it's just a nip! I swear! she thinks we're all puppies together!)

BUT. Like I was saying. UNQUALIFIED delight (ignore those qualifying paragraphs).

She loves to hold my hand (with her teeth. gently!) and walk on 2 legs like a toddler or a circus dog.

Wherever Dorothy is, ANNABEL IS THERE TOO

She loves to lounge on the girls' beds like one of the stuffies.

She adores a run in the dark.

Somedays she gets 3 runs-- 30 mins with me, 30 with Ben, and 30-ish with Jack, but most days she gets 2. Plus 4 15-minute walks. She is an excellent girl with this level of exercise.

I freaking LOVE her silly pigtail bows from the groomer

And! She tolerates our bullshit VERY WELL.

In short, she's perfection, and I am so happy we have her.

Also, we are thinking about letting her have puppies. That's bananas, though, right?

Thoughtful Thursday: What's Saving My Life

 I listened to The Lazy Genius on my way to work the other day, and she had a fantastic list of what's saving her life right now. More than the list itself I was charmed by the idea of a list like this. And then! I noticed that both Sam and San have written theirs lately.  So! Here's mine:

1. Gimmee Some Oven no-bake energy bites. Kae raved about these, and I remembered them after not making for YEARS. Now they are back in rotation. I like how filling and also treaty they are. (I toast my coconut in the oven and use sun butter and chocolate chips and aim for 20 balls/recipe).

2. The NYT cooking app and its daily newsletter. So many great recipes coming right to my inbox!! We have made (and really liked) one pot pasta with ricotta and lemon, chicken and rice casserole,  rice krispie treats with chocolate and pretzels, egg muffins, pasta primavera, fluffy pumpkin pancakes, parmesan crusted salmon caesar salad, chile crisp fettuccine alfredo with spinach.

3. RUNNING. I feel like I have wasted YEARS not doing this.

4. No bed rotting. My alarm goes off, and I GET UP. It is wonderful (and terrible when the morning is cold).

5. Starbucks holiday drinks. I AM VERY BASIC, OK?

6.  Dental floss in the car (probably because I am always eating energy bits on the way to work).

7. Immediately grading student work. NOTHING IS PILING UP YOU GYS. It is amazing.

first snow!

first dive meet of the season!

run!

I have to know: what's saving your life?

Thoughtful Thursday

 Things on my mind:

SPRING SEMESTER.

I mean, ok, that's just one thing, but IT IS REALLY SO MANY THINGS.

The biggest thing I am obsessing about is a new-to-me class I am teaching-- the first time since 2008, when I didn't exactly teach the class but was a TA for it in grad school (at least until Jack was born when I basically peaced out for the end of the semester).

There are 3 TAs and 240 students. I HAVE A LOT OF PREP TO DO, is what I am saying, you guys.

And plus also! I am teaching my 150-person lecture on 19th-21st century feminist campaigns and revolutions. Yes, this class exists already, but the exams need a facelift in light of the age of AI, and the major assignments do, too,

I spent all day on the new class yesterday, and I like where it's going. BUT IT NEEDS TO GO THERE FAST. I also need to just lock myself in a room for like 12 hours so I can just workworkworkworkwork all at once and not have to keep stopping and reminding myself what the hell I was doing the next time I sit down at my computer.

Did I mention we decorated the yard? Ben is very into my new inflatable obsession. J/K. He hates it.

SUPER MOON