Thankful Thursday

Thursday again already? Wow! Thanks to Tib for the nifty new graphic. Today I am thankful for...

1. Heating pads, muscle relaxers, and Aleve. How sad is it that Aleve makes my list so regularly? A sign of getting old I guess. Anyway I have had a doozy of a pinched nerved in my neck this week and those three things have gotten me through the worst of it. I'm so glad it's finally feeling better and I can actually turn my head without pain.

2. My sweet Cole. My baby boy will turn 10 years old in a couple of weeks and I am so thankful to have made it to 10 without screwing him up too much. Now if we can just make it to 20 and still be able to say the same thing!

3. Self-control. I have used all of my reserves this week. I do not understand people who use petty things like politics and sports as an excuse to be rude or hateful to others, especially those who they call friend. We are all different and have different beliefs but isn't that what makes the world go round? It would be a boring place if we only associated with those who thought and felt the way we did, wouldn't it? Some of my closest friends are my polar opposite but I love and appreciate them and hope that they feel the same about me, regardless of our differences.

No Animals Were Harmed in This Grey's Wrap!

Sorry but that disclaimer being replayed over and over cracked me up. Tell me that Hollywood doesn't repsect the craziness that can be PETA. Talk about covering your butt!

Another really good episode this week.

Things I Loved
1. Owen! I love, love Major Doctor Hottie and am going to need a lot more of him! He is a total bad ass but there is a reason for it, he’s earned the right to it, and while he owns it he seems to be a good guy where it counts. I loved how he made Derek and Mark look like fools, they have needed that for awhile. His asking to be taught and learn was brilliant! And Christina? I think they’ve picked a good one for her. They have major chemistry so I am going to enjoy seeing this relationship develop. Good stuff!

2. Christina, all the way around. I liked Christina the teacher. I want to see more of this. She rocked the house with her interns saving the pigs! I felt so bad for her when Owen told her to put the pigs down. I don’t think I could have done it either, Christina. She does have a human side and I enjoy it when we get to see it. I liked friend Christina too. She and Meredith running from Owen at the beginning of the episode was cute and fun and cracked me up!

3. Anatomy Jane. Not for any particular reason, I just thought it was a really clever way to involve Meredith in the tumor storyline. She created a connection between Meredith and Bailey, showed a past connection to the Chief, and she helped Meredith figure out a way to operate on tumor girl. She helped give Meredith a stellar episode all the way around. Nice!

4. Erica’s speech to Callie at the beginning of the show. I know, I haven’t been on board with the Callie/Hahn as a couple storyline and I’m still not, but her vulnerability got to me. I can totally buy Hahn as a lesbian, and I’m fine with that, just not as a couple with Callie. It has been obvious that Erica is more into Callie and I felt bad for her when she was giving the speech because I knew she was going to get her feelings hurt. Get her another woman and run with the lesbian storyline because she sold me!

5. Bailey. Not for any particular reason this episode, I just love her and her awesomeness so I felt compelled to mention her. She is going to make a fine chief one day!

6. Lexie & George. Their friendship is so sweet and fun.
Lexie: "I named the pigs today." George: "I don't know what that means." Genius!

7. Izzy and Alex. They bring out the best in each other!

8. Mark. Come on, you aren’t surprised, are you? I always love Mark! I love the friendship between Mark & Callie. Beneath his brash exterior I think Mark is a really good guy and I was glad to hear someone tell him that.

Things I Didn’t Love
1. Callie. I don’t like cheater Callie. Does she not have patients to take care of? You are telling me that the only orthopedic resident that we know of has nothing better to do than have sex in the on-call room all day? I think it has become pretty obvious by now that she is not that into a romantic relationship with Hahn and she is being cruel leading her on. This has this potential to end very badly, so I think they just need to drop this storyline and let Callie do what she does best…screw Mark.

2. Hahn’s attitude toward Bailey during the surgery. What a bitch!

Things I Just Didn’t Care About
1. The tumor girl. Is it wrong that I cared more about what happened to the pigs? I did like the one scene with the girl’s father and the chief, but the rest of that storyline just didn’t do anything for me.

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for...

1. My 100 blog entries. When I started this little blog on January 1 it was completely on a whim. I assumed it would be like my high school diary where I would jump in with enthusiasm and eventually peter out, so imagine my surprise when I noticed earlier this week that I had reached the 100 entry mark. Yea me!

2. Tuesday is finally election day. I am ready for this one to be OVER! I've seen sides of people that I don't wish to see again and have been witness to more than one friendship being damaged beyond repair by politics.

3. Tomorrow is Halloween. Maybe now all of the well meaning pepople that I work with will take the candy home!

4. My crock pot. I love this time of year when I can have something good cooking all day while I am at work and dinner is ready when I get home. Today I am especially thankful for the yummy spaghetti and meatballs that we will be eating tonight!

5. I almost forgot one. I bought my first Christmas gift today! I am terribly behind this year, so I'm thankful to have that first one out of the way.

Ask Cole

I have seen this fun little Q&A on several friend's blogs and since Cole and I were hanging at home today I thought it would be fun to see his answers...

1. What is something mom always says to you?
Get ready for football practice.

2. What makes mom happy?
Two things: Whenever I follow her instructions. And whenever I win football games.

3. What makes mom sad?
Me not listening.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
When she has some sort of sense of humor.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
I don't even know, you never told me.

6. What is her favorite thing to do?
Go to Cowboys games.

7. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Go on the internet.

8. What is your mom really good at?
Guitar Hero and Rock Band

9. What is your mom not very good at?
Trying to talk Dad out of something.

10. What does your mom do for her job?
She works for Verizon and sits at the computer all day.

11. What is your mom's favorite food?
Chocolate chip cookies.

12. What makes you proud of your mom?
She doesn't embarass me nearly as much as my dad.

13. What do you and your mom do together?
Play Rock Band

14. How are you and your mom the same?
We both like music. A lot.

15. How are you and your mom different?
We don't like the same styles of music.

16. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Target

17. How do you know your mom loves you?
She buys me awesome video games.

Warning: Bragging Ahead

See that report card? That is pretty much what Cole's first 4th grade report card looks like! Well except we don't do A's, we do 4's, but replace the A's with a 4 and you get the idea. :)

I had parent/teacher conference this morning and both of Cole's teachers were very complimentary. His math and science teacher, who is also his homeroom teacher, said that his math skills are "unbelieveable" and "far exceed the expectations for a 4th grader at any level". She also complimented his wonderful behavior, called him an example to others and said that he is a leader in his classroom with his actions and ability. His language arts teacher, who I just LOVE for her enthusiasm for her profession and really wish was his homeroom teacher, said that there weren't enough positive adjectives to describe how great she thinks Cole is. She praised his creative writing and and wrote on his report card that he "has an extensive vocabulary and enjoys the suble nuances in the written word far beyond his age." She told me that she wishes she had a classroom full of Cole's and her job would do itself.

Both teachers recommended to me that they believe we should reconsider our stance and have Cole tested for Alpha, which is our school district's gifted and talented program. They said that they have 5 or 6 kids in their rotation who are Alpha and that they feel that Cole exceeds the abilities of any of those children. Ron and I have previously been against doing anything that would put a label on Cole, but both teachers feel that he is going to need the enrichment that Alpha would provide especially going into 5th grade. So we are going to think about it and discuss it further and decide before spring testing.

Needless to say I left this morning's conference with a spring in my step and a lot of pride for my sweet boy. He tries so hard to always do the right thing, he's a good friend, and works hard to be a good student, so it was thrilling to get such positive feedback from his teachers.

I Did My Part...

Early voting rocks! Cole has been sporting my "My Vote Counted" sticker today and telling people that his parents voted for Obama. As you can probably imagine, that goes over well here in red Texas! LOL

This is one of the most exciting elections I can remember in my lifetime, so make sure that you can say you were part of it. No matter which candidate you support, get out and vote and let your voice be heard too.

There's No "I" in Team...Grey's Wrap

This was a much better episode for me, which I think you'll see reflected in my "things I like" below. It was balanced and well written and just really good!

Things I Liked
1. Derek giving Meredith the kidney in a jar. I am enjoying seeing them work out their problems like adults. I do think Derek was wrong in not giving Meredith any credit for helping with the clinical trial, but I think Meredith overreacted a bit too. When Derek, with Bailey’s help, realized he was wrong and needed to apologize he knew that hearts and flowers wouldn’t be the right thing for Meredith, and the kidney was a perfect apology!

2. Izzy and Alex. I don’t know what it is about these two. I generally find myself disliking them apart, but together I can’t get enough. Her telling him that she cares about him was perfection! She knew that she needed to beat it in his head. She knows the wounded little boy that Alex is on the inside and she found the way to get through to him, at least for a moment.

3. Christina discussing Burke. I’m glad that writers haven’t forgotten her history with him and are showing us how his leaving affected her. I know they are doing it to set up something with Major Doctor Hottie, but no matter the reason I’m glad that it’s being addressed.

4. Bailey! I liked her taking charge of the whole organ transplant thing. I liked her reminding Izzy of her own organ stealing days. I liked her beat down of the residents: “You, you are lazy. You're whiny and butterfingers over there? You're downright depressing.” Hee! And her “Five Second Rule!” LOL And I loved her conversation with the cheating man’s wife and how she took her to meet the family of the woman who received her kidney. Bailey always knows the right moves to make because she is ten kinds of awesome!

5. Lexie giving George a smackdown. “Did you even ask for me?” That was a wonderful scene! Granted she was a little immature decorating George’s locker like they were in high school, and if she had just told him how she felt she wouldn’t feel like such a doormat. But the girl is obviously crazy about George and I can’t believe that he is too blind to see it. Me thinks he is going to figure it out too late, like when Lexie ends up sleeping with Mark. And speaking of…

6. I love Mark! I know, minority opinion here, but he is just the most fun character. He says what I am thinking about 99% of the time! I really wish the writers would give him his own woman and his own storyline. Eric Dane is great!

7. The previews for next week. Major Doctor Hottie is back! From the looks of the previews he isn't going to be making many friends at Seattle Grace, but I think his character is going to bring some sorely needed new life into the show.


Things I Didn’t Like
1. Callie & Hahn. Normally I just don’t care about them but this week they have moved to don’t like status. I can’t believe they went there. Doesn’t Callie know that what she did with Mark was cheating, at least sort of? And Callie isn’t a cheater. That scene and her "take off your pants" scene with Hahn was just gross! They are giving lesbians everywhere a bad rap, and involving my Mark in this whole fiasco ticks me off! Stop the madness!!

2. The young mistress kidney donor chic. She bugged and I liked how it was pointed out to her that her guy had made his choice. Suck that homewrecker!

3. The chief. What is wrong with him this season? Does everyone else dislike him as much as me? He used to be one of my favorites, but I find myself wanting to punch him in the face every single episode.


Things I Just Didn’t Care About
1. The father/son “he worked too hard and didn’t pay attention to me growing up”. That particular storyline is played out on any show, and the boy crying at the end didn’t affect me because he wasn’t a good actor.

That’s it for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this episode! I’m curious to hear what you guys think because it’s getting mixed reviews from my Grey’s buddies at work this morning. Not everyone loved it as much as I did. So let me have it…what did you think?