Thankful Thursday

I never got the chance to stop long enough last Thursday to make a "Thankful Thursday" post. It really is nice to spend a few minutes focusing on the good things around me, so I'm not going to let another week slip by without making it happen. This week, I'm thankful for:

1. The Olympics. I love the pagentry, the excitement, etc. I was completely enthralled by the opening ceremonies; I only wish I could get my dancers to be 1/2 as precise as the 2008 drummers or the people inside the boxes that created the "Great Wall" or the tai chi masters who made perfect circles, etc.
   
   


2. Great weather -- usually August is pretty unbearable around these parts. This year, however, we've had GORGEOUS weather. Thanks to low humidity, I've had the AC off and the windows open for the last week. It's been delightful!
   
   


3. My foster dog did get adopted and is doing really well in his new home. In fact, he's blossoming; ya see, around others, Harley is a submissive dog. If he were a human, he would have been the kid that always had the "kick me" sign on his back. In his new home, the only other dog in residence is a 12-yr-old blind Bichon Frise who follows him around like a lost puppy dog, so for the first time in his life, he gets to be top dog. As a result, he's really coming out of his shell & gaining confidence......People often ask me why I do rescue. Now ya know. His time was up at the shelter & if we hadn't taken him, he would have been euthanized. Instead, he's got a great new life, is finally becoming the dog he always had the potential to be, and his new family has filled the void that was left when their previous dog passed away. It's a win-win all around!!
   
   


4. No staff meeting today. 3rd (or is it 4th now?) week in a row! Gotta love a boss who doesn't hold meetings just to hold meetings!
   
   


5. Getting assigned to a really interesting new project at work. When I had my performance evaluation with my boss last week, we spent a lot of time talking about what type of things I enjoy doing/find interesting/would like to work on. This new one is definitely a good fit & a nice affirmation that he was listening to what I had to say & wants to make that happen for me.
   
   


6. A clean PET scan....I've mentioned before that my SO battled lymphoma last year. At his last PET scan, there were a couple of "spots" found. The good news was they weren't showing hypermetabolic (i.e. cancerous) activity, but they were definitely there. The docs didn't know what they were -- best guess was damaged tissue that resulted from the chemo or radiation, but it was possible that they could be the start of the tumor coming back. The decision that was made was to "wait and see". If they either showed cancerous activity or had grown by the next PET scan, then they'd go in and do a biopsy. (Since that would involve cracking the chest wall, not something one would really want to do.)
   
   The good news is that the PET scan was clear!! Not only had the spots not grown/weren't showing hypermetabolic activity, they had actually SHRUNK!! Most likely, they are evidence of collateral damage from the cancer treatment, but unlike what was first thought, the damage may not be permanent as it appears that his body is doing its best to heal itself!!
   

So, how 'bout you? What things are you thankful for today?