Working on it...

So, The Thanksgiving Method is in the full implementation phase (can you tell I've been listening to Matt work on drug development business plans?), and I thought I could go ahead and share some examples of my attempts to look at the bright side this morning.

Well, I am up early (8:45am is early for me these days) due to the mold problem in our bathroom. Someone from the maintenance department is coming to take a look and offer a solution at 9:30. So, while I would much rather be cuddling with my hubby who can actually sleep in today because his classes don't start until later, I am up and being positive. I'm thankful that our apartment complex has a maintenance staff and that we are not solely responsible for taking care of our rented space. I will be even more grateful when the mold is gone. (Lord willing, it will be out of here before Christmas.)

Disgusting, right?

Speaking of Matthew sleeping in, poor guy is feeling under the weather. Last night was probably the worst night of sleep (or lack thereof) that I can remember since before we got the foam topper on our bed. He thinks he may be getting strep throat, which would be a huge inconvenience no matter how you look at it. But, my TM (Thanksgiving Method) encourages me to think, "I'm so glad that neither me or my husband is chronically ill. Inconvenience we can deal with. Aside from the upper respiratory problems due to the mold, we are blessed with fairly good health." (Kidding about the upper respiratory thing. But you saw, the mold is very real.)

Keeping with the lack of sleep theme, there is construction going on right outside our bedroom window. I kid you not, a jackhammer started drilling in the parking lot around 8:30 this morning, and it is only getting louder. When it comes to loud noises while I'm trying to sleep, I get quite annoyed. I've been known to throw the covers back in hasty surrender and practically yell, "Screw it! I didn't want to sleep anyway!" in the direction of the noise. However, with TM acting as a filter, this morning I did not yell. I thought, "Well, I had to get up early this morning anyway. At least the construction didn't start at 6:00am. And, maybe this work will enhance the quality of life in our complex for those who drive cars."

Visual proof of the audible disturbance. Our bedroom window is directly behind those bushes.

Ok, last point with regards to sleeping... The family who lives above us are really rambunctious Chinese people. The little boy parks his cute superhero bicycle near mine. (That was worded funny. I'm not saying my bike is a cute superhero bike, but just that he parks next to me. Although I wouldn't be opposed to a superhero bike. I don't think they make them in adult sizes.)

Sweet ride, huh? Ah, training wheels. Remember how unsteady it felt to remove them? And just to clarify, mine is the gold bike, not the one with the kiddie seat on the back. Still no dual-citizen babies on the horizon.

There is no particular rhyme or reason as to when this lovely family decides to make noise and when they think it's time for quiet. For instance, I awoke at 7:00am to the sound of tiny feet galloping across the ceiling from one end of our flat to the other. Often, the dad and son play some kind of chasing game. You'll hear the dad do a pretend scary monster yell, and next thing you know, the son is screaming in childish delight. The ensuing stampede on top of our heads can be slightly aggravating at times. In these instances, Matthew has actually influenced me more than the TM has because he will say, "Kelsey, at least the dad plays with his kid. When we have kids, if they want to play early on a Saturday morning, I will play with them. We won't care whether our neighbors are sleeping or trying to get something accomplished. That parent-child relationship is much more important." Of course, I have to roll my eyes and at least give the impression that I don't think he is right, even though deep down inside, I know he is.

This is how Matthew envisions his ideal Saturday morning with his future son. Hockey. Mountains. Teaching his firstborn the ways of manliness. What more could a father want?

And lastly, groceries! Sometime within the next hour, a nice person from Sainsbury's will roll up in a truck and unload crates of delicious edibles at my front door. <As I type, they have arrived! Yay!> Paying for groceries in Pounds Sterling instead of Dollars can hit you with sticker shock. The digits will fool you. "Oh, this pack of gum is only 1GBP! What a bargain. Wait a second. That means it's like $1.65. No deal." But, despite the fact that my affection for Wal-Mart still pops up now and again as I yearn for a one-stop-shopping experience, and that I do miss the benefits of owning a car, I am SUPER GRATEFUL for the person who invented home grocery delivery. Leading up to that person, I am also uber thankful for the people who invented the personal computer, the Internet, credit cards, WIFI routers, delivery trucks, paved roads, kitchens... I could go on, but you get the point. If you ponder a complaint long enough, you can turn it into something you are happy about.

FOOD. FOOD. FOOD. So much more than could fit in my bike basket.

"It is literally true, as the thankless say, that they have nothing to be thankful for. He who sits by the fire, thankless for the fire, is just as if he had no fire. Nothing is possessed save in appreciation, of which thankfulness is the indispensable ingredient. But a thankful heart hath a continual feast."

-W.J. Cameron

On that note, happy (early) Thanksgiving! We are sad we can't spend time with our friends and family who are back home, but you can bet that we will be eating our fair share of a feast and thinking of you all! These crazy Brits don't know what they are missing by not celebrating this holiday. Peace and blessings. Peace and blessings.