And this is why...

He watches Sex and the City with me, without complaint, whenever it's on. In an attempt to show his interest, he referred to Mr. Big as "Mr. Large". We both really laughed.

He makes me feel safe, taken care of.

We met at a John Mayer concert. Need I say more?

He is the most selfless person I know.

The way his face softens when he talks about his Mom.

He's seen Les Misérables 26 times. He introduced me to Rent and stopped it every 30 seconds to explain something, narrate or point out some quirky, unknown fact. And now I cannot stop listening to the Rent station on Pandora.

He will drop everything to help out anyone in need, at any given time.

He is insanely hard-working.

He still has the same smile that he did when he was little (I've seen pictures).

He knows things...random stuff, important stuff, stuff about money and cars, and credit, and bills. Stuff that I don't know.

I can't think about him without smiling.

Any problem or quandry I am faced with is automatically his issue. And he doesn't stop until it's resolved...from my totaled car to work stuff to finding the perfect Christmas gift for my Mom, he takes it on, figures it out and all while maintaining complete and utter calm.

His love for his family and friends.

We have fun no matter what we do.

When he laughs really hard, he slams his palm down on the surface in front of him. It's childlike and carefree.

He adds to this list every day and doesn't even know it.

{us at Tony's}

I love him. And this is why.

Thanks so much.

"One single grateful thought raised to heaven is the most perfect prayer. " ~ G. E. Lessing

My contribution to project :: thankful by Marta....

So many things to be thankful for this year (and every year)...

my health, waking up every day and feeling good, even when I am exhausted, still feeling physically well

having people around me who love me and support me and stand behind me in my decisions

reruns of Grey's on Lifetime

H, his selflessness, sincerity, and huge huge heart

the quiet car on the train

being able to check in with people I don't get to see too often on Facebook

new adventures and experiences

my college roommates and their little girls

Christmas traditions, new and old

my family, complete with dysfunction

a warm bed (with a heated matress!)

my friends, every single one of them

clarity

Happy Thanksgiving!

Five Senses Friday

(This will be a weekly repeat. Join me?)

hearing:

Well, I can tell you what I'm not hearing these days...my alarm!

tasting:

crab legs, for the first time!

seeing:

John Mayer, live at the Beacon Theatre in NYC!

feeling:

loved. a lot.

smelling:

a new car smell, compliments of my new Jeep Liberty. Her name is Lucky.

{hello, Lucky...I love you}

Five Senses Friday

Sometimes I steal ideas from other blogs...

(This will be a weekly repeat. Join me?)

hearing:

homemade burned CDs, including:
Lost Songs and Walk the Line - David Gray
19 - Adele
Turnstiles - Billy Joel
Trouble - Ray Lamontagne

tasting:
Penne a la Vodka and an after midnight Guinness

seeing:
Fa La La La Lifetime promos. If that isn't a sign of Christmas coming, I don't know what is.

feeling:
unusually warm evening air when getting off the train

smelling:
my new three-wick candle from Pier One

One Last Look...

"I dunno, she's got gaps, I got gaps, together we fill gaps."

This morning, I said goodbye to an old friend. A friend who has seen me through four years, two accidents, many many laughs, a hike up to Boston, about 40,000 miles, a few shore trips and a tire blowout on the 42 freeway (read about it here, if you fancy).

Justina named her Adrian last year, after she was rear-ended by a drunk driver and pushed into a Ford Focus, causing her to look like an accordion rendering her undriveable for oh, about seven months due to an unfortunate (lack of) insurance situation. She sat at a body shop in Darby just waiting for me to get enough money to go pick her up. And, when I finally had the money, she wasn't ready. Oh, the bad decisions I've made. I definitely do not have the best luck with cars.

Back to my silver/grey girl. Last Tuesday morning, I decided to stay home from work as I wasn't feeling too hot. I ran out at about 10 am to get some Tylenol Cold and Sinus (aka the wonder drug) and McDonald's breakfast. While heading down Burmont back to my little nest, Adrian and I were hit by a white panel van who was trying to cross over Burmont. While the driver did stop, he essentially didn't obey the Stop Sign Rules as he proceeded through the intersection without checking to make sure it was clear.

My first thought - "thank God I have insurance." What a difference a year makes.

I called 911 (that is a lie. I called my boyfriend, H, first as he is a 911 dispatcher and then he instructed me to call 911. He wasn't working at the time. I guess it was just a reflex. I knew that he would tell me what to do. And calm me down.) and the police came. The driver of the van was very apologetic and nice. We exchanged information and insurance policies. H showed up and called a tow truck to come get the car. We went down to the body shop and got me into a rental car in no time. A week later, she was declared a total loss by the insurance company.

A total loss - this sounds so negative and sad. It is actually the opposite. I am getting reimbursed for the value of Adrian, which is way over what I owe on my loan.

A fortunate misfortune. Props, Jack.

What November means to me...

Remembering the first full break from college...

Crispy brown leaves...

Chilly air...(and refusing to stop wearing flip flops)...

The smell of a chimney...

Early signs of Christmas (and I love it)...

Perhaps the most November-y thing of all is Thanksgiving of course...and nothing is more Thanksgiving-y to me than the Woody Allen flick Hannah and Her Sisters. Caught it last week on cable....divine.

"nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands..."

A taste of the theme song...