I have a lot to be thankful for...

It's 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning and something has possessed me to write a blog post for the first time in about six months. My intentions to blog were good, my topics are abundant yet somehow I never seem to get around to it. But today is different! I'm up!!! and I'm gonna blog about it :)

Several of my friends have been faithful to a month long practice of updating their Facebook status with the things they are grateful for. My "thankful" updates were sketchy at best. So, here they are all at once (Disclaimer: this list is in no way intended to be a comprehensive list. However, if you feel left out please feel free to call my Mom and "let her have it" for raising an ungrateful child :)

In no particular order of importance (because that would require me to think way too hard):

* Opposable thumbs - laugh if you will but all that baking I did last night would have been much more difficult without them. Not to mention how many more typos this blog post would have.

* Organic Turkey Farmers - these guys rarely get the credit they deserve for their contributions to my favorite holiday. These turkeys didn't grow themselves people - thank a farmer!

* Punkins!!! I love 'em!!! They are delicious and nutritious and this year I roasted some for the very first time. Hello, yummy soups, pies, cakes and who knows they are probably even good with Bacon!

* Bacon. That's all - just Bacon.

* Coffee (see bacon for more detail)

* Vodka - it's clearly delicious alone or with almost any liquid companion.

*College Football - I reserve the rant to continue to rant about the BCS but there is just nothing like the pure competition of college football!

* A strong body (ok, I may owe Wes the Trainer some gratitude here but I do most of the work :) It's great to be up this morning ready to run in the Turkey Trot!

* My awesome friends - you know who you are! Some of you have been around since second grade and others are more recent additions. Thanks to all of you who listen to me, advise me and help me hide the evidence when necessary. Special thanks to DW who has taught me to cook outside the prepackaged isles this year and showed me life without gluten can still be awesome!

* My Clareity Partners and Team - seriously the most amazing group of people I've ever had the opportunity to work with. The "work hard, play hard attitude keeps us going even in challenging times".

* Geddes Teens - they challenge me physically, intellectually and emotionally on a daily basis. I love them without condition, but they do get bonus points for taking out the garbage!

* My family - I am fortunate to have a big one! Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grama's, one Grandpa left, one amazing Mom, 2 cool Dad's and a Poppy, 2 baby brothers I adore, 2 more baby bros I inherited later in life but also adore, and 3 of the cutest nephews on the planet. Add Geddes Teens and we put the fun in "dysfunction" :)

*LOVE - I have so much of it in my life and I rarely am able to just kick back, enjoy and appreciate it. Thanks to all who love me and for the opportunity to love you back!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

Chaos with occasional bouts of normalcy……

That’s basically how I would describe my life in six words or less. The really funny thing (in a I would cry if I didn’t laugh sort of way) is that I have some how convinced myself that “next week” or “next month” things will slow down and there will be less chaos and more peacefulness. Occasionally that actually happens. Truthfully, most of the time tranquility sneaks up on me in the most unexpected way. Now, I just need to learn to do a much better job of enjoying it when it arrives.

So today the world got a way from me for a bit – I forgot several important things (if you are on Twitter you already know a few but not all). I let myself become completely overwhelmed by seemingly simple tasks. I mean seriously, I can run a company with a team of 22 spread out over 5 states on a daily basis, but I can’t remember to turn the oven off??? I was headed for a full on melt-down by about noon when out of nowhere (ok maybe not nowhere ☺ ) the voice of reason appeared – “maybe you should make a list” – what???? Crazy talk – I don’t need lists- I have a memory like a steel (whadya call that thing again?)

So I acquiesced and started the list. It was pretty amazing to me how easy it was and how much less overwhelmed I felt as I began to believe I could actually get it all done. Bills paid….check, appointment for Trixie at BMW hospital…..check, Optometry appts for all…..check (help from Baby Daddy – thx!), Landscaper to remove tree limbs (and toilet paper in tree limbs) from hanging over my driveway….check, return GPS I accidently walked off with from rental car in DC (not check but it’s still on the list), reschedule Monday workout because I forgot kids were flying out to Baker….check, ortho appt for Geddes teen #2 before her departure to Baker….check. Plan a much needed vacation….check!!!! And the list goes on. I’m starting to understand why I forget things. I’m on memory overload – I need an upgrade much like the one we gave my MAC a few weeks ago.

But then, sometimes forgetting is good – so maybe I don’t want to remember everything. I really just want to remember the good parts – peace, tranquility and what it feels like to just be HAPPY. I’m definitely working on it and I’m confident that with enough practice I will “own” HAPPY. For now, I’m recommitting to the good old fashioned “list” – maybe it all gets done and maybe it doesn’t but it’s nice to know in advance what I’m going to forget ☺

Happy Birthday MACcoy!

I can't think of too many people I know well who don't know that a few months ago I got a MAC. Two months ago today actually. Yes, I have been "converted" and my MAC friends are now working to fully assimilate me into their all MAC all the time world. I must admit there are so many things I love about "MACcoy" - let's start with the fact that I was basically "required" to name him. Not sure why I think my MAC is a him - perhaps his cold steel frame....I digress. Back to what I love about MACcoy (as in the real).

1) He's always on and rarely requires a reboot - I've estimated my time savings per day to be somewhere around an hour based on being able to open and shut the lid with everything right where I left it.

2) He's super-fast - normally not a quality I look for but in the case of a computing device it's very cool.

3) He let's me take funny pics of myself - now if he could only help me with judgment on which ones NOT to post to Facebook :)

4) He's really smart about devices I plug into him and rarely tells me I need to find the driver - he just goes and finds it for himself. Self sufficiency is always good.

So that's the up-side of a MAC from my perspective. The downside, no more 15 minute coffee breaks while I "boot up" in the a.m.

File this one under everybody's doing it!

For a year I've been threatening to start a blog. For a self described, (fully clothed) exhibitionist it's a dream come true! I can ramble, rant, repute and regurgitate all kinds of information all from the comfort of my armchair. More fun than a barrel of monkeys (more on that in a future blog).

You can expect to hear from me only when I really have something important to say that won't fit into a tweet (follow me on twitter @clareitycoo). You can also find me on Facebook - the pics you see are better if I know you :) I'm fascinated by this whole Web 2.0 blah blah insert trendy words here craziness. We are ALL now publishers!

Topics you will likely tire of if you subscribe to this blog:

The Geddes Teens - my 2 teenage angels - Logan is 16 going on 7 and Kelsie is 13 going on 30.

All things real estate (especially technology) - I love to follow trends and watch real estate at a local level and the web allows us to watch locally even from thousands of miles away!

My liberal opinions on social issues and my conservative opinions on fiscal issues - yep I'm one of those!

My home town of Baker City and my roots in Boise, ID - two places I LOVED living in and miss a lot sometimes (especially friends and family)

And of course the weather - I love all things warm and sunny so Fountain Hills, AZ is a great place to live.

Still with me? Ok, but you have been warned!