thursday thirteen

things I appreciate now that I didn't have 20 years ago,  in no particular order.

1. A coffee maker that has a drip interruption.  My old Melita, I would have to quickly slip another mug under to catch the drip if I wanted to sneak out a cup beforehand.  Didn't matter how fast or dexterous I was it just didn't work without some of the brew spilling on the burner.

 

2.The internet....wow that goes without saying.  I can't imagine life without it now.  The best part is the people I have met online and being able to book my own vacations.

 

3.Not having to work for someone else.  I am totally not a person that likes to take orders from someone of a lesser intelligence which it seems all of my previous bosses were.  They couldn't even take a helpful suggestion with out getting their hackles up.

 

4.My kids, I can't imagine life without them.  It would be so empty.  Having been married for over 7 years with no luck,  I was truly blessed to not just have one but three.

 

5.Patience and tolerance.  In my younger years I wasn't so tolerant of other peoples ideas and faults.  I know I was pretty judgemental.  Now I accept people for how and what they are and look past the disagreeable things and concentrate on what I like about the person.

6.Satellite TV .  I have always been the early to bed early to rise sort of person and missed out on alot of late night TV.  In fact I never watched any of the SNL shows of the 80's,  way past my bedtime.  Now I can watch the eastern feeds 3 hour earlier,  3 and a half hours earlier in Newfoundland.

7.Travel travel travel.  Being able to travel basically when I want and where I want.  Not having to book time off.  One time I had an incredible travel deal 2 weeks airfare and hotel $299 to Mazatlan back in 1988.  Vacations were pretty expensive back then.  I had to literally beg my boss to give me the unpaid time off.  There was plenty of staff to cover me but he acted like such a jerk.  We were able to go but it still pisses me off how I had to beg him for it.

8.A super comfortable bed.  We have the most comfy king size bed.  It is a high density foam core mattress and I would never go back to springs again.

9.Rechargeable batteries.  The money I would spend on new batteries for my camera,and Sony walkman.  Now I have all rechargables in everything that requires a battery.  Not having all that crap going into the landfills is an added bonus.

10.Not sure how to word this one but not being embarrassed about things I haven't done.  I used to be embarrassed if someone I was with did something.  Now I don't care what people think.  I only worry about my own behaviour.

11.My ability to change and adapt.  If you don't have bailey's for my coffee I will drink it black.  If you only have budweiser in the fridge I will drink it even though it gives me rotgut.  I am much more pleasable now.

12.Forgiveness,  I can forgive people for just about anything.  I am not the one that you will have to hold yourself accountable to.

13.Twenty extra pounds.   Not really on that one just seeing if you were reading to the end.  But I am 20 lbs heavier then I was 20 years ago.  Actually closer to 30 pounds heavier but its been fun putting them on  :)

 

So what has changed for the better in your life?