The Good Things

When one is in the depths of a depression episode, it's not always easy to recognize the good things that are happening. Sometimes it's because those good things seem few and far between, sometimes it's because they ARE few and far between, and sometimes you're just so mired in your own stupid BS that you can't shake yourself out of it enough to see 2 inches in front of you.

Before anyone reading this worries too much, I'm doing ok. My mind is a little depressed, yes, and very anxiou as well, but that's to be expected with me with the onset of the summer - the summer is no longer fun for this oft-unemployed teacher, as it represents financial stress, dashed hopes, and failure. Job hunting sucks, but it sucks even more when your career's job hunt takes place in a 5-month span, and if you don't get a job then you're basically SOL for the next 7 (at least in the career field).

BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT OF THIS ENTRY. Really. It's not. I swear! I hate bemoaning my sadnesses in journal posts - I spent my late teens and most of my 20's doing that, and UGH I'm so bored of it, I can't imagine how boring they are to read. I mention why summers make me a little depressed/anxious so that I can sloppily tie it in to how great my summer kicked off this weekend. :)

My first homemade fruit salad! Watermelon, strawberries, red grapes, and both white and yellow peaches. Yes, it was delish!

What made it so great?

• Sushi date w/ The Hubs - a rare treat. He treated me to the dinner, then I treated him to Big Spoon Yogurt (a local chain of those make-your-own fro-yo places where they have crazy amounts of toppings and you pay by the ounce)! I discovered that Capt'n Crunch cereal is an AMAZING mix-in - it doesn't get soggy!
• Saturday morning at the Farmer's Market, buying those luscious strawberries and peaches as well as some sweet-tart Rainier cherries. The nut guy also had the cheddar-onion pistachios back in stock, so that was a nice treat as well!
• Saturday evening watching "Haywire" and playing Fluxx with our friends the S's - it forced us to clean the house, which took maybe an hour 'cuz we've been keeping it up fairly well still (which is so big for us, we're so grown up now! ;D). I made teriyaki pork in the slow-cooker, which we ate over jasmine rice instead of on buns, and everyone LOVED it. We nibbled cherries as we played our game, then had ice cream the S's brought over for dessert. It was a wonderful evening with wonderful people. =D
• Sunday day-date with The Hubs, a great cheap one - We took Daisy for a longer walk than usual around the neighborhood, then went to the mall together where he indulged my window-shopping and even treated me to a small jar Yankee Candle (as they were having a sale, so it was actually reasonably priced - I got Beach Walk scent, which smells AMAZING btw). We had a late lunch at Sbarro's in the food court. Sunday night was made even better by the fact that it's when "my stories" are on ("Game of Thrones" and "Mad Men" - they both end soon, BOOOO) AND the fact that The Hubs had Monday off, so it felt like Saturday night. 
• Last but certainly not least, The S's had invited us to their little family BBQ for Memorial Day, which is what the fruit salad was for. We've spent time with them and their families before, so it was fun and comfortable. They also shot some BB guns, which means I got more practice as well. I'm a mean shot! It was a great way to end a fantastic weekend. 

So while I only partially mean to brag ;D, I'm writing this here to remind me that there are certain areas of our life that aren't as great as they could be, but there are just as many areas that are kicking a whole lot of butt (in the good way). It's good to put it in writing to prove it to yourself, don't you think?

Considering we've got a trip coming up (Oregon coast, baby!) to celebrate our 5-year wedding anniversary, and are also planning a camping trip with friends, not to mention weekends of swimming and BBQing that typically happen during the summer with friends and family, maybe this summer will kick away the negative connotation it's developed for me and return the nostalgia and romance of this warm, sultry season to my life.

It's definitely a possibility.  :)