Monday Five Countdown - Slurpee Edition

It's 7-11! Do you go for a free Slurpee today? Where I live (North Jersey, yo), it's going to be 91 degrees today so it's quite possibly a very good idea. Let's be cool and do the Monday Five Countdown for now (Slurpee later).

Five Things I'm Grateful For

1. Nate. I know, I repeat myself weekly on this one - AND I recently read that people who simply repeat the same things they're grateful for don't actually get any benefits from acknowledging that gratitude because they're not really feeling it. But for this, I am. There is not a day that goes by that I am not utterly, truly grateful to the very bottom of my heart that we have Nate.

2. The hubby. If I were married to me, I'd have divorced myself by now. The man has the patience of a saint. (I know a lot of people say this about their spouses, but I really mean it. I would have stabbed myself with a kitchen knife by now if I was married to myself.)

3. The dogs have been really good lately. *knock on wood* We're even integrating them into the rest of the house more, sort of by force since Nate figured out how to move the gate in the dining room and let the dogs into the rest of the house. I figure why fight it. I hate that gate and can't wait for the day that it's no longer necessary at all so I'm happy to work on it now.

4. I have a very busy week at work, but it's the kind of busy that looks good - the kind that looks like, "Hey, she's doing a good job" while also laying the groundwork for the rest of the quarter to go well.

5. Even though it's summer and we're using air conditioners daily now, our PSE&G bill was only a blip higher than last month. Thank heavens.

Four Things I Can't Stop Thinking About

1. An extremely difficult financial decision the hubby and I have made. I don't want to talk about it today, but it is weighing heavy on my heart and mind today.

2. Tonight's dinner. I made a vat of chili yesterday for the hubby and I to eat for the week. Nate didn't like it too much (I think it was a smidge too spicy for him) so I have to figure out something else for him to eat for dinner.

3. Grad school. I have to finish that incomplete from the spring semester (UGH!) and register for classes for the fall. I already missed out on a few classes (they closed) and the days I can take classes are limited due to the hubby's work schedule so this is going to get a little difficult... Well, or, more difficult than it already was. Ack.

4. Friday. I only have to work two hours. Hallelujah.

Three Things I Want To Accomplish This Week

1. Finish the Jay-Z book. I started it but I really just want to get through it so I can return it to the student I borrowed it from.

2. Create the new workshop I'm giving in a class at work next week.

3. Avoid grocery shopping unless Nate needs something or we need a basic staple (milk, eggs, etc).

Two Things I Am Working To Be Positive About

1. Money. We are in a hole. A deep hole. Our basic expenses exceed our income right now and we are having to make some terribly difficult decisions. I can't even be positive about it - right now I'm just trying to hold it together, really.

2. My mood. I haven't been feeling tops, mentally. The money stress is the biggest part of it but I have to find a way to keep my head above water even if that continues to be a struggle.

One Random Thing

1. The final Harry Potter movie comes out this week. I can't wait to see it, but in another way, it's going to break my heart because I can't believe the film side of the series is over. I adore the Harry Potter series (I wrote my master's thesis on it) and could talk about it for hours on end. I'm going to miss having new films to look forward to.

So, what about you? Got a Monday Five going on? Linking up would cheer me up! (No pressure, though.) :)