When the phone rings in the middle of the night I worry something must be wrong. I don't know why, I just do. In any case, at 6:20 this morning the phone rang but I couldn't get to it in time. Only family has my home number. Uh oh...I thought initially, what could it be. I had to call home to find out.

Mom answered the phone and sounded cheery and told me it was Susan who'd been waiting to call me. At that point I was pretty sure what it was.

Confirmation that I'm going to be an auntie again (around my birthday) was a great way to start the day. Hurrah and congratulations to Susan and Jimi!!!

A string of green bikes (lights) got me home that much quicker tonight. Score!

I turned off my iPod on my walk into work this morning to listen to the birds. There's something special about bird songs in the mornings. (Exception=seagulls!!!)

I get to bike to work! What a luxury. It's one of my favourite parts of living in the Netherlands.

Feeling grateful for my promotion back in Feb/09 particularly after hearing about promotion struggles today from colleagues. Kept my mouth shut and appreciated how fortunate I was to get it at a time when the company was laying people off! I don't take it for granted.

Puttering around the house in my PJs by myself, catching up on TV shows and generally being lazy after being on the road for pretty much 5 weeks. Ahhhh....

Great dinner last night at the Daily Review in Houston with Ken and David. So glad for the wonderful company and the novelty of sitting outside at night without a jacket!

Dinner at a great restaurant in Houston called Tony's.  Wow...never been to a valet only restaurant!  Fancy, schmancy!

Grateful for so much today.  Flags at half mast for the anniversary of 9-11. 

Got my leave of absence approved for next year.  Holy crap!  Do I ever feel lucky.  Begin 'Operation Penguin 2012'!!!  HUGE DAY!

-Gigglefest with Fideo. I love hanging out with him. We are so silly together. What a precious friendship.

-Dinner with Robin and Mike and their adorable girls tonight. It's so nice to have friends that I can visit as if i'd seen them yesterday, not a couple of years.

-I'm Canadian! I love being in the customs line at the airport with my Canada logo facing out for the world to see