November Wrap-Up.

I know you've read it probably a hundred times, but holy cow! How is it already the last day of November?

November was a pretty good month for me, nothing too overly exciting happened, but nothing overly bad happened either, so I consider that a win!

I had three pretty straight forward goals for November & I did semi-okay on them.

Read 3 books//I actually read FOUR! Woo! Hard Beat, Need to Love You, Ignite & Katie in Waiting. Four very different books but four very good books.

Survive Black Friday//As I am writing this post, I obviously survived Black Friday, which is actually Thanksgiving now, but I digress. Black Friday is hectic and crazy on it's own, but add in being sick, PMSing and Black Friday? Let's just say I'm glad to be on the other side of it.  My team is so-so, I'm really trying to mend fences amongst all of us that have been frayed for a while and a few that have started to fray because of my attitude the last week. #keepingitreal #lovemyteam. I'm going to give myself a pass on this one as well.

Complete NaNoWriMo//Yeah, no. But I've made a lot of progress and I'm excited to see where this story takes me. I will complete this book!

How was your November?

I'm Thankful For...

I had all intentions of posting this yesterday, but I had absolutely no extra energy other than to do what was absolutely necessary aka working 11 to 8 and then coming home and going to bed.  I'm feeling about 95% so I still wanted to post just a sampling of what I'm thankful for this week and every week of the year!

I'm thankful for my family. I have a big complicated, crazy, loud, energetic family, but it's mine & I absolutely love the people that make it up.

I'm thankful for my friends. I have a group of really great people that I consider my best friends, whether it be Jayme, my Lynn-Mom, Mads or Karen. I'm blessed.

I'm thankful for my job. I've been there almost 5.5 years and I've got a great group of coworkers.

I'm thankful for my dogs. They drive me nuts, but they are two of the sweetest animals I've ever had & I love the way they love me.

I'm grateful for words. Whether I'm writing them or reading them or listening to them. I love writing, reading and music.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

What's Up November?

Linking up with Shay and company for What's Up Wednesday! 

1. What I'm eating this week...
Since both my Dad & I have to work, we aren't really doing anything too big for Thanksgiving, but it gets me even more excited for Christmas because my grandparents will be home and I'll be eating all the things then!

2. What I'm reminiscing About...
Past Black Fridays and how it's changed over the 5 years I've worked it.  I'm pretty sure the first year I was with my job was the last year it was overnight sales, now we are down to one 6pm sale, which I can totally handle better, especially since I only have to work til 8 tomorrow :D

3. What I'm loving...

My life at the moment is pretty swell, so I'm going to go with the easy answer and say I'm loving my life and pretty much everything in it at the moment :) 

4. What I've been up to...
Nothing too out of the ordinary, trying to work on my novel, which will not be finished by the time November ends, maybe next year I'll succeed.

5. What I'm dreading...
Post Black Friday returns. 

6. What I'm working on...
Like I mentioned above, my novel as well as trying not to be so complain-y about work. I'm so grateful to have a job that I love 99.9% of the time, but goodness you wouldn't know that if you heard how I talk about it sometimes. OY! 

7. What I'm excited about...

My two favorite people come home in less than two weeks, my grandparents are flying home earlier than they have in the last few years so that makes me happy happy happy.  They'll be home through Christmas. 

8. What I'm watching/reading...
I caught up on Nashville last night, it's still one of my favorites! 

& I haven't read a book in like two weeks again. #headdesk

9. What I'm listening to...
My novel playlist

10. What I'm wearing...

All of the layers because it's getting cold here in Minnesota! 

11. What I'm doing this weekend...

Working all weekend. Hopefully going to squeeze in one of Lynn-Mom's hockey games, but that's up in the air! 

12. What I'm looking forward to next month...

Like I said above, my grandparents are coming home on the 8th! 

13. What else is new...
Nothing much. 

14. Our bonus question this month: What's your favorite Christmas tradition?

Christmas morning always has a special place in my heart. We start the day at one of the three houses-my parents, my aunt and uncle's or my grandparents, where we read the Christmas story & then have breakfast/brunch and then we open gifts as families and then come back later in the day and do family presents together as one big unit! 

Brain Out of Order.

Since my brain seems to be out of commission in the thinking department today, you guys get a little about me, aren't you lucky?!

1. Are you named after someone?

Nope. I'm the only one of my brothers and sisters that has a completely original name. Which obviously means I'm the favorite. 

2. When was the last time you cried?

Yesterday. 

3. Do you have kids?

Just these two...

Babies. #Meghandoes2015

A photo posted by Meghan Brown (@meghanannablogs) on Nov 18, 2015 at 8:25pm PST

4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself?

I'd like to think so.  

5. Do you have a guilty pleasure?

I don't even consider it a guilty pleasure anymore, but Days of Our Lives and especially Bo & Hope.

6. Do you like handwriting?

I really do. I also get a lot of compliments on it, so other people must as well :) 

7. What is your favorite cereal?

Honestly depends on the day. 

8. What is the first thing you notice about people?

How they treat the people they are with & around. 

9. What color are your eyes?

They are more brown than anything. Although they sometimes lean more towards hazel.  

10. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings for sure

11. Favorite TV show?

All time favorite is Army Wives. Blue Bloods is pretty high up there too now.  

12. Summer or winter?

Usually summer. 

13. Hugs or kisses?

I'm a hugger. 

14. What’s the furthest you’ve been from home?

I think Seattle or New Hampshire is the farthest I've been. 

15. Do you have special talents?

I like to think I'm a pretty okay writer. I also can sing the alphabet backwards and my middle fingers are both double jointed. 

16. Where were you born.

Twin Cities! 

17. What are your hobbies?

Reading, writing, blogging, etc. 

18. Do you have any pets?

See above for my babies. Haha.  

19. Favorite movie?

Twister & 8 Seconds. 

20. What did you want to be when you grow up?

I wanted to be a teacher, a vet tech, a nurse, etc, etc. 

the power of missing.

dear karen,

I still think it's crazy at times how we are so close, that we've been friends for over five years, that we have this amazing trust between us, this bond that has been more like mother and daughter instead of at first, supervisor and associate and now co-workers.

I remember when Bee called me to tell me you had had a stroke, once I knew you were okay and at the hospital, my biggest concern was "would she remember our friendship, the bond we have?", but that was put to rest as soon as our chat bubble popped up with "I sure do miss you squeezebox." When you used the nickname that you gave me, that only you called me, it put my heart at ease.

You tried coming back once or twice way too soon, but that's because your stubborn and don''t know the word can't, one of my favorite things about you, but it also drives me insane at times because I don't want you overdoing things ha! You went out on a LOA, and I seriously think that's when our bond became even tighter, we were talking every night, me just keeping you up to date & you encouraging me that I could do whatever I set my mind to & that you would be back soon. Some nights it was two sentences between us, other nights it would be a long conversation. It was to the point that my night didn't feel right if we didn't talk.

You came back in early 2014 & to say I was happy to have you back was an understatement. You had to take a few days when your fil passed away and I remember saying, "how did I go four months without having you at work and be fine, but now you're gone four days and I'm grouchy because I want my friend back."

When you stepped down to work with me at the service desk, I knew we would have fun and we definitely have.  Our coworkers know that you don't try to pit us against each other, because it just does not work & they can usually tell when we haven't worked together in a while because I get moody & usually am better if I know I get to work with my partner in crime & sidekick.

It's amazing, our friendship and the affect it has on how much better I am at my job and being a people person when you're around.

xo.
squeezebox.

p.s. sorry if this didn't make any sense, I kind of wrote it stream of consciousness.

p.p.s linking up with amber for her letter series...this month's topic was the power of missing.