Attitude and Gratitude

Today was a crappy day:

• MissM had a bad day at preschool today. Bit her tongue and bled and cried. Didn't get to sit next to her favorite buddy at lunch. Sulked in the nap area instead of playing with the other kids.
• Husband found out our healthcare will be changing to the carrier that the best hospital system in the KC Metro no longer accepts.
• I got my 401K statement for 4Qtr2008 and it's just beyond sad.
• I lost my keys at the grocery store.
• Our mini-grocery cart got stuck in a hole in the parking lot and tipped over, knocking MissM on her caboose and giving me a large, lovely bruise on my right shin.

But even when things suck, I still have many things to be thankful for:

• My daughter loves going to preschool. Daily drama is quickly forgotten. Little bodies (including tongues) heal fast.
• We HAVE healthcare.
• I have an awesome job that still let's me contribute to my 401K and even honors their matching arrangement, even though I'm only part-time.
• Some angel at the grocery store turned my keys in to the customer service desk.
• I have dark opaque tights I can wear to obscure the bruise when I get dressed up tomorrow to accompany husband to a chamber of commerce dinner.

How I spend my time online (and how I don't)

Five websites I'm into:
Johnson County Public Library - My local library is totally online. You can search for and place holds on books from the comfort of your own home. Also, my library is partnered with NetLibrary, so I can download FREE audio books for my MP3 player. The selection is limited, but FREE is AWESOME and I can ALWAYS find something interesting to check out.
Facebook - I check it a couple times a day to see what my friends are up to, and to play Mob Wars, of course.
Goodreads - Besides logging and rating the books I read, I enjoy seeing what my friends are reading.
Google Docs - I'm thinking the next PC I buy, I might not even need MS Office; for basic spreadsheets & word processing, it's the bomb. I use a freeware PDF maker to "print" receipts from online purchases as PDF files and save them in google docs for easy access, even if I'm away from home.
Netflix - I don't know why I waited so long to try this awesome, awesome service. I even got my dad a gift subscription for Christmas.
Honorable Mention: Cake Wrecks - I check this site very infrequently, but it always cheers me up. Don't look through these while drinking, as nose-gushing laughs are extremely probable. Look back at the holiday cake wrecks... too funny!

Five websites I'm totally over:
Parentdish - Meh, I used to really enjoy the articles; now I don't even read half the headlines.
Ebay - After buying THREE, count 'em THREE, Barbie Diamond Castles on Ebay from 3 different vendors in early December only to have each transaction cancelled and refunded within 24 hours, I'm done. If you DON'T have the item in stock, frigging pull down the listing!!!!
Start Sampling - This site changed format, and now it takes too much clicking to actually track down samples.
You Tube - Once in a blue moon it's fun to dig up and old Muppet Show or SNL skit, but this site is too much of a time waster to visit regularly.
Babycenter - Yeah, I don't have a baby anymore. Yet they send me preschooler weekly bulletins; I don't really need anybody to clue me into things like, "the ability to share nicely doesn't appear overnight." I haven't read a useful "tip" in months.
Dishonorable Mention: Yahoo Games - With nothing new and fascinating in the free online web games of the puzzle or word variety, I'm less likely to waste time here (which isn't really that dishonorable, when I really think about it).