Warm and fuzzy

In contrast to my pet peeves post, I thought I'd do a flip side post: tell you about some of the things that make me happy! While this post may not have as many angry exclamation points, hopefully it'll put a smile on your face. I know I'll be happy!

- Getting email. Or a Facebook wall post. Or seeing someone has updated their blog. I love reading about people and the things that happen to them. If I'm at work, there's a little pop-up that shows me when I have a Facebook message waiting in my inbox. Seriously giddy. So, good people, keep it up! And I'll try to do the same.

- Saturday lunch. It keeps me going throughout the week! I don't care what or where, but Lace and I always have a splendid time getting together and discussing the week. We're becoming quite well-versed in Salt Lake City restaurants! Last Saturday we went to a new place, and after the waitress left us, I turned to Lacy and said, "I swear she's been our waitress at another restaurant before!" It's quite possible, too!

- New television shows on the TiVo. Not much beats coming home after work and seeing that you have new episodes of fabulous shows to watch. Sure, sometimes it's just Jeopardy, but have you met me? Keeping up with all the new shows is another story, however...

- Hair cuts. Ah, that fresh from the salon feel of newly cut and thinned hair! I look forward to it every time, and I've gotten quite willing to pay whatever cost necessary to keep my mangy locks manageable. Same goes for getting my eyebrows done. Hair is a curse, I tell you!!

- Winning something on eBay. This hardly ever happens for me, and usually I'm not too disappointed, but there's a sort of adrenaline rush that happens as you see the seconds tick down to zero and your bid holds firm! I've gotten to do some bidding for my boss this past week, and it's kind of awesome! (What makes it even greater is that it's not my own money I'm spending!) And I'd have to add any sort of winning to this category as well. I'm not extremely competitive, but there is definitely enjoyment in getting to ten points first in Settlers or shooting the moon in Hearts. Just as long as the other people playing are good sports. I try not to rub victory in people's faces unless they are sucking about losing.

- Chocolate. Oh sweet joy. Some people (you know who you are!) aren't as addicted as I am, but their loss, I say. Who could resist hot cocoa on a snowy day? I like chocolate in pretty much all forms...dark, white, milk...solid, liquid, um gas? If they had chocolate air I could breathe, I would consider trying it out! Then again, the damage to my lungs might not be worth it.

- Fitting into jeans you haven't worn in forever. You know when you have to keep sucking in to get the button closed? And it's quite depressing? Well, what elation when the sucking can stop and the jeans don't cut off circulation anymore! I'm a fan. Along with this is the feeling of seeing numbers on the scale get smaller.

- Scary movies. Most people don't think these are as hilarious as I do, but come on! Even if it's 'based on a true story,' you do realize that these are actors, right? I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face if I were in a psycho killer thriller horror film. BUT, I must qualify and say that startling movies are a different story. Those are the kind that make you jump because the bad guy leaps across the room and grabs the heroine's legs. Eek. I consider myself punchy, not scared. Haunted houses also make me giggle a little bit. I think one of my favorite times was when we said Lisa's name at one of the Frightmares haunted houses, and all the employees followed her around and chanted her name. I thought it was quite entertaining, but I think she begs to differ...

- A clean kitchen. I'm not the biggest fan of the actual cleaning, but once it's all scoured and lemony fresh, I get this contented, silly grin on my face and I breathe a sigh of happiness. It almost makes me not want to use my kitchen, just so I can keep it in its pristine condition. Kind of like when you get a new pair of shoes and you're afraid to wear them, for fear of scuffing them or stepping in mud.

- Afternoon naps. After working from 6:30am - 2:30pm, I love coming home to an empty house where my bed awaits. I guess I could use these afternoons for something more productive (see the section re: the TiVo), but sometimes I just need to crash. My sleep schedule is like no other normal person's. I go to bed around 11 or 12 and wake up at 5:30...naturally, I could use some extra zzzz's in the afternoon, so I'll take 'em when I can get 'em. I remember being a little kid and fighting my mom for making me take a nap in the afternoon. Now I fight to GET the nap.

- Certain smells.
* Cedar
* Baking bread
* Rain
* Christmas Eve (yes, it has a distinct smell!)
* Leather
* Coffee
* Popcorn
* Zaatar (a Middle Eastern spice)
* Clean laundry
* Some guys' cologne (or just some guys in general)
* Best Buy (strange, I know)

- Waterskiing. Every summer, I try to make it a point to get invited on some sort of boating adventure where waterskiing is a possibility. It took me two summers and a lot of biffing it for me to finally stand up on skis while being dragged by the boat, but once I figured it all out, I was hooked. It tires me out like nothing else, but I love it! I tried wakeboarding for the first time last summer, and thought that was kind of cool, too, but the soft spot in my heart goes to waterskiing.

- Checking something off a list. I make lists. Lots of them. Ask anyone who knows me...if it's not on paper, then it's definitely in my mind's eye. And there's a deep satisfaction that happens when I get to delete something off of it. We found the bread at the grocery store? Check. I've taken my car in for an oil change? Check. It gets to the point where I will put even the smallest of tasks on my list just for the lovely feeling of crossing it off. Shower? Yep, done.

- Road trips. These come with their own 'to do' lists, but that's not the point...I really love joking and laughing and talking about life as you make your way to a destination. Or playing Crack the Case. "So....soooo....on the floor...I'm not playing!!" And staying in a Motel 6 anywhere is quite the experience. Just so long as the neighbors don't stay up until all hours of the night talking about random things (sorry, Lace!). And eating licorice and drinking Diet Coke with no remorse...ah, what joy!

Ok...I'm sure there are plenty more...I'm kind of just sitting here in bliss after having thought about some of these things I love. Anyone else have something little that truly makes life worth living?