Sunday, September 16, 2007

Friday's post, plus interest

I guess I sort of forgot about that whole Friday Five thing this week. OK, no, you know damn well that's not true. Of course I didn't forget about it... (Um, hi, have you met me? I am all about structure and routine, and I do not just forget to do something I have done for 62 of the past 63 weeks.) Anyway, since I'm two days late, I'll add two more and we'll call it a Sunday Seven. Fair enough?


Seven things that pretty much always make me happy

  1. Going to bed without setting an alarm, knowing I can stay in bed as long as I want the next morning. (What does not make me happy is the fact that I am typing this on Sunday night, knowing I will not be able to do this again for another six days!)

  2. Wearing my blue yoga pants. This week's sudden snap of fall weather made me pull them out for the first time in months, and I love their stretchy, cushy comfort every bit as much as I did last year. Too bad I'm still no better a housekeeper than I was last year. The trailing bottoms are still serving as Swiffer cloths as I walk. Obviously I'll never learn.

  3. Mashed potatoes. 'Nuf said, I think (that is, if you're anybody except Red).

  4. That moment in an airplane when the whooshing along at ever-increasing speed suddenly gives way to the nose tipping up and the wheels leaving the ground. Most people on planes feel better upon landing. Me, I love takeoffs. Always have.

  5. Going out for sushi. I don't even eat cooked fish, so it should be baffling that I love sushi restaurants so much, and yet I do. I love the food, the flavors, the inevitable glass (or two) of wine, but also I love the rituals of it... rubbing the wooden chopsticks together to rough off the splinters, pouring the soy sauce and swirling in the wasabi... I love the tiny, pretty little ceramic dishes and the lovely presentation of assorted rolls on a big, gorgeous platter. I've sort of missed that last one when I've gone to the floating sushi boat buffet, but as a movable feast has its own charms, it's a fair trade-off, I suppose.

  6. (Speaking of wine...) The second sip of the first glass of wine. As I was told at my friend Simone's in-house wine tasting recently, you should never judge a wine on your first sip. The first sip is sort of a shock to your system, the introduction of "Hi! We're having wine now!" That second sip is the smooth one, the one that makes you want to keep sipping the rest of the glass. Damn. Now I want wine. Moving on.

  7. The caller ID display, when the name of someone I actually want to talk to is on it. As a general rule, I hate the phone, so the ratio of times this happens is probably less balanced than it should be. (Friends, please take no offense. Just because I don't love the phone doesn't mean I don't love you.) Still, there are certain names that, on that display, will always make me smile. Always.

I could go on and on, of course. The smell of fresh-baked waffle cones at Grand Ole Creamery... The feel of sunshine on my face on a just-warm-enough day... Store mistakes that work in my favor... New episodes of Gilmore Girls. (Oh. Right. Scratch that one.)

So tell me... what makes you happy without fail?

12 comments:

-R- said...

Number 1 is the best. I slept in until noon on both Saturday and Sunday. Ah, I love to sleep.

lizgwiz said...

My Tide-To-Go pen. Why yes, I did just spill my breakfast down my shirt, why do you ask?

I'm also always charmed by the big, deep sigh my dog Pudge lets out when he rests his head on my lap. And anytime one of the kitties rolls over to show me a sweet, fluffy belly.

L Sass said...

Speaking of planes landing / take off... I love nothing more than flying into MSP after dark. Seeing the Minneapolis skyline from the plane always makes me feel truly home.

Anonymous said...

1. A hand on the small of my back (provided that I like the person...).
2. The feeling of my cats' tummies, and the fact that they both love it when I rub said tummies.
3. Eating ice cream with a spoon.
4. The first smell of autumn in the Appalachians.
5. Holding hands.
6. Eating a plum with my eyes closed.
7. Snowflakes melting on my face.

Wow, I just totally wrote a blog post in your comments... sorry!

Anonymous said...

The ice cream parlor on the end of my street just started up with Pumpkin flavored ice cream for the year. I love any and everything pumpkin flavored.

don't call me MA'AM said...

1. Temperature highs of 65 (lows around 38).

2. The way my husband looks at me... when I'm not expecting that look.

3. Teenage daughters who still occasionally want some "mommy cuddle time."

4. Snow days (when I don't have to report)

5. I also agree with noelle that pumpkin-flavored ice creams, coffees, chai teas, etc. are the BEST!

Anonymous said...

I love the way my husband looks when he is sleeping. Afternoon martinis with the girls. And pistachio gelato from Blue Ice in Rome.

Anonymous said...

I second Noelle's sentiment. I even add pumpkin pie spice to my coffee in the morning.

Also, the fall leaves and fair season make me very, very happy.

Jarod said...

Oh, I loooove mashed potatoes! At Thanksgiving, I am always in charge of the mashed potatoes, masher in hand.
And isn't that take-off feeling off the runway cool? Good stuff!

Whiskeymarie said...

* A day off with no obligations
* Skittles and gummy bears
* fitting into skinny jeans
* Fall!
* Oatmeal
* Just kidding- tres leches cake.
* winning the lottery (always hopeful...)

metalia said...

Oh, but of course: The laughter of a child.

(I kid, I kid.)

~Salt bagels from my favorite place (bonus points if they have wasabi cream cheese that day). On a similar note: Pralines n' cream ice cream, and sushi (although not together).

~The song "Sugar Magnolia" by the Grateful Dead always, ALWAYS makes me bouncy and happy.

~Fall (shout out to Whiskeymarie!); my birthday is at the end of September, so I always loved the season.

~Coming home at the end of the day and hearing my son bounding towards to door, shouting, "MamAAAAAA!"

Stefanie said...

Wow; you guys came up with many great ones.

R--As do I (obviously). I hate when people say sleeping late is wasting half the day. It is not wasting the day if that is exactly what I really want to do with that time!!

Liz--Your Tide-to-Go pen makes you happy? You are adorable, my friend.

L Sass--That makes me feel home, too. But then, I guess that's because for me, it IS home! ;-)

Abbers--No apologies necessary, my dear. I love that you ran with this idea and made your own post, too. #1 is a great one. And I was going to ask you about #6, but I already did in your own comments.

Noelle--Ooh! That reminds me! It's pumpkin latte season! Yay! Must get me one of those soon.

DCMM--I have vague memories of #2 (not with a husband, but you know). It is, indeed, an awesome feeling.

Monkey--I don't think I've really given pistachio gelato a chance. In Rome, I was all about the Nutella. I should try it sometime.

NPW--I was a bit reluctant to give up the capris and tank tops for the year, but now that the trees are changing color, I'm totally excited about fall, too.

Jarod--When I was a kid and my grandma made mashed potatoes for any holiday, she always made an extra one because she knew I was coming and mashed potatoes was just about all I was going to eat. I could still damn-near live on them, I think.

WM--If oatmeal doesn't really make you happy, you're not adding enough brown sugar. :-)

Metalia--Wasabi cream cheese? What other magical wonders do you have in your world that I have never encountered in mine??