The Things I Love

Per my friend's request, I'd like to offer up a peek - and potentially obnoxiously long - look at the things that make me happy, make me smile, and remind me that there's always something to smile about. Lately, this is a list whose very creation may serve to lift my spirits. Things have been, shall we say, craptastic and the horizon doesn't exactly have the phoenix rising out of the ashes.

So here they are, in no particular order aside from the sequence in which my stress-addled brain spits them out, the things I love.

[I'd like to mention here that I wanted to use bullets but typing the code before and after every item seemed like too much work, so my lazy ass is going with the tilde/sideways S]

~ My childrens laughter. I can be madder than a wet hornet but if Beth or Robby start laughing, I can't contain myself!

~ My husbands deadpan, perfect-timing comedy. He honestly doesn't try to be funny, it's truly effortless for him. Not too many people get to see that side of him as he rarely lets his guard down, which is unfortunate.

~ Thinking about various times in my youth. There are some memories that hold a lot of laughter, even after years have passed, and they never fail to bring a smirk to the surface.
..."Ten bucks says she slips in the mud and falls on her ass."
...Me: "So what do we want at the distributor?"
Di: "BEER!"

~ An episode of "Friends" will cause fits of laughter no matter how sad or depressed I am. Few sitcoms have achieved or ever will achieve that level of funny as far as I'm concerned. Maybe "The Carol Burnett Show".

~ Music from my heyday. I'm talkin' Counting Crows, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Vanilla Ice, New Kids on the Block (I'm not going to lie: I saw them on "The Today Show" and I swooned), Sir Mix-A-Lot, the O.G. Billy Ray Cyrus with his "Achy Breaky Heart," Garth Brooks, Paula Abdul, Debbie Gibson...I could go on for days.

~ Pro football season. I don't know what it is but football season gets me fired up. I don't follow football religiously - although I do bleed black and gold - but something about watching a game gets me all riled up, my blood pumping, and the endorphins flowing.

~ Those hard-to-catch-your-breath laughs. The laughs that bring tears to your eyes. You laugh so hard you start to sweat. You know what I'm talking about; don't act like you don't sweat.

~ Being liked. I'll own it: I'm a glutton for praise. I don't accept it well, I've never been good at receiving compliments, but I do enjoy knowing someone likes me or something I've done.

~ Being stopped out in public to have a complete stranger tell us how beautiful our kids are. We've been dealing with that for 3.5 years now and it never gets old.

~ Shopping and not for groceries. I like going to the mall, sans kids, and having money at the ready. This hasn't happened in years but I do remember the feeling.

~ Board games. I'm totally stealing this from Denise, but we're cool like that. I'm a big fan of Monopoly, Scattergories, or anything fun. I like the mundane games too but I like group games and almost never get to play them!

~ My marriage and my kids. I never thought I'd find a guy I loved as much as my daddy or who'd ever be good enough for me, but I totally did. He's a diamond in the rough. Or is he a rough diamond? He's not a pretty boy, he's perpetually unshaven and wears ballcaps to formal events, and he chews tobacco. He's no George Clooney. But he's my man and I love him with all my heart. And my kids are my life. They're funny, smart, inspiring and have a beautiful light in their eyes that me want to be a better person. They are my smile.

I now tag everyone who reads this blog...GO!