Where's the Love?

For the month of November, I am designating every Thursday as "13 Things I Love Thursday". I stole the "13 Things" idea from Miss Zoot and then scammed the "Love Thursday" idea from Chookooloonks. Original is so YESTERDAY.

I Love.......

1. the very first night my husband leaves town for business trips. I’ll admit it. Freely. Without guilt. Usually that first night is a bit of bliss where I control the remote.... the laptop..... the meals...... my destiny. However, this love for the Absence of X decreases exponentially and by the 3rd night, I am ready for his Sock Strewing self to GET HOME already.


2. old friends. It’s cool having friends who know you and where you’ve been. I had dinner with CG last night and it was really nice. My life is pretty good right now and if anyone can appreciate it, CG can – he certainly saw me cry in my beer enough when I was in my 20s. Sometimes, with new friends, I feel weirdly sheepish about my life now because I have odd hang-ups about money, but with old friends there is no need. They know you don’t take anything for granted.


3. a cool autumn breeze with leaves rustling across the yard. I LOVE that rustling sound. Also, I enjoy walking through the grass and feeling the crunch of the leaves under my heels. If I'm feeling frisky, I like to kick 'em around a bit.
   


4. numbers. In particular, the number 3 by itself or even numbers divisible by 3 or 5. Um, yeah, so 15 is a pretty rockin’ number for me. It bugs me that my birth year is an odd number because the month and day are even numbers. I love that Arun was born in '05 - it was nearly perfection because he was born one day off from his due date of 10/15/05. So close! Don’t ask, I can’t explain it. Don’t we all have a quirk like that? No?


5. purchasing a book. It doesn’t matter if it is used or new, but the purchase of a book gives me a weird cozy feeling mixed with excitement. A book can hold a lot of things in its pages and that gets my blood going. Second to purchasing a book, I love STARTING a book. The initial crack of the page, reading the dedication – a prologue is just Literary Foreplay. Again, with the Not Asking. Refer to #4.


6. incense. X HATES incense. Isn't that against the law for an actual INDIAN not to like incense? Shouldn't incense be a part of his genetic makeup or something? It's bad enough he doesn't have the lilting accent and refuses to do the Asian Head Bob. Anyway, read #1 and add that to the list of things this Mouse loves to do whilst the Cat is Away - BURN INCENSE. My veddy, veddy favorite is Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa, but I also like Shanthimalai Nag Champa. Assuming, I got the names correct. I AM white, after all. What the fuck do I know?


7. a yummy bowl of guacamole and salsa. When I say I am craving Mexican food, what I'm really saying is that my system needs some guac and salsa. An IV headed directly to my hips would be mighty convenient, although I think the guac would just gum the whole thing up.


8. washing dishes. I’ve said this before, but it’s true. Although we have a dishwasher, I still hold back a few items for handwashing. My favorite sponge is the Choreboy and my favorite dishwashing liquid is Dawn Ultra. I have a special holder for the sponge so that it can dry out between washings. I get very irritated if someone doesn't 1) sorta rinse the dish beforehand and instead just swipes the sponge through all the muck and 2) if they don't put the sponge back in its little holder. Really, I just prefer people not wash dishes at my house. Thank you, but NO thank you. No Sirreee.... Have a cup of coffee. Sit back, relax........See? I wasn't kidding. ILOVE washing dishes.
   


9. that first sip of coffee in the morning. It's the BEST. Once in a very, very great while, I still miss that first morning cigarette that used to accompany the joe. Fortunately, I don't miss the cigs that much or even that often. Since we're on the topic, I also love NOT smoking. Once in a very, very great while I get wistful for a drag, but I don't crave it. I will never smoke again. Over 6 years and counting! Stick THAT in yer pipe and smoke it. Or, maybe not.


10. clearing clutter. I cleaned our garage on Saturday and it made my day. I think it may have made me a little high - or maybe that was the incense. The rest of the day was just lovely because I had accomplished something that day and it allowed me to relax.


11. buying my annual wall calendar. It's a careful decision because !Damn! You have to look at the thing ALL YEAR LONG. Cripes, better not screw it up. Decision 2007 is just around the corner. The pressure.


12. Bloglines. Because of this handy dandy web-based application I am reading easily 3 times as many blogs as before. No more endlessly clicking links to check for updates - Bloglines does that for you. Bloglines is gonna be my new BFF this November as I scavenge Fussy for new addictions, er, blogs......
    


13. Halloween - we had nearly 90 trick or treaters last night and it was so much fun. I was so sad to pack away my Halloween decorations yesterday. Is this where I admit I already have an idea for Arun's costume next year?
    
    

Baby Einstein Meets Professor McGonagall and Shows Her Who's Boss.

A witch in a robe with her ward . No lyin'.


A Couple of Hams.

I don't know which is better - the fact that Older Nephew wanted to be "bacon n' eggs" for Halloween or the fact that my sister really, REALLY got off on making his costume. She added "accents" to the bacon using her acrylics. And the detailing on the Toast Tote? This picture doesn't do it justice.