There are a couple of things I look forward to each work day. Some of these are having my cup of jasmine green tea with a piece of sourdough bread with butter (what started off as a pregnancy craving is now part of my morning ritual), watching a very decrepit Willard Scott on the Today Show babble about other old people who have successfully crossed the 100Th birthday mark, and my personal favorite, email chains with my criticrew. Oh, and somewhere in there I get some work done too. I would have to say that emailing with my crew is up there on the list. There's nothing we don't or won't talk about- it ranges from the superficial to the deep. Usually we start our conversations on one topic and 363 emails later, we are in a completely different arena of discussion and that really brings a smile to my face or sometimes, uncontrollable pee-inducing laughter. One of our frequent topics of conversation are the ever so entertaining facebook status updates (I'll be blogging about facebook do's and don'ts soon!) that people are stupid enough to share and post. We thank these people for providing countless hours of ridicule for us. You have made it SO easy. As my friend Jenise would say, some people need to stop using Facebook as their "Dear Diary", but really, don't, because again, we love making fun of you. But lately all we have been reading are depre Daria fBSUs and those are seriously waa waa and macabre. So in light of all the social media depression, I wanted to turn things around and came up with an idea to really step up the happy. The thought came to me as I was munching away on my recently purchased lil carvel cake. So I proposed the question to my criticrew- what random things make you happy?? Ten to be exact. It could be anything! A food, person, place, thing, event, feeling, etc. And boy did that elicit a VERY positive and enlightening read! Here are mine in no particular order. (obvi, I went over the 10 cap by sneakily calling them "honorable mentions")
1- Holiday scented candles like pumpkin spice, cinnamon latte, Christmas tree, etc. Usually anything by Yankee Candles or from TJ Maxx really hits the spot. I pretty much unofficially kick off the holiday season when I light that first wick. Holiday candles make the holidays seem imminent or make it feel like Santa Claus is coming to town through my fire escape since I don't have a chimney, even though I've always wanted one.
2- KFC biscuits. No biscuit will ever compare. Not Pillsbury, not Red Lobster's cheese biscuits, and not Cracker Barrel's either. The colonel nailed that biscuit recipe because I've been eating it for over 20 years. Besides their buttery, fatty taste, they remind me of afternoons with my abuela Maya walking to the KFC on la calle ocho in Little Havana and going to buy my leg and breast combo pack with 2 biscuits. As an underweight child, fast food was a guaranteed way to get me fed and the biscuits did the trick.
3- The smell of pool chlorine. Don't wince. It smells like an antiseptic but it triggers so many childhood memories for me. I grew up going to the pool and the beach. My dad, who doesn't know how to swim, taught me how to swim, and that's why I still can't swim all that well. Go figure. I wasn't like those strange Miami people that don't like to go in the water or never visit a beach (those people exist weirdly enough). I can't think of my fondest childhood escapades without picturing a pool, wrinkled prune pool fingers, and monokinis. BUT the pool smell that I most love is the smell of the chlorine from the indoor pool that seeps through the grates when u walk down 5th ave past the Peninsula Hotel on a horribly cold day in Manhattan. What I would do for that indoor pool and pruned fingers.
4- Carvel cake. I could literally sit and eat a whole cake by myself, which I just did yesterday. Don't judge me. I'm eating for two, right?! I'm particularly fond of the little personal ones at the grocery store since I hate to share my cake or anything, really. My love runs deep for Carvel. I'll give you an example. When I turned 29, we did a small cake cutting at my BFF Javy's house and my one request was Carvel cake. Well, Carvel closed by the time Javy got there and he got me a Baskin Robbins cake. I love you Jav, but I almost cried, actually I did get teary eyed. Because how do you even compare the two?? BR cake wishes it was in the same ice cream league as Carvel. BR doesn't stand a chance. It's like drinking Ritz cola instead of Coke. It's just not the same.
5- There are certain things that go together like Brad and Angelina. One of those things is movie style popcorn and a cold coke. Add a movie and 15 minutes of coming attractions, and you have the perfect trifecta. Popcorn and coke are 2 of my favorite things in the world. Disgusting truth: I used to lick the butter off the microwaveable popcorn bags. Perfect example, yesterday I went to a screening of Breaking Dawn and I couldn't wait to cuddle up in my seat with my buttered popcorn and fountain soda. Now no one bother me please. Happiness at its finest.
6- Puppies. Enough said. Any breed. Doesn't matter. I'm a sucker for a puppy eyes, puppy kisses, and little puppy paws. I could absolutely see myself as a puppy hoarder. I can't walk past a pet store without going in, crying, and then forcibly walking out while repeating " i will not buy another dog. i will not buy another dog." When I exit the subway on 77Th street, I have to make a calculated effort to take an alternate route to avoid Pets on Lex because puppies are my crack.
7- I'm a control freak. We won't get to the deep-seated issues that make me controlling but I've always been a planner and a list person. It's a bit OCD but it brings me so much joy to write a to-do list and then scratch off things off that list when I've completed or accomplished them. I've even turned my husband on to to-do lists. At first, he found them irritating but the organization and purpose it's brought into his life has given him a new will to live.
8- Balancing my checkbook. I often get laughed at for this one since checks and checkbooks probably became extinct with such things as dinosaurs, the beeper, and US Postal mail. But I love balancing my checkbook. The feeling of entering all my receipts, doing basic math, and having it match up with my online balance is so gratifying. A perfect day is me sitting in a very quiet office cubicle/office or living room, with my purple calculator, balancing my checkbook with a number 2 pencil.
9- New car smell. I think I share this one with a lot of people. New car smell= shiny new toy. It's intoxicating. And thankfully unlike sniffing glue, it won't get you high. At least not in a druggie way. But to take a whiff of that new interior leather and plastic is so sweet. My sister in law just got a new car and I got to ride in it and for an hour I got to sit there and just smell smell smell like a bloodhound. It made me so happy. It also makes me miss having a car and driving. RIP LETTY.
10- Fat people who lose weight. I know, it's a bit hypocritical of me considering I'm not fond of fat people. I won't ever be mean to a fat person because that's not right or nice but I don't necessarily feel bad for them or their obesity since all their Twinkies and burger binging is self-induced. But it does makes me so happy when these heavy set characters find their inner strength and want to get down to human size. I literally cry when they push themselves and reach their goal. That's why the Biggest Loser is not only inspiring but its emotionally cathartic for me. Tears for pounds, people.
And here are my Honorable mentions, which are technically #11, #12, and lucky #13.
- Walking out of my house or work or any place for that matter, and the bus or subway that I need just pulled up to the station. It's like the MTA stars aligned just for me and a choir is singing a melodious chant to commemorate such a serendipitous occasion. I love not having to wait.
- The first sip of a cold glass of champers. And boy, do I miss that at the moment. Especially a nice glass of rose champagne. I told Coco that when I give birth, I have two immediate requests: three orders of spicy tuna rolls and a bottle of Moet champagne. Will Ferrell was right. It tastes so good when it hits my lips. Crisp.
- The aroma of tanning oil and my skin baking in the sun. Let's face it. I love the sun. I consider it a professional sport and one that I have wonmany medals at. The act of just laying on a towel, marinating in my Hawaiian Tropic, listening to my ipod or the waves, is the definition of absolute happiness for me. Yeah, yeah. The sun isn't good for me. But we all have our vices right?! Some people smoke too many Marlboro reds, drink way too much Bud Light, or eat too much fish and then get mercury poisoning. So what if I'm a sun worshipper and sometimes lie about it to my dermatologist?!
- Getting off a plane when I get to any vacation destination. From start to finish- the air train ride, printing my boarding pass, going through Priority Access security, getting my passport stamped (this one is a BIG favorite of mine), and then getting off the plane at a new city. I love jetsetting and seeing the world. It's fabulous. And sometimes when I'm walking through the terminal, I pretend I'm one of those celebrities in US Weekly that gets hounded by paparazzi and then becomes part of the "Celebrities are just like us!" column. A girl can dream.
So now I ask you. What makes you happy??
Here's to you. Here's to me.
Kathy
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