My personal list of awsomeness

For those of you who would not choose to live in a bookstore, who do not peruse the new release list daily, who don't get email updates revealing treasured release dates of closely followed books by much loved authors, there is a new book out called the Book of Awsome. This book is full of the daily happenings that make life just a little bit easier. The things that happen that make you think, that's so awsome. They happen to us all, not always appreciated but they're there.

This is my personal list of awesomeness. Some of them are no doubt in the Book of Awsome, and if so any copying is not my fault. It just means I happen to agree with the level of awsome contained.

In all honesty, we live in a world with too much crap and sadness in it. Earthquakes and famine, disease, economic instability, violence and death. It's on every news broadcast, every newspaper, every time you log onto the internet. That shit can get you down, it really can, and when you get down sometimes it's hard to find the little things in life that should always make you smile.

So take stock, make a list, and smile on.

1. Finding your own money that you didn't know you lost.

It happens to all of us once in a while, and it's guaronteed to make you say "that's awesome!" The season is changing from the cold season to the warm season, or vise versa. It's at this time that you start getting out clothes that have either been packed away or left alone. You put on a pair of jeans for the first time in months, do a few squats to break them in and jam your hands in your pockets to adjust the waist and straighten out the pockets. Your fingers brush something papery, you pull it out and BINGO! 20 bucks.

yep, it's free. Money that was yours, that you forgot about and is now yours again. Welcome to awsome my friend.

2. New socks.

There's nothing better than putting on a fresh pair of never worn socks. They fit perfectly, they aren't thin in the toes or bunchy in the heels, they are not stained, there are no weird toe holes that you can feel alllll day. Perfect socks. They're awsome.

3. The surprise envelope in the mail.

Five days a week, you check the mail. An empty mail box is a beautiful thing. If it's empty, it might mean that no one wrote to you, but honestly...facebook my friend. It's the new mailbox. Instantaneous, and free. An empty mail box means that today, you do not owe money. No bills! AWSOME!!!!!
But even better, is the dreaded government labled envelope. You see it and your heart beats a little faster...your hands might even get sweaty. YOu start thinking that you probably are going to have to cancel plans...and you wince over the new jeans you bought. If you're like me...you put it on the computer table...under something convenient, and enjoy the knowledge that for now the contents of the envelope are a mystery.
Eventually though, you're going to have to open it. Sometimes, you open it and find a great big pile of the opposite of awsome. But sometimes...you find a cheque. Free money. YOUR money. You take out all the papers, to make sure that they haven't snuck in a reverse-awsome trick...but nope. AWSOME. So go out, get a new pair of boots...and with every step you take, listen to what you're feet are telling you as they dance along the floors in the mall on your spree. If you try very very VERY hard, you'll hear them saying "aw-some"

4. Fresh bread and soft butter.

Fresh bread alone is awsome, I know. How can you possibly improve on the awsomeness of a fresh loaf of bread, warm and crusty with steam coming off the top. So soft in the middle, so delicious. And the SMELL. It smells like home, like a grandmother, like safety. It smells like peace, and serenity. It's what a break smells like. You feel comforted by the scent, that smell that anyone could recognise. At this point, there are really only two possible outcomes.
a) you sit down and slice a nice piece off, and TRY to butter it. But your butter is hard, and your bread tears. There's little balls of rolled up butter plastered to your bread, and pieces of it are missing and scattered. It's squashed, mishapen...It doesn't look the same. And no matter how many times you try to tell yourself it's not really different...it IS. It's not going to taste like magic...and you KNOW it.

OR

b) You sit down with your delicious mouth watering treat, spread some soft butter ALL over it and munch on. It tastes better than you imagined...it fills your mouth with happiness. You feel complete and at one with your bread, satisfied with your experience. Warmth and happiness and comfort radiate off of you in waves. Option B, totally awsome. Option A...close...but no cigar. So for those of you who need a little comfort and are banking on not being disabused of your awsome notions...warm up your butter FIRST.

5. baby sitters.

Kids are awsome. they REALLY are. Most of the time. Almost all of the time. But sometimes, you want to run away, crawl into a deep dark dirty hole and curl up into the fetal position and tremble until the sound of screaming that seems to ricochet through your skull goes blessedly, silent. On these days, the faint thread of guilt as you drop your miserable child off at the sitter doesn't QUITE outweigh you're rising sense of excitement and freedome as you happily skip off to work or your lobotomy appointment. Nine times out of ten, their horrendous mood is put on hold while they innocently giggle and laugh until you pick them up again, and immediately resume all previous behavior. Regardless, you managed 8 hours of awsome.

6. Dryer clothes

If you're around my age, you might remember being very small and climbing into the pile of clean clothes, still warm from the dryer and smelling wonderful. The fragrance of fabric softener, no matter what kind, is always lovely. As an adult, I occasionally wrap myself in my fluffiest towel, still warm from the dryer and close my eyes. I can feel myself being transported to a six year old me, wearing a face splitting grin sans front teeth and burrowing in my moms flannel night gown. No one can ever complain surrounded by that. Not right then, at that moment. I think it might even mellow a crack head going through withdrawl. It's a thought you know, therapy via heat and fabric softener. In any case, my research has shown a direct correlation between freshly dried clothes and awsome. You'll want to expirement for yourself. It's not like it can make a day worse.