Things I Love

I started writing this list in my head over the weekend, with a plan to post it on Valentine's Day. But then my car's power steering stopped working on Sunday sometime between arriving at Landon's favorite park and trying to leave Landon's favorite park when mommy was hungry and wanted a Freebirds burrito. This made me very unhappy and I was in no mental place to write a list of things I love. Luckily a good friend lives right down the street from the park and she fed me a sandwich and let Landon and me hang out until JP finished his swim practice and could respond to my text message which read, "call immed. car broken. stuck at park. help."

I've shared a few things that I don't like, and while I could expand on that (as it turns out there's a lot of foods I left off that list), this seems more positive. Plus I'm in a really good mood because my car only cost $180 to fix and I'm busy again at work and no longer feel aimless. I guess that can kick off #1 of the Things That I Love.

1. Being busy. My job satisfaction plummets when I'm idle at my desk.

2. Your list of books from my last post. I'm in the midst of creating an excel chart with the titles and authors with a little column for me to check them off as I find them. This chart makes me happier than you can imagine and it will live in my purse until I've tracked down every one.

3. This little guy.

An obvious addition to the list, but it must be noted that I fall a little bit (and sometimes a lot bit) more in love with him every day.

4. Tex-mex food. The glories of queso, fresh chips sprinkled in salt, beef fajitas, margaritas, and sour cream chicken enchiladas cannot be overstated.

5. Pizza. I could eat it every day that I don't eat Tex-Mex. I recently made pizza dough FROM SCRATCH in my shiny new red stand mixer that I got as a Christmas present from my in-laws. Then I topped the dough with a little bit of marinara sauce, some prosciutto and grilled onions, and shredded mozzarella and Manchego cheese. Delicious, and the start of a new Friday night tradition (this week I'm thinking a classic pepperoni and black olive combo).

6. This picture of JP.

Also JP himself, but that probably goes without saying. He is my very favorite person in the whole world.

7. Shoes. Specifically beautiful teal patent leather Bandolino wedge sandals that I get on super clearance at DSW for $5.36. Even I would admit that I do not need a pair of teal shoes, but I wear that color a lot in the summer and am confident I will get my $5 of worth out of them.

8. Lilly, frequently referred to as "Fatty". I love this cat. She has personality and possibly a few lose screws, but she's amazingly patient with Landon and has accepted the dogs into her household. She also spends much of her time lying around in this position:

which makes me want to squish her tummy just a little bit with my foot when I walk by. She likes it, I swear.

9. The Olympics. I adore them- even the events I don't understand. I turn on the coverage every night at 7 (the first time we've broken the no TV during dinner rule since the '08 Summer Olympics) and keep it on until it ends at 11. I almost never watch sports on TV- I don't care about football, baseball, or basketball, but I can't turn the Olympics off.

10. Tex and Rosie, our noble, loyal, not super intelligent labrador retrievers. Also, how much my boys love them.

They are very important members of our family. They are also very large members of our family, weighing 92 and 94 lbs. at their last vet visit. They're on a diet of half food-half vegetables and getting walks every night. They only like one aspect of their new commitment to healthy living.

11. French fries. Possibly my single favorite food item.

12. Travel. There are so many places I want to go with JP (and the kids, I suppose). I took myself on a tour through 13 countries in Europe after I graduated a semester early from undergrad, and I'd like to revisit several of those places, as well as travel to so many more. In that vein JP and I have started a "Vacation Fund" in our online savings account and are committed to putting something away each month so that we can take a family vacation every year. Some of my most vibrant childhood memories are wrapped up in the vacations my family took and I'm determined to give that to our kids (even though it's hard not to feel like I should throw any extra money into my bucket of law school debt).

13. Cookies, especially the one JP picked one up for me at HEB this evening. Did I mention how much I love him?

14. Skiing. It's been years. I miss it but am also afraid that next time we get out to the slopes I'll be too afraid of falling (now that I am older and more fragile and more aware of the fact that you can die) to be nearly as good as I used to be.

15. My blackberry. It's a little bit of a love/hate, but I do love that I can send out my last email at 5:30 and run out the door, knowing I can read any reply from all the places I go that are not my office.

16. Alphabetical order. It just makes me happy. Chronological order too. And rainbow order. Really, any order. And labels. I really like labels.

17. Red wine. I miss it so.

18. Project Runway and Project Rungay.

That's probably enough, and I'm trying to flip between #'s 9 and 18 and it's taking all my concentration. I hope you're enjoying something you love tonight!