It is Always the 10 Little Things

Feels like time to do a gratitude list. Life has been a slog of late, there's a lot of fear, so let's try very hard for the bare minimum of optimism. I know it's out of character but, hey, a girl can try.

1. The ability to take a mental health day and the strength (bolstered by a well-placed suggestion/insistence from a friend) to make it into a writing day which was awesome.

2. Air conditioning. I know I shouldn't use it and I do use it a whole lot less than most people around these parts but on truly sidewalk-egg-fryingly hot days like we've had all week it is quite the blessing.

3. In sharp contrast to #2, the heat. I like to be hot. I hate to be cold. I have felt such a fool draped in different layers of not quite right clothing to keep me feeling OK wherever I go but the last three or four days that has not been a problem. What to wear? As little as possible.

4. Pacey Witter on Dawson's Creek. "Pacey Witter, friend to women." Friend to women indeed.

5. Joshua Jackson as Pacey Witter on Dawson's Creek. Originally he auditioned for the role of Dawson. What a different show it would have been if he'd landed the role. When the boy puts his mind to it he can take the cheesiest, most ridiculous, contrived piece of exposition and make it work. I'm willing to concede the possibility that he's able to make it work by distracting me with the sparkly eyes and the charming smile. Not really caring about the method, just admiring the result.

6. Little one of a kind diners and the people who run them. Pony Express and I celebrated our working from home status today by hitting the local diner for breakfast before we started the aforementioned working. Everyone should have a place like this. Comfort food and comforting environment in a non-chain situation.

7. One of a kind coffee shops with decaf herbal iced tea and wireless internet who don't care how long you sit at their tables. Guess where I did a chunk of my writing today?

8. The internet. Man, it's a wonderful wide world. My current situation has me getting it in shorter doses instead of the mainlining allowed by the laptop and absence, as they say, makes the heart grow fonder.

9. Good books. I'm reading this one right now and it's not a great book, it's not everything I want it to be but it's compelling me right through it. The plot is slow and meandering but there's some kind of suspense on an emotional level that has me on the edge of my seat.

10. My awesome bed. It's the first non hand me down bed I've ever had I think. Well, as an adult. I think my original twin bed was new to me. I never asked. Man, I love my bed. Next up pillows that don't hate me.

Image courtesy of, you guessed it, Google Images.