html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> From the archives: Small things that make me disproportionately happy.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Small things that make me disproportionately happy.

I love my pretty blue housekey with the flowers on it. I thought I'd get tired of it, but two years later, I still admire it when I unlock my door.

I love sampler packs of anything, but right now my tea sampler of eight flavors gives me six whole choices (once I've given away the disgusting lemon-ginger and taken the chamomile home because I can't be falling asleep at work). I like to carefully consider which tea matches my mood throughout the day. I also loved the Insects and Spiders stamps, and very carefully assigned stamps to recipient. I'm sure I would have sent you the shiny iridescent green beetle. My favorite stamps so far have been the 1995 Peaches and Pears, although the recent Clouds and Crops of the Americas have been solid choices. My sister and I will interrupt a busy day to call each other about stamps.

I buy expensive mushrooms at the Farmers' Market on Sunday, and every single time I am grateful that I am not poor any more (only relatively expensive - not as much as meat or anything). I can afford oyster mushrooms, even when it isn't a special occasion, just for me to sauté and eat on walnut bread.

The change counting machine at our bank branch is perfect. You take all your change to the machine, you swipe your ATM card, and your change gets deposited in your bank account! Tracy and Margie and I love it so much, because it suits that need so perfectly. It is a treat and a thrill when one of us has enough change to deposit; we arrange it like a special date for the three of us.

I love him more than he'll ever know. (Found him through eDubin!)

In the comments at Unfogged, Steve reminded me of Chick Tracts. Awww man, Chick Tracts. Angels was my first Chick Tract, which set the bar pretty high. But, Birds and the Bees is wonderful, and he is not afraid to show you the ugly truths about prison or child rape either. Chick Tracts will never let you down.

More! The song Packet Man, by Digital Underground! In the first place, it has horns. I already love any song with a horns section. Second, it is a very funny song. Whenever I am in a meeting where there are information packets, I ask the person handing them out if s/he is the Packet Man. Then, inside, I crack up, because that joke will never get old. If I am passing out handouts, I always ask if they'll be needing any packets today. I've yet to get the answer I'm looking for, but I'm entertained, which is enough.

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I'll post more things I love beyond all reason as I think of them. Soon, my pretty, pretty bike chain will be on the list.

24 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

The only things I can think of like that are my ski clothes, my sleeping bag, and the cat that lives in the parking lot.

My old ski jacket I've had something like 15 years. Back when shell jackets were still made of heavy, stiff material. Unlike the modern light weight flimsy jackets. I never have any reason to wear it in Cali, sometimes I miss it and just wear it in my apartment.

My sleeping bag is just so cozy. I was out in Tuolumne recently, the night time temp dropped to about 20. My sleeping bag was like my own little fort, I could pull the hood up over my head,, and bury myself way down inside and be nice and warm.

And that cat is just so cute. I go visit him almost every day, he's usually in his little hiding spot in the bushes, I walk over and he'll sit there and meow at me until I leave.

Justin

5:03 PM  
Blogger bobvis said...

- My vintage Parker 51 procured from ebay
- My flashy Movado watch that has no hour markers on it. The reason I like it is that I got early in the dot-com era when companies would sell things for nothing to build their "customer base". It has nostalgia value.
- My Wile E. Coyote socks.

I was debating mentioning this one because of its ubiquity, but I'll go ahead: my ipod still thrills me. So does 3M duct tape whenever I have the chance to use it.

5:57 PM  
Blogger Dubin said...

So many commonalities, so many divergences!

-- insect stamps, love them

-- lemon zinger - HATE IT!!!!!

-- but I never drink tea at work

-- Peaches and pears? you've got to be kidding me.

-- I HATE crops of the Americas stamps, don't know why.

-- My favorites recently: these and these.

-- I would love the change machine, but we don't have one of those!!! We have this thing at the Super Value Fresh that charges you a commission for turning metal into paper. It's not useful.

-- You love the guy wearingthe tshirt or the guy on the tshirt? 'Splain.

6:58 PM  
Blogger lil miss dubin said...

*the tray i bought at target two weekends ago that organizes all my fragrance bottles and most-worn jewelry on the vanity. (i swear, since i organized the stuff in there, i've probably walked by it on purpose 25 times just to admire.)

6:59 PM  
Blogger Megan said...

The guy wearing the shirt. In fact, I am falling for him harder every time I look at him, lips slightly parted (as they will be when he leans in to kiss me), or back arched in ecstasy (as it will be later that evening). Look at him here, running so gracefully. He would pick one of those roses for me, don't you think?

P.S. Want to go in on a three-pack of shirts? I kindof like "Voting sucks".

7:36 PM  
Blogger amanda bee said...

I recently got a very hunger caterpillar stamp on something, it never occurred to me that it went with a curious george stamp.

I'm pretty pysched about these. I was about to tell Hilary about them when she told me about them.

Dubin says that Beer and Trees are Overrated but I miss my sleeping bag. I don't use it enough anymore (and it is time to stop pretending that NYC is the problem, since Zach and Rachel go camping all the damn time).

I like to drink detox tea at work. It is kind of bitter and twiggy.

The vegetable stamps have always bothered me.

7:40 PM  
Blogger bobvis said...

Ooooh, "Voting sucks".

For the first time, I feel Sacramento-area envy.

Of course, I also want a "who you calling macaca?" shirt.

7:45 PM  
Blogger Dubin said...

Actually, it's, "This Rules! Yeh, I hate voting."

And I already have it.

Sorry.

When I bought it they tossed in "DON'T FORNICATE" for free, but I haven't found the right opportunity to wear it.

9:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I can hear you breaking out into Julie andrews' "these are a few of my favourite things..."

you say you'll write more about this later...reminds me of a story...

a holy man goes to the mountain, renouncing all material possessions. But he can't do without one simple thing: his favourite chocolate. so, every Wednesday someone delivers it to him. Pretty soon he realises he has to offer this person some tea and so he needs milk. He, therefore, decides to bring a cow up to the mountain as well.

But this is now taking time away from prayer so he brings another person up to take care of the cow. That man brings his family and they need a hairdresser who needs a postman who needs.... pretty soon the whole world is up on that mountain!

10:58 PM  
Blogger Jason said...

Chewing gum in the shower. It just tastes better in there.


The handwriting of old folks who learned to write using inkwells. Nothing like it. Even transfered to a pencil or a ball point, you can still see why the strokes worked. Look soon! They're going fast...

11:54 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

One thing I really like is taking a jacket or coat out for the season in the fall and finding some money in the pocket. Even if it's just a dollar or two it's still a nice feeling.

Peter
Iron Rails & Iron Weights

7:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There must be something about watches. I really like the watch I bought after I got my first paycheck at a real job, after I graduated from graduate school. Especially since people noticed I had a new watch the first day I started wearing it.

I also like the chairs around our dining table, which have decorative metal work in the shape of various animals in each chair back. Everything you need to know about a person you can learn from whether he chooses to sit at the giraffe, elephant, hippo, rhino, tiger, or zebra. I always sit at the giraffe.

I like the cherry tree in our back yard. It's the third one I've planted. The first got eaten by the 17-year cicadas, and the second was broken because the squirrels thought they could climb up a tree that was only three feet high (hey, assholes, the tree is not much bigger than you!). Finally, this year I bought one from the nursery that was about 8 feet tall, and winter is almost here and the tree is still alive. I'm so proud of it! I can't wait to see its flowers next spring.

Good call on the children's story book stamps (note that Curious George is holding a baby rabbit--but when he lets the rabbit down, it's going to run away, and he'll be very sad). However, the best stamps ever are these: [url]http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10152&storeId=10001&categoryId=16810&productId=26251&langId=-1[/url].

7:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Okay, obviously my link-embedding skills are not up to snuff. Anybody care to enlighten me?

7:41 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

When someone spells my name right.

9:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Didn't have time for any personal favorites, so I'll just go with the standard:
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens;
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens;
Brown paper packages tied up with strings;
These are a few of my favorite things.

Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels;
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles;
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings;
These are a few of my favorite things.

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes;
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes;
Silver-white winters that melt into springs;
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the dog bites,
When the bee stings,
When I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.

10:01 AM  
Blogger Megan said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

10:11 AM  
Blogger bobvis said...

If I ever have to get a dining table, I want Nick's.

Favorite animal = elephant
Animal I would be if I could be any non-human animal = mountain goat

10:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah, watches rock. I do love my watch, a 6000 series tag heuer. Technically it's an athletic watch, but I'm too afraid to take it to do anything athletic with me. For that I take my $20 casio.

Justin

10:59 AM  
Blogger Pandax said...

I tried Stash's Lemon-Ginger tea and found it very soothing for when I'm feeling sick.

Fruit crisps are so satisfying. I don't know why, I just love eating all that warm, yummy fruit topped with oatmeal crust that's been browned with butter and brown sugar.

Comforters are just that. I always look forward to having cooler weather so I can snuggle under the covers.

Having a garage. Just the other night, as I pushed the button to bring the door down, I thought about how much I love being inside before I get out of the car.

11:36 AM  
Blogger Megan said...

Also, I love, love, love that when my sister saw this thread, her only comment to me was:

"meggie, i don't think those are roses. they look mebbe like canna?"

It is so like us to notice the plants first. She's totally right about the Canna.

11:44 AM  
Blogger Megan said...

She also sent me this:

"and the nice thing (the only nice thing) about the lady liberty stamps is that you can put them on upside down. i use those ones for my bills.

the clouds were the best."

I wish she would comment.

12:41 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I haven't bought stamps in over a year. I hate the mail. Why not pay your bills online? I'm sure you can set that up for most of your utilities.

Justin

12:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

daily : green jasmine tea
annually: the smell of wisteria
weekday afternoons: this blog. aw. that was tender.

-dithers

12:48 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You all sound like the angels in wings of desire !

the smell of fresh coffee,
seeing a child smile,
sunlight in the rain,
the moment when music and memory are one,
the gathering of dark clouds,
an old person telling a story,
the tenderness in a loved one's eyes...

1:24 PM  

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