Loving

Stephanie over at Chocolate and Whine had a post up of things she is loving. It's a good positive step for her, she's been having it rough and sometimes it's hard to see good things when you are wallowing in the bad. Ever notice how much easier it is to wallow in the bad? One of the many bad qualities we have as humans I think.

Anyway she invited us to follow and list the things we are loving. I'm going to go one step further and include my variation on some of the things she listed too...

Summer
Damn I had forgotten just what the heat is like in Texas. We've had warm days on and off for the past month at least but they really were just warm days. In the 80's mostly and here that's just spring. We had one day last week where you walked outside and BOOM it hit you like a wall. And I thought "Oh yeah, now that's what I'm talkin' bout!". That's summer in Texas. Lots of people don't like it and I know there are days where it is annoying but it feels good. Like a huge warm bankie and your skin tingles. No I didn't always like the heat but I've lived in the snow belt for a bit and I'll take the sun, even the raging heat, anyday. BTW, for whatever reason (Mother Nature is pms-ing?) it was ass biting cold today damn it.

The smell of spring
The smell of spring in every place I have lived has been different. Maybe that's because the native plants in So Cal, Nor Cal, Metro Washington DC, and Texas are all completely different. Surprised? I didn't think so. Seriously, like big time. Here in the hill country of south central Texas it smells like grape Kool Aid, no lie. It's the Texas Mountain Laurels that are just a wonderful plant that thrives in our desolate climate and still manages to produce these scrumptious flowers that bloom in falls and look like wisteria but smell like grape Kool Aid. I love them. Occasionally you get a whiff of jasmine too, it does well in our area. They are all almost done blooming (as are the Redbuds, gawd I love those blooms), soon it will be the crepe myrtles. They don't have any smell that I know of but they sure do look pretty. Make a huge mess but look pretty in the mean time. They don't do as well here as they do in the true south but they do well enough.

As long as I'm on smells I'll let you know about one of those strange ones I always had a thing for. I don't know if I spent too much time as a vet tech or I'm just odd. Probably both actually, but I love the smell of those corn chip dog feet. Strange much? Yeah. I've loved my dogs throughout my life (tyrannical as they all have been) and when they are content and lying on me on the couch/bed/someplace they are so not allowed to be, they get warm and happy and smell like corn chips. It's their feet, I know it but it's still a happy dog smell so I like it. It's a dog person thing I suppose. BTW, not all dogs have the same smelly feet. I've noticed that german shepherds don't have feet that smell like corn chips. Another reason they are not my preferred breed I suppose. That and the hair, gads.


The Jeep
Again, I'm following Stephanie's lead on this, just with opposite taste. She loves her Corolla, I had to choose between a Corolla and the Jeep when I was buying the car. I tried to love the Corolla, really I did. I owned a 4 Runner and I think Toyotas are fabulous cars. The Corolla just did not do it for me at all. That drivers seat was the most uncomfortable seat I've ever felt in a car (I used to own a 1960 something International Scout so that is saying something no?) and it had no guts what so ever. I just could not go from a six-er to a four banger. I tried but no, I couldn't give up the power. I learned to drive in a truck, had a car for my teen years and it was a cute little car for a little teen girl. After that I had maybe 1 more car and then went back to trucks. None were 6 cylinders though. I didn't move into a 6 until I bought my first automatic in 2002 or so. Again, a truck. I didn't like the hubby's first Jeep, I was too pregnant and it is not made for short pregnant people. Oh lordy no.
I am not pregnant now so I have the pleasure of starting off on the right foot in my relationship with our new Jeep. Now mind you what I love most about the Jeep is not necessarily the Jeep itself. It's the Jeep courtesy. Everybody waves at you when you are in the Jeep. They start up conversations with the kid when she's in the back and the top is down. It's so cute and really fun. When other people in Jeeps (CJ's, not the hard top version either) pass you they always wave or give you a high 5 from a distance. It's like belonging to a club. Like owning a cool car rather than a minivan. It's so not the mom car I should be driving. For that alone I love it.

Going to grown up movies with my Hunney mid day
We don't get to do it often, we normally go with the kid because well, she's our kid and she's normally with us. My mother decided she wanted to spend this Saturday with her so the Hunny and I got a chance to go see grown up movies. It was Fast and the Furious, I have a thing for cars ya know. Given half a chance I'd be a grease monkey and I'd be a damn good one too. It was good and we loved the adult outside time together. I'll review it for ya'll soon, promise. It was good.