It all starts with poster board.
Getting mom to drive to the drug store to load up on the thick flimsy is a great start to a great project. Grab a sheet of white, a sheet of neon pink, and if you’re lucky one of those thick cardboard three-folds. Come on, we both know that cardboard added some scientific integrity to your research — the seventh grade equivalent of getting your work published in The New England Journal of Awesome.
Now, it doesn’t end there. Next you’re grabbing markers, spray paint, baking soda, and Styrofoam. Once you’ve got everything together you’re rushing home and getting down to science, people. The carpeted corner of the unfinished basement becomes your lab and it’s time to spend hours putting on lab coats, staring into microscopes, and pour bubbling green liquids into beakers. Also, taping.
Come on and let’s count down some classics:
6. The solar system. Jabbing those spray-painted Styrofoam balls with a straightened out coat hanger is a truly great feeling. As is painting a splotchy brown Australia on Earth and a big eye on Jupiter. If you want to go the To Scale route, remember to leave Pluto at home.
5. Volcano. There are two types of eruptions. First, there’s the Underwhelming Fizz — where you stare deep into the mouth of the fiery beast only to witness some rock-hard hunks of baking soda floating in a pool of strong-smelling vinegar. It’s disappointing, but you can always try again and hope for a Superblow — where everyone stares with wide-eyes as red ooze bubbles and slides down your carefully painted volcano onto the GI Joe townspeople below.
4. The one the kid’s parents obviously did. Also known as robbing your child of the thrill of scientific discovery in exchange for a B+.
3. Growing something. Whether it was lima beans or patches of fresh grass, it was a a classic move to study Sunlight vs. Shadows, Music vs. No Music, or Watering Plants vs. Pouring Coke On Them.
2. Coke is bad. Speaking of Coke, did you have that kid who left a tooth or some nails sitting in it for a month? The groundbreaking research typically concluded with a harsh indictment of the entire soda industry. And maybe a business card for the kid’s dad who was a dentist.
1. The one that didn’t work. Every science fair had a few of these gems. They were sad and beautiful at the same time. Because that down-faced ten year old standing in front of a dim lightbulb was learning how to deal with lost efforts and how to get back their drive after a fall. Keep that chin up, tiger. You’ll get ’em next time.
Yes, beautiful science fair moments were always a perfect close to months of hallway passion, energetic teachers, and long lonely nights cutting construction paper letters with pinking shears. Letting kids learn, letting kids dream, letting kids try and try and try — well, there’s just so much good that comes of that.
As they bottle insects, jab battery wires into lemons, and rub magnets together, you can see the whirring gears spinning with delight. Yes, all that learning just sponges, soaks in, and sticks there forever as the next generation of curiosity seekers tease their buzzing minds forward and forward and forward…
AWESOME!
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Photos from: here
Using up all of the ink in a pen.
How often do you lose pens? I lose my pens pretty often. I find myself buying a new pack of ten about once a month. Whether it’s leaving one at the restaurant after signing the bill, or forgetting you lent it to a friend, somehow, most pens don’t stay around for very long. That’s why it’s so special when you can keep one around long enough to actually use up all of the ink.
Maybe it’ll be that special one that never gets lost(#807), or the one you keep on a string on the fridge, but once you run that pen out of ink, there’s nothing left to do but hold it up as your trophy. Because you have conquered that pen and its every attempt at escape. It’s now yours and all there’s left to do is admire it on your mantle.
AWESOME!
Getting An Idea In The Bathroom
Maybe it’s Shower Time™, or maybe you’re taking a porcelain cruise. Suddenly, you get an idea! It’s the next great invention, or the solution to a problem that’s plagued you, or a definitive solution to an inner conflict. Yep, the bathroom seems to be the unlikeliest of places to concoct an idea, but when it happens it’s surely…
Ahh-some!
The shower is where all my good (or not so good) ideas come from. That’s the only time and place I have to think. Its like you read my mind. :-)
Free food!
Everyone loves getting free food, no matter what it is.
(not sure if I’m too late)
lucky thousand-thirtyfive…
typing, after cutting your nails after they’ve been just a little too long for just a little too long.
never knew typing could be so …AWESOME!
Saturday morning cartoons
The most exciting start to any weekend as a kid was when I got to watch the Road Runner “meep meep” his way out of another “clever” trap by the coyote. Ah, the bliss of childhood! Awesome :)
Eureka moments. Whether it’s realizing you’re too good to stay with an abusive partner, finally remembering the name of a song that was on the tip of your tongue, or simply finding the FedEx arrow/Toblerone bear/Baskin Robbins “31”/Amazon “A to Z” in the logo one day…revelations are pretty freakin’ awesome.
Drums.
People highly take drums for granted. If you listen to a song, a good amount of what makes the song what it is, is due to the drums. Sure, the melody and the guitar parts are incredible important, but think about it: if your favorite song was lacking drums, would it sound as great? Nope.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a cappella songs as well, but the drums add that extra spice to a song that makes you tap your foot or bop your head to the beat.
Drummers certainly don’t receive enough credit in a band. They contribute a lot, whether or not people recognize it.
AWESOME!
And what about those songs where the drum solo is your favourite part?
Oh, we totally need a post about classic drum solos! May I suggest “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins to get things rolling?
Y’all
There are plenty of pronouns out there: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, and the seldom used thou. There are the nouns that get treated like pronouns: guys, girls, folks. Then there are the hybrid noun-pronouns: you guys, you’uns, us folks.
The absotively posolutely best noun-pronoun hybrid has got to be y’all. You + all = y’all. It addresses everybody, encompasses everybody, leaves nobody out. It sounds so friendly, too.
No doubt about it, you + all = y’all.
And y’all = awesome!
LOL. Truly an all-inclusive hybrid.
You know what, Freddo is awesome. He goes through every single comment to read them, answer any questions, and check if it’s already on Neil’s list. Not a bad job, considering these are fun entries to read, but he’s still taking the time out to do this. So, thank you, Freddo :)
Corporate Meetings with Friends
You have a tangent every other minute. You interrupt each other. You laugh for no reason.
You were suppose to be out in an hour but much longer after your still sitting there gossiping and trying to get through what needs to be done.
Well there really is nothing better then going to a meeting your dreading and finding your good friends sitting there waiting for the fun to start.
AWESOME!
Booking an all inclusive vacation at a discount price and then discovering that your flight leaves at a civilized hour and not at the crack of dawn.
Walking through the entire line of ropes in an amusement park to find you are the first in line to ride the attraction…Awesome!
It’s especially fun running through the maze of rope lines when it’s basically empty and you could just climb over them… But where would the fun be in that? haha
Agreed!! It’s like a wonderfully easy maze with a freaking awesome prize waiting for you at the end. :D
getting your favorite spot on the couch, it’s always a battle at my house, but when I get to sit in that spot and curl up with a blanket for a movie, it’s awesome!
when you share a laugh with a stranger.
oops forgot to write AWESOMEE!!
Way to get in an extra entry there, Mary-Louise!
Realizing one of your favorite actors/actresses was in some small part somewhere else. Like seeing “True Blood’s” Sam Trammel in the “Bones” pilot, or Nicholas Cage in “Fast Times At Ridgemont High.” And you might wonder for a moment what they’re from, if their hair is a different color now or their accent has changed, but when you realize, it puts a smile on your face.
YEAH! This always makes me really happy!
Last semester I just figured out that the actor who plays Will Schuster on GLEE was in the movie Music and Lyrics as that Cora girl’s agent/manager!
Same applies to when you realize who voiced one of your favorite cartoon characters. Meg Ryan was Anastasia?? John Cusac was Demetri?! Jennifer Aniston was the mom in The Iron Giant???
When a movie shows a place you’ve already been!
True, this can be awesome. What’s weird is that, if you see a place you haven’t been featured in the movies enough, it will feel like you have been there. E.g. When I visited NYC for the first time, I had a strange sense of deja vu, because it’s such a popular backdrop for films and tv.
Getting into a hot car. Sometimes even on a warm day it’s nice, the car seat is warmed for you and the feeling of climbing into a warm environment is just nice and toasty. Parking your car to catch the sun in the winter and finding a shady place to park in the summer is ‘s wonderful… ‘s marvelous.
Kind of like walking out of an air conditioned building and into the heat outside… it’s kind of comforting.
getting ready for a date… oh, the butterflies in your stomach ^^*
Love this feeling! I had 5 friends over helping me get ready once, and it was so much fun to figure out the absolute perfect outfit and to fuss over how the date might go. The nerves, the excitement… nothing beats it!
Being an Aunt!
The first time my nephew gave me a spontaneous hug – he was 13 months old at the time. We were playing with toys and he leaned over and hugged me. Same goes when he kissed my cheek for no reason.
Hearing him say my name….
Watching his eyes light up when he sees a fire truck – he signs and says more (16 months old) – I am thinking “If I could make a fire truck appear out of thin air. I would.”
Listening to a voice message my brother and nephew left for me – my brother singing a song I made up for my nephew, getting my nephew to say “Amy.”
Singing to my nephew silly songs that I made up. and listening to my dad and my brother sing them.
And, taking zillions of pictures of my nephew every time I visit. In fact, he saw a camera on a little person toy and exclaimed “Amy” after hearing his mom describe a camera to him. (18 months old).
:)
I one hundred percent agree with you! I love my nieces more than anything in the world, and I’m not even a huge kid person. My nieces are AWESOME.
Being an aunt (or uncle) before being a parent is especially awesome. It’s like a pre-season game. You get to test your skills a little, get in the groove, but the score doesn’t matter.
Then being an aunt again once your own kid(s) are older is great too, because lets face it, babies and little kids are awesome, but you don’t want any more of them yourself and you sure ain’t ready to be a grandparent yet!
bedtime stories
When your parents would get SO into bedtime stories as they were telling you them.
I remember my dad used to get this twinkle in his eyes whenever he read me to them when I was younger.
Your first car.
I know you already had “your family car growing up” but there’s something truly AWESOME about the very first car you own. Whether it’s a family hand-me-down, an oldie you purchased from a used car lot, or a nice new car (you lucky dog!)… Having a car that’s all your own is amazing. You never forget your first car!
Oh, I loved my first car. Paid $300 for it. The freedom I felt when I was in it was aweseom. And it always smelled so good even though I never put air freshener in it.
My first car just died :( It was a horribly sad day, and I can’t get it fixed because the repairs will cost way more than I paid for it ($500). No one quite understands why I’m so upset, but there’s nothing that can ever beat your first car!
My first car was handed down to me from my older sister after she got a new car and it took me to so many places for five years, in addition to the years my sister had it! Just traded it in last year and it was a sad day in my life to see her go. :(
Gum from friends :)
Putting leftovers into tupperwear and finding that you picked EXACTLY the right sized container so that last drop of goodness fits perfectly in before snapping on the lid…AWESOME
YES! I LOVE it when this happens! :)
When you’re struggling with reams of Excel sheets with confusing media plans on a Friday (of all days) and a colleague walks in to announce “There’s an old friend of yours here who wants to say Hi”…and you discover a really old friend you haven’t met in ages! That’s awful instantly becoming awesome :-)
Getting a hug when you’re sick.
We all know that feeling of being achy, stuffy, and icky all over when we have the flu or a cold. The tough part is when you don’t have your parents close by to make sure everything is alright. Coming into college I have had to take care of myself many a time when I have been sick and illness is runnning rampid in the dorms. Last semester was the worst because of swine flu; everyone was dropping like flies. And even worse, no one wanted to go near them. Whether you have swine or just a common head cold I think we all know what it’s like to feel like you’ve been quarantined by everyone around you. People don’t want to get too close, they don’t want to touch you, even breath the same air because of the fear of infection. All you want is some love and affection, someone to rub you on the back or play with your hair, make sure you drink enough fluids and get to bed early. However, there is always that one person, after you have been pushed away by everyone else, who will brave the chances of getting sick and give you that one thing you needed most: a hug. AWESOME.
This is only trumped by being able to go home when you are sick and having your mommy and daddy be at your beck and call, baby you, and nurse you back to health.
That first kiss.
The date has ended, he’s walking you back to your car, room, door, whatever it may be and although you are chit chatting all that is racing through your mind is “Is he going to kiss me?” You turn around to say your goodnights, you don’t want the evening to end just yet. You think it’s over, “I guess tonight it won’t happen,” and then he surprises you with a kiss. The kind of kiss that sends the butterflies in your stomach flying all over your body and everything tingles. When you pull back you almost have to catch your breath, and as you open your eyes all you can do is smile because that first kiss… was AWESOME.
I laugh every time I read about great first kisses, because I’ve been with my boyfriend for a little over three months and our first kiss was TERRIBLE. It was painfully awkward, he caught me off guard, and I remember leaving thinking about how bad it was and whether I should stick it out any longer. Thankfully I did, though, and we joke about it all the time.
So while I appreciate good first kisses, bad first kisses can be good too, since there’s really nowhere to go but up!
Laughing so hard it hurts. Did this last night with hubby. Can’t remember the last time I laughed to much. It was awesome!
great contset!
Beeing able to solve a friend’s big computer woe.
It’s awsome!!!!
-Walking or playing in the rain and not caring!!
-When people notice when something about your appearance changes, escpecially when you went to lots of trouble to do it!!
AWESOME
Chapstick……I’m kinda addicted to the stuff. I can’t go anywhere unless I have some in my pocket. Vanilla is my favorite.
Oh, I’m a green square. Those little squares off to the right of the posts….I’m always a green square. I always thought it went in a pattern or something. That’s awesome. Makes it easier to find people if ya know what their squares are.
Random acts of kindness~ holding the door open for someone, giving a stranger a compliment, helping someone broke down on the side of the road.
I just heard on the radio about a guy, I think they said he was in Chicago, that offered his kidney to his favorite grocery store cashier. She was having kidney failure and was offered a short amount of time to live, but now with his kidney, she will live another 30 years. Now that is the ultimate random act of kindness and its awesome!
Guitar solos !!
Holiday Meals with Family
Holidays with my family are a huge deal. Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving are the 3 times of year when any diet plans go on hold and normal eating routines are thrown out the window. Food, family and laughter fill the house and if you decide in the middle of the day that you want to watch TV in the living room by yourself then you are considered “antisocial”.
It’s all about being together and the peak of the togetherness is during the big meal of the weekend.
Turkey, stuffing, cranberries, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, hot cross buns and more. The table gets filled and the passing around begins. The room may seem like chaos from the outside with 16 people around the table having a variety of conversations, kids yelling, dogs trying to get a lick of the giant turkey on the table, but to us it is pure bliss. These are the moments when I look around at everyone and know that it couldn’t possibly get any better.
AWESOME!
That’s one of my favorite things! I live 2 states away from my family, so I only get to see them on holidays, making those meals all the more awesome :)
YOUR TV night. Almost everyone has 1 night a week where all of their favorite shows line up, and it becomes YOUR tv night. Everyone knows not to disturb you for the evening, but you keep your phone on silent just in case. For me, it’s Thursday night comedies, but everyone has their own. Sometimes, it’s all that gets you through the week… knowing that your tv night is all about YOU, baby.
AWESOME!
When you wake up late for work and run to the closet to throw something on and you realize that it’s clean, matches, and doesn’t need to be ironed. There’s nothing worse than running late and not being able to find anything to wear, so when the stars align and you look good in a jiffy, it’s totally awesome.
Looking through old photos. I just recently printed a bunch of old black and whites to hang up around my apartment, and I had so much fun reminiscing about my big hair and horrible fashion sense as a kid. Looking through old pictures, whether their yours or someone elses, just flood you with memories, love, and so much joy. Besides, they give you an excuse to share old stories!
Doing “grown-up” things for the first time… the first time you order coffee at a restaurant instead of chocolate milk, the first time you use your debit card, the first time you pay a bill, the first time you plan a vacation… there are tons of little things that might not be exciting later (i.e. bills), but the first time, you just feel like you’re finally making the transition into adulthood. While it’s sad to say goodbye to childhood, it’s not totally gone (just look at this website! We’re all kids at heart), so looking to the future is awesome!
songs that remind you of a certain holiday…I know my holidays all seem to have a playlist of some sort, just songs I’ve heard enough to remind me of brilliant memories when I get home.
Helpful neighbors. Whether it be a cup of sugar, shoveling the driveway, or babysitting the cat while you are on vacation, a helpful neighbor is always “awesome”!
My fist experience with helpful neighbors happened just this winter. A new couple moved next door. It had snowed really bad and I was getting home from work. Hubby wasn’t home yet and when I pulled into the driveway, I got stuck. The neighbors came out and shoveled a path in the snow so I could get my car in.
LOL….My *first*….not my fist.
Oh, THAT’s a relief!
Dreams are awesome. Well…most of the time. They are crazy and wierd and when you remember them, its just awesome. Last night I had a dream that I was fishing, but not with a fishing pole or net. I was using some weird machine that I had to get inside of and peddle like a bike. It went underwater and this big wheel like thing in the front safely captured the fish. Quite odd and yet awesome at the same time.
when u have a substite teachers
Smiling at babies only to have them smile back at you.
Getting to the bakery or donut shop just as someone’s putting out fresh donuts. Double awesome if the fresh donuts are your favorite style/flavor.
Also, eating hot, fresh donuts.
Smelling the past.
Regardless of where I’m living, at least once every autumn I walk outside, take a deep breath and fall back into scenes of my catholic school youth. One tiny gulp of brisk fall air can transport me from a sidewalk in Greenwich Village to the playground at Saint Michael’s Elementary in the blink of an eye. Each of these occasions trigger a fit of nostalgia so consuming that my thoughts are short-circuited for the rest of the day and I feel an unshakable urge to hop in the car or buy a plane ticket.
When you need something but think you are all out of it and then BAM! You find one last one!
Wether it be hangers or food you are craving, that moment of satisfaction when you realize you are not out of luck…AWESOME!
Yeah! I LOVE this feeling! It’s like a blessing from heaven! haha
When you wake up feeling great in your own skin! You know–those mornings where you wake up and realize that you aren’t perfect but you look pretty DANG FINE! Sure your lumps and bumps, bruises and scratches aren’t gone, and you aren’t going to model any day soon–but today for one day or one moment you feel great just how you are!
When the copier at work actually runs off all 300 copies you need–without jamming! It is MAGIC!