#728 Interspecies action figure wars

a royal rumble gone badWhen I was a kid and played with He-Man guys or Transformers, there was always a time when the scale of whatever war I was waging grew beyond the number of figures I had from that set. This meant that I had to throw in other guys to pad the numbers to make sure everything was just fine.

He needs backupFor example, He-Man would help The Autobots when Skeletor was bearing down on them with all his henchmen, some bad GI Joe guys, Randy Macho Man Savage, and a lone Captain Planet villain from a random aunt two birthdays ago.

This also worked for tournaments, Battle Royals, and no-holds-barred street races.

Can carry thirty Micro Machines no problemYou knew the races were getting out of hand when a big Tonka dump truck started playing dirty and dumped a half-dozen Micro Machines on the carpet to scramble and run the Batmobile off the road.

Sometimes my sister got in on it, too.

If the Decepticons kidnapped Barbie then Ken would jump on My Little Pony to try and rescue her. And if that didn’t work, she’d be forced to wheel out the big guns.

Yes, I’m talking about the Cabbage Patch Kids.

Now it's really overOh sure, they were just stuffed dolls, but they were also four times the size any of my action figures and had really heavy faces that were strong as steel. Basically, the game was over at that point because she’d capture all my men and just toss them in the Easy-Bake Oven.

And come on, there was something great about those interspecies action figure wars. Think back and remember sliding across the carpet in your overalls, making spitty sound effects, and zooming your head into an imagination world that was so fun, so real, and so

AWESOME!

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Photos from: here, here, here, here, and here

Illustration from: here

#730 When the baby’s diaper isn’t as bad as you were expecting

Unwrap me if you dareChanging diapers is not awesome.

In fact, it’s probably something you’d find over on 1000 Annoying Things, that non-existent netherlist we mentioned before which also features #998 When you realize you’re out of deodorant as you’re putting it on, #997 Forgetting your umbrella at the restaurant, and #996 When the hot water runs out before you rinse out your shampoo.

Mommy and daddy, you know what I’m talking about. Sure, you love your child, and yes, you rationally understand that frequent bowel movements are a sign of good health, but when you groan and grog-waddle over to the crib at three in the morning, it’s just not a pretty scene.

That’s why it’s so great when you’re expecting Number 2, but get lucky and just score a leaky Number 1 diaper. It’s like a tiny present from your little bundle of joy. So high-five the little slugger before pulling the quick-wipe and slapping on a new dipe.

AWESOME!

smell that babyPhotos from: here and here

#731 An inbox of personal emails when you wake up in the morning

you are popularA fresh batch of personal emails is like a little basket of gold to start your day.

Grandkids telling you about their day at school, blurry photos attached from last night’s party, your mom asking what you want for your birthday, and dirty inside jokes between your closest friends are all piled on top of each other in your private little room of secret conversations.

You smile softly because a page full of personal emails tells you one thing for sure: people like talking to you. So pull your chair up, rub your palms together, and get ready to dive in.

AWESOME!

like a bucket of gold

Photo from: here

#732 Taking your glasses or contact lenses off after a long day

take it outHow do you spell relief?

Baby, it’s gotta be that deep sensation of finally relaxing your eyeballs when you pull your specs off at the end of the day. And whether you’re resting your Coke bottles on the bedside table or peeling your dry, itchy contacts out after a late night and a long cab ride, you just gotta love that perfect sense of freedom and fresh air.

Yes, when you pull off those lenses you can just blink twice, feel that burn, and give yourself a well deserved Pre-Dream eyeball massage.

Because you’re finally free.

Now, if you’re blessed with 20/20 vision, and have no idea what us blind folks are talking about, then let me give you the Top 5 Sorta-Similar Feelings from other parts of your life. Here you go, Perfect Eyes:

coke bottle glasses5. Unbuttoning the top button of your too-tight dress shirt after a long wedding day. You trucked around town in a strangling tux and a tie, your neck sweated and brown-collared your shirt through the pictures, wedding ceremony, speeches, and dance. When you’re back in the hotel room, just pop that button off and let it all go.

4. Flipping your belt buckle open after a big turkey dinner. You packed that stomach with slabs of turkey, slops of potatoes, mounds of stuffing, and a glass full of gravy, so when you let your stomach just flop onto your lap it’s impossible not to droop your eyelids and smile a nice and slow open mouthed smile.

3. Taking your shoes and socks off after a long day at work. Hey, we’ve talked about this one before, but it’s hard to beat the feeling of your leg hairs straightening out and blood recirculating in your calves after a sweaty day at the office.

tighten that corset2.Untying your corset in your dim, candle lit castle tower. Such sweet relief from a long day of washing your hair in the courtyard well, attending a stuffy dinner with the King, and sitting through hours of poetry with the troubadours in the town square.

1. Cracking open your ski boots after a day at the slopes and walking around in sock feet. All the bumps and blisters on your feet finally relax and dentisify by the chalet fire after being squeezed together all day.

If you’re still reading then you know all of these pleasures make life so juicy and delicious. So if you’re nodding along and loving these buzzes then you deserve big ups for enjoying tiny moments of pure bliss wedged tightly in the middle of your busy and stressful day.

So today we give you a recognition you truly deserve.

Congratulations on stopping to smell the

AWESOME!

take off that boot

Photos from: here, here, here, and here

#735 Doing the moonwalk in your socks

I'll think of you whenever I sweat on the dance floorBetween clanging gongs at the beginning of Beat It my fellow six-year-old cousins and I would strike star poses, fling our hats, and blast fist-pumps to the sky. As the bass kicked in and the songs cranked up, we’d grab our crotches and form sweaty circles around each other for blazing solo dances, rocking out to Thriller and Billie Jean under flickering fluorescent lights in the hot basement. Energy buzzed through our veins as we closed our eyes, spun in circles, and danced loud and long into the night.

We’ll miss you, Michael. Thank you for showing us the power of passion. Thank you for being

AWESOME!

Photo from: here

#736 The smell of Play-Doh

Salty, sweet and a little bit oilySniff up some fumes and get ready for a brain cell party.

Yes, those sleeping memories from long ago will wake up and bounce and crash around your head as you close your eyes and let that salty-sweetness take you back to Kindergarten.

Pop open the memoriesFade to black and remember slightly greasy hands with bits in the fingernails, remember mixing all the colors together until they turned purple-brown, remember rolling out lots of cold lopsided worms, and remember the taste-test incident that resulted in a mouth full of salty chalk.

People, now there’s even a cologne to capture that smell for the ladies, so feel free to get your nostalgia on strong and spray down, my friends.

Yes, that smell of Play Doh takes us way back to the old school. If you’re sniffing up what we’re putting down, then you’re an old fool, who’s so cool. If you wanna get back, let us show you the way.

Whoomp, there it is.

Lemme hear you say.

AWESOME!

Smells like nostalgiaPhotos from: here , here, and here

#737 Catching somebody singing in their car and sharing a laugh with them

Blast it outIt’s late, it’s quiet, and you’re stuck at a red light.

Casually, you glance to your left and notice a muted explosion of furious head bopping, furrowed eyebrows, and silent wailing inside, as the driver rocks out alone and in the zone.

Blast it to the top of the chartsAnd there’s just something worth smiling about when you observe that passionate display of pure private pleasure only a few feet away. Suddenly you’re the producer in the booth watching your struggling artist hit the high notes in their tight sound chamber on wheels. Yes, they’ve struggled for years to get clean and make it in from the streets, but now you’re smelling a hit …

… and a future.

So maybe you bop along for a few beats, catch the same song on your radio, or lock eyes with them for a second and share a warm and heartfelt laugh. Maybe you feel a tiny flip in your heart as you connect with a total stranger for a few fleeting seconds. And maybe it makes you a tiny bit happier and maybe you smile a tiny bit more.

I say today we salute all the highways rockers of the world. Thanks for brightening our day and making us laugh at the reds. Rock on and keeping belting them out, because you make the world shine brighter and make our long drives home a lot more

AWESOME!

Booming those beats while cruising those streetsPhotos from: here, here, and here