#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

#738 When you go out for lunch and come back to a way better parking spot

If it's 12, you're already running lateSometimes there isn’t much time for the Lunchtime Scoot.

Whether it’s during lunch period in senior year, between double shifts at the hospital, or wedged amongst meetings at the office, you’ve really got to get your move on and get your groove on if you’re going to fill that belly while the clock’s clicking.

And let’s be honest, there’s a lot of ground to cover. Rounding up the troops, picking a destination, getting to the car and driving somewhere, and then ordering, eating, and paying for the meal, before scooping up the troops again and  zipping back in time. I don’t know about you, but in the office where I work some people are pros at pulling off the Lunchtime Scoot and others are in way over their head.

Of course, the pros got their reputation by following a few basic rules.

Made with TLC at 11:30 in the morningFirst of all, they leave early. “Gotta beat the rush, gotta beat the rush,” they’ll chant, before cramming a carload over to the diner for 11:35 while the grill is still warming up. But hey, no lines, no traffic, and some extra TLC for your pastrami sandwich.

Secondly, they’re big believers in the Pee On Your Own Time (POYOT) Principle. Remember when you were five and your parents made you go to the bathroom before leaving the house? The pros expect you to take care of your bathroom break on your own time, so you don’t delay the Lunchtime Scoot in any way. Observe POYOT to score a repeat invite.

Thirdly, watch what you order. If everybody is getting the buffet, don’t order a baked ziti off the menu that takes forever to arrive. By the time your meal comes, everybody else will be finished and shaking their heads while tapping their watches. No bakes!

And finally, the pros generally take command when it’s time for the bill. They assume the part of Math Guy without hesitation, and sharply point and issue commands at the end of the meal. “Sandy, you had a drink so thirteen dollars, Raj, you upgraded to sweet potato fries so twelve, and everyone else owes ten bucks.” And don’t even try to go to an ATM or pay with a credit card unless you happen to enjoy receiving Extreme Stinkeye.

But the best part about dining with the pros is the classic post-lunch finishing move. Yes, I’m talking about scoring a much sweeter parking spot when you get back. While everybody else is still chowing down, you’re pulling through that puppy and getting ready to sit pretty all afternoon.

Congratulations on scoring The 12 O’Clock Upgrade.

AWESOME!

Booyeah, GrandmaPhotos from: here, here,and here

#739 The sound of barely frozen puddles cracking when you step on them

Crisp breezes chip at your cheeks as you shiver and slide to school. Blades of grass are stiff with frosted dew on their tips, your breath puffs in cold clouds in front of you, and little puddles on the sidewalk get that thin film of ice across the tops, just waiting for you to do what you gotta do.

Yes, when you’re slip-shuffling half asleep, buried under your backpack, there’s just something sweet about stomping those frozen puddles and filling the still and quiet walk with a nice crisp CRACK.

After you do the deed, you trudge on against the biting wind with an extra spring in your step and twinkle in your eye, because came across the frozen puddle first and you busted it up good.

Let’s face it: that crack is so permanent, so satisfying, and so completely

AWESOME!

Crack the pud and smile(Thanks so much for an awesome year, everybody.)

Photo from: here