4 Things Making My Life Excellent Right Now

Time for a little Spring/Summer moment of gratitude, I think. The past couple weeks have been fairly stellar - lots of new things happening and I can stand to be outside for longer than 15 minutes at a time. That alone is reason enough to give thanks to the universe.

1. The M15 Bus.
Yes, I realize I've lived in the same apartment, with the same public transportation options, for 2 years. Of course, as I am about to leave said apartment, I discover the true joy of the M15 Select Bus, which runs up First Avenue. Now that it's consistently beautiful outside, I never want to take the subway, which served as a shelter (albeit a dirty one, more often than not reeking of something I couldn't and didn't want to identify) from the cold in the winter.
Anyway, I want to see the trees, sun, and the wonders of the East River on my commute home. Not the dank, barely lit confines of the R train. So, thanks, M15 bus - for at least another week. Then, it's on to the M4.

2. Emily Giffin.
I'm the first to admit that I'm a complete and utter snob when it comes to books. If a book is widely commercially popular (The Kite Runner, Water for Elephants, The DaVinci Code), I will not read it. I'm not proud. It's just the way I am. This sentiment is times two for the shudder-inducing literary genre known as "chick lit." Books like "Sex and the City" and "Bridget Jones's Diary" were awesome and groundbreaking, but spawned a new generation of books that ultimately did a huge disservice to women writers and readers, in my opinion (insert Barnard joke here).
Anyway, my point - all of these sentiments kept me far, far away from Emily Giffin - writer of Something Borrowed, Something Blue, etc. However, people kept recommending them to me, saying the books were actually smart. Yes, they were fun, somewhat superficial reads, but not the kind of disconnected fluff found in typical "chick lit." So, after reading several offerings of straight literary fiction (Swamplandia!, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It), I decided to take the plunge. I wanted something fun, a little mindless, and compulsively readable. Which is exactly what I got. These books have kind of taken over my life. They're like candy. Candy that kept me up until 2 am last night.

3. My Mom.
Because she is a wizard of interior decoration and has helped turn my miniscule new apartment into something not just livable, but adorable. Plus, she's driving all my new furniture to the city and helping me move in. And she just sent me cute shoes in the mail. Thanks, Mom!

4. Memorial Day Weekend.
No explanation needed.

Merci

I stumbled upon this blog last night, and I love the concept.

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The writer comes up with "a thank you note a day." She addresses them to everything from Vicodin to Restaurant Tap Water that's served in a glass bottle. Plus, they're all written by hand and then scanned on to the computer.
I'm not one of those people who is constantly nostalgic and thinks things were so much better back in the day. I was thinking the other day about what it must have been like to have to write papers on typewriters - with no spellcheck, no opportunity to go back and change something, and no saved copy. No, thank you.
However, writing letters is one think I allow a little wistfulness for. I love gmail as much as the next person, but there's something so personal and dignified about a letter or a thank you-note. Don't even get me started on stationary and wax seals (I got sealing wax for my 8th birthday and I thought it was the coolest thing ever...a thought that has stood the test of time).
I wrote Christmas cards this year, and, I won't lie, felt pretty pleased with myself - both for the fact that I wrote them in general and that I managed to mail them before December 23. The fact that I wrote them while listening to the Nutcracker Suite while sitting next to the lit Christmas tree? Just trying to milk the month of December for all it's worth, especially since it has now decided to become apocalyptically cold all of a sudden.
There's more to report, but that's all for today. I think today's thank-you note from me would be:

Dear tiny-yet-effective revolving space heater,

Thank you for all that you do. When I go outside for 5 minutes and feel as if I'll never be warm again, you comfort me and heat my cubicle quickly and effectively. Plus, I'm amazed I haven't scalded my leg on you yet.

All best,
Francesca