- James’ obsession with romantic time travel novels
- when friends send their demo songs before others get to hear them
- when my plant rises to former glory after a watering
- fall leaves
- moss growing over tree branches
- when people regularly leave flowers at the site where their loved ones died
- seeing friends’ bands play
- cleaning patio furniture
- when a houseguest uses a space somewhere that no one in our family uses
- when my gynecologist points out my poop on a ultrasound
- homemade breakfast on the porch
- dog walking during Halloween season
- the street lights when the fog fills the air at night
- that the planet came with so many varieties of nuts and flowers
- when your teen randomly texts from school that she's making a playlist that reminds her of me and her dad
- how we always want to move to wherever we visit and then remember how much we love our front and backyard, weather, and our neighbors
- when strangers look at you, but then their face turns sour lol
- the phrase “transgender sex operations on illegal aliens in prison.”
- late night dinners outdoors with friends
- favorite music on a sad day
- paddington's hard stare for when people have forgotten their manners
- when one of my cacti surprises me with a flower
- gardening at night
- birds drying out their wings in the sunlight
- moonlight
- close friends who have done the dance of reciprocity with support, cheerleading, and therapizing for decades
- campaign finance reform
- the bravery of whistleblowers
- already knowing something I wanna see on tv (not having to search)
- looking forward to future plans, like girl trips or vacations
- seeing someone learn to rollerskate and being wobbly and sweetly off-balance
- when there’s no clouds, but for some reason, the sun is soft
- rejecting website cookies
- when RUMI puts his chin on any part of my body and makes little licking noises with his mouth
- movie endings where the main character dies and everyone from their past, including earlier versions of themselves, and dead family members all come.
- life experiments that seem hard at the time but are fond chapters later
- all the spring flowers in bloom
- my dog's face after I remove a thorn from his paw
- the power, bravery, and optimism of anti-war groups, that spring up every generation
- flowers that grow through the sidewalk cracks
- cloudy foggy mornings
- the distant sound of the high school marching band practicing
- james’ all expenses paid book engagements
- wacky tube man inflatable dancing machines for businesses
- when our teen is in a good mood
- narrating what dogs are thinking
- introverted dogs at the dog park
- when I spot the first buds on my trees in springtime
- when my dog sleeps with his darn teddy bear
- bread
- making a mess in hotel rooms in a way I’d never do at home
- old vintage decorative tins
- the magical experience of the city's wild flock of green parrots flying by my upstairs bedroom window
- when a sweet memory just randomly returns --like feeding Rumi frozen cantaloupe in the kitchen when he was a puppy, and listening to his slow gnawing
- old friends who magically turn up right when you need them
- the smell of chimney smoke in the winter
- watching my neighbor’s dog sleep in the sunlight from my bedroom window
- boobs - why are boobs so great?
- our neighborhood friends and community
- cab drivers in foreign countries who listen to American country music
- the bravery of people who speak up for others
- the commeraderie amongst people at protests
- the sisterly love when you stop a woman to whisper her dress is accidentally tucked into her underwear
- when people dance their way to the dance floor
- decorative lights on trees
- my mother's cooking
- stars in our night sky
- ufo testimony
- that we all pull over to help a suffering stranger in an ambulance get through faster
- watching the roller skaters at Venice Beach
- smoking, dancing, drinking at the same time (those were the days)
- when you recommend something you love to a friend and they pull out their phone to jot it down
- the strength and organizing of trade unions
- seeing American Asians finally getting film roles
- how we have to seek out a dozen vegan pastries to take with us on an hour hike
- when traveling and finding your favorite little spot you eat at repeatedly
- when I spend a day “hiking” through shops to look for cute hiking shoes instead of hiking
- rumi searching for cats and enjoying the breeze on the porch while I sit nearby reading
- when my father would surprise me with a story I didn’t know
- the stoic faces of security guards next to the stage at concerts (or when you catch them getting into it)
- watching joy on H’s face dancing with her friends and her not knowing
- a surprise street fair
- the sound of a duck quack
- art cars —even if they’re lame
- a secret smile on an older woman’s face
- aging out of hyper-culture
- those tyrannosaurus rex costumes
- when rumi poops right next to a trash can
- the magic of a fruit bearing tree
- moonlight through the bathroom window when I’m peeing in the middle of the night
- airport support dogs walking around to calm and bring joy (and pigs)
- hugging my ex, now friend, the day before he's about to have his first baby
- Robert Smith endlessly
- how my partner's body fits perfectly outside of mine when we snuggle
- seeing my friend Nyles play in a band with his son --full circle
- stop and chats in the neighborhood with other dog walkers
- when I hear my mom in my sneeze
- listening to Magnetic Fields while cleaning the house and remembering the fun decade in the bay area indie-rock scene (friends' bands, late nights, cigarettes, warehouse parties, my club, and dancing) I love having those different times captured so strongly in music. I can go back whenever I want.
- body temperature weather at sunset
- walking around a flea market
- when people hide likes on instagram but just on photos no one liked lol
- deep sea diving videos of insanely magical creatures
- watching what rumi chooses to eat first from his daily snack plate
- the adaptability of three legged dogs
- that extreme wealth and fame can bring their own unique form of demise
- when a co-parenting talk immediately yields results
- dogs hanging out a car window, esp when you pull up next to them
- that when I buy treats with peanut butter in them, H & J won't eat them because they hate peanut butter so the treats are always there for me!
- my warm water bidet
- how this teen still opens the door to hug me if I say goodnight while she’s in the bathroom
- giving rumi bad mom haircuts where I accidentally create a few bald spots
- our neighborhood filled with the high school track team, jogging all around the streets after school
- muscular kangaroos
- the most favorite thing a young girl has ever said to me: “there’s no way poop could be fancy, even if there’s glitter on it.”
- girl talks in bed with Hollis
- storefronts or signs that have remnants from the 70s or 80s
- dogs with jobs
- the in-between days when I don't have to wash my hair
- seeing a great new band in a small venue with no following (it feels like your secret)
- the sound of teen kids laughing during H’s slumber party
- new cleaning tools!
- people who are outrageously nice at their jobs for no reason at all (desk check in, parking attendant, etc)
- unpacking - so much easier
- magic erase pads
- restaurants with big cozy booths
- how the spectrum of queer elevates humanity simply through their affirmation to exist
- someone’s lost balloons floating through the sky
- buying a dress that I wear out of the store - esp while traveling and finding a light dress in hot weather and trading out what I’m wearing
- gender fluidity
- abortion rights
- an Indian veg thali or an ethiopian veggie combo
- falling asleep to cool fresh air through an open window
- stray dogs who accidentally run marathons
- optical illusions
- surprise emotional giveaways on shows
- walking around new or foreign cities
- music documentaries or biopics
- discovery of a perfect smoothie
- finding ways to tell H. how wonderful she is or how much I like her as a person outside of being a stepparent
- symmetry in flowers
- trying on glasses and hats
- rabbit agility youtube videos (kaninhop)
- black hole recordings from NASA
- the skip in Rumi’s step when he finds a good stick
- the phrase: “poor pussy management”
- my beautiful tailor from Guatemala I’ve been going to for years
- when I find something I’ve lost, esp when I go back and look for it and find it in the street
- frozen blueberries
- things I can't have: wine, garlic, and tomato sauce
- the last bite of an ice cream cone
- fortune cookie readings
- warm hugs goodbye
- surprise friends in town
- latte anything
- really hot showers
- telling James to go stand next to people for height comparison
- being in love
- when I can repurpose something for something else
- when hollis asks us to put her to bed cuz she’s too tired
- the sound of our dog making dreaming noises at night and his little paws moving like he’s running through a field
- youtube battle rap holes with james
- evening dog walks on a warm night
- hearing James and Hollis laughing when he tucks her in for bed every night
- talking to god in my car
- getting refunds for things because of good customer service
- people who don’t bring family business into the street (maurice hines)
- loyal dog stories that break my heart, like a recent hiker found dead after missing for two weeks with his emaciated dog alive by his side
- watching old “public access” YouTube videos with James
- that we're all just here trying to figure things out...with the varying materials we are given
- that there are 5,000 confirmed planets beyond our solar system
- falling asleep with each of us having one hand on each other
- language that conveys sophistication, intelligence, and empathy when discussing complex issues
- discovering a new favorite food
- investigative documentaries
- how he makes me feel beautiful about being five years older than him (he stopped dating a younger actress after our 1st date - on good terms w/her tho). It's hard feeling confident within a greater agenda that sells youth so I appreciate him being anti to all that.
- watching dogs (and rumi) play
- pbs news hour - for perspective and knowledge
- watching rumi discover something he's never seen before, like a crow
- standing at the kitchen counter mid-day and eating a treat (like a cookie, piece of chocolate, etc)
- laying on the sofa and playing brain & word games with James, like old folks
- how when I go to the gym, I look for the closest parking space!?
- when James brings me flowers and Hollis hides and plays a sexy saxophone soundtrack in the background on her phone for it
- little rituals, like dog walking sunday mornings for a bagel and matcha
- the friendships we’ve made in our neighborhood while walking rumi
- the smell of wet asphalt after it rains
- gift certificates of any kind
- when I have an overly emotional freak out response and he still sweetly apologizes and gives me time and space to work through it
- the decades I grew up in
- bird conferences on telephone wires
- the instant returned connection with old friends
- having my hair washed at the salon or when Hollis braids my hair when watching tv
- the karmic law that people will be eaten away at and defined by their anger/hate
- our neighborhood parrot singing italian opera
- when people are driving with trees in the back of their pickup trucks
- when actors give thoughtful speeches
- a surprise cloudy or rainy day in LA
- introducing Hollis to my favorite movies and music and seeing/hearing it again thru her eyes
- when James randomly texts me if I need anything from Ross, cause he's at Ross, and always seems to stop at Ross, and it makes me laugh every time
- when you hear a line from a movie or read it in a book and it just hits your soul perfectly. Recently: "It’s painful wanting something and not wanting it at the same time." - Scenes From a Marriage
- when the printer just works
- when you're at the post office and no one is there but then suddenly all these people are in line behind you
- when I get to add to this list!
- when I am on a dog walk and I come across a yard sale!!
- when I make a banking miscalculation and discover I had more money than I thought
- when a package comes earlier than expected
- the sight of super heroes you pose with for dollars on their lunch breaks eating and smoking (yoga, capt america and superman).
- the sound of crows communicating on the wires above our house
- my dog looking into my eyes
- soul train dancing youtube holes late at night
- when fruits come into season and they're exactly perfect
- when james is wrapped around me on one side and my dog is on the other and they're both doing little twitches while falling asleep on me
- when a restaurant meal is big enough for lunch the next day
- the beautiful geometry and symmetry of snowflakes
- sex and cuddling
- witnessing James and Hollis' mom co-parent together over the past years
- reparations
- when something falls out my mouth and I actually find where it fell
- avocados - can't stop won't stop
- when families become advocates for a particular cause after losing a loved one
- those dancing tube men air monsters flailing about that are promoting a place and have wild flapping arms and take on crazy formations
- little conversations I hear him and Hollis having through the years from another room (esp when she asks questions about his life)
- when james spoons me every night and I can feel him breath in the smell of my neck
- the way the sunlight hits my porch each day (precisely the right amount of light to make it feel like a benevolent being is there)
- hollis's mature sense of humor and how she cracks me up all the time
- starling murmurations
- when people are trying to be discrete with filming or taking a picture but the flash light is on and they get all embarrassed
- when people have very few followers on YouTube or elsewhere but share thoughtful beautiful things
- giant singular ice cubes in fancy drinks
- Yosemite Sam and his cussing bag
- the night I’ve planted new plants and I'm thinking about them out in the yard
- when you give a compliment about the food to a server and they seem really proud of it
- the sound of james in flip-flops
- when one dog gets to be off leash but the other dogs are on leash (he knows he's special)
- when people are using a SUPER cracked glass phones
- fun uber pool rides with strangers
- hollis's hugs and love
- when people are mad at art in modern art museums
- when mission control is relieved and celebrates in NASA-related movies
- when toothpaste lasts the entirety of a trip
- when dogs lay their chin on me while resting
- black folks dancing to 80s music but with hiphop styles
- dogs
- all the mariachi bands that play in my neighborhood every year around graduation
- cacti of every kind
- dioramas
- great poops
- when people can't get the beat right on a clap to music
- the wild highland park parrots
- when my dog seems to be smiling at me
- when an item has like one star or a movie has like 10% tomatoes --so funny
- when tour bus drivers are ready to go home and they drive super fast and the tourists are flying by and trying to take pictures
- when a BIG line forms right after you've ordered!!!!!!
- when you great have sex with a random person in your dream
- the house right after its been cleaned and the chores are done
- when you drive by someone on the freeway and they're smiling, like probably listening to their favorite radio show
- honey
- magic shows
- the first sleep in my bed after returning from a great trip
- seeing tourists at airport wearing all the stuff you see on the streets for sale
- kids who have their own little suitcase when traveling
- when you think you're annoying the cab driver while chatting with your friends but then when you get out he says something super nice and smiles
- seeing big men walking tiny little dogs
- secretly taking cash from Adam's wallet
- when someone makes an incredible documentary about a current problem and it moves you enough to donate money or sign petitions to help (i.e. the cove, virunga, death on a factory farm)
- birds birds birds
- walking with Toki around the silver lake reservoir listening to my special playlist at sunset
- when my dad talks about movies I specifically rent for him but he thinks netflix just sends it randomly (esp when he says he "got a really good one this week")
- 75 degree days
- pulling out my cozy winter jackets and feeling like I'm seeing old friends again
- taking a cozy nap at an unexpected time
- getting things in the mail (not bills, etc)
- the brief pause before the movie starts
- when I get a text from a friend at just the right moment when I needed it and I have a happy cry
- recognizing the smell of a flower or tree when you're walking down the street
- the feeling when you've decided to take a trip somewhere
- when clouds allow you to see the rays of light from the sun
- to go back in time on google maps and see my mom's flowers when she was still alive
- feeling alignment and connection
- the smell of fresh herbs before cooking, esp dill
- when it feels like a specific prayer was answered
- the sound of someone practicing piano
- a good cry
- a surprise summer storm
- the distinct taste of a strawberry
- finding a favorite dress
- big butterflies
- when someone passes me on the street and says hi
- getting something right after a couple failed attempts
- when animals make human expressions
- when a beam of sunlight is visible in a forest through rain
- thinking about my plants after I've planted them
- a great hour of public radio (the moth hour or this american life)
- when you hear those first few notes of your favorite song when seeing a band perform
- putting fresh flowers into a vase
- when a hummingbird looks like it's landed to watch me (and I like to think it is someone I know)
- the first day you head out to explore a new city when traveling
- the perfect flavor of tea or coffee (when it is so absolutely at its best)
- watering a plant after I've first planted it
- when a piece of fruit is at its most perfect ripeness (like you're eating it in its most beautiful prime)
- birds singing when I'm waking in the morning
- streets just after a soft rain
- when girls who have "values" names like faith, hope, charity, patience, etc get into fights
- when mechanical mannequins hold advertising signs on the street and they look like they hate their job
- when all the jasmine blooms in the neighborhood
- the sound of a hard rain and rain storms
- when I say my prayer at night without falling asleep
- hanging just the right thing on my wall
- how my body feels after a hot bath
- the first bite of dessert brought to a table
- snow under a street light
- sunsets that make you tear up
- planning a trip
- the first day you wear a new outfit
- organizing a drawer
- when Adam and I keep our feet touching as we fall asleep
- seeing friends when they're sleeping over eating cereal at our counter when I wake up
- when toki smells like grapes
- making a home, all the little details
- waveless beaches in the caribbean
- seeing a rainbow
- animal videos and pictures
- randomly witnessing kindness
- warm water
- walking the silver lake reservoir with Toki at sunset
- when i have enough coins to go to the coin-star machine
- when people have secret smiles on their faces on the train or walking down the street
- when i think i left and forgot something but then i realize i have it
- making my dad laugh
- the sound of ocean waves
- when a spaghetti jar can be turned into an awesome glass
- when cats make biscuits with their paws
- penguins wearing backpacks to buy fish (ok it's just a YouTube video)
- parades and marches
- when an animal uses a tool, like a stick to pull out ants, etc
- snow on the first day
- the feel of clean sheets
- when people cry from happiness or laughter
- when dogs are seen carrying their own toys or their own leash while out on a walk
- when babies make adult expressions
- seeing homeless folks reading the newspaper or a book
- when people laugh at their own jokes
- duck butts
- folding warm laundry on my lap
- seeing young kids order their meals by themselves
- when birds or dogs tilt their heads at you when trying to understand
- when people save the lives of a small thing, ie, bugs etc
- the 1 minute piece devoted to a nature scene on cbs sunday morning
- when dogs kick and make noises during doggy dreams
- the car right after a car wash
- an intimate dinner with a friend
- the first sip of a warm drink
- paws of any kind
- laughing simultaneously with an audience
- the quietness of a suburban dog walk
- the meditative feeling of doing something with your hands
- a long good conversation in person or on the phone
- goths
- movies and popcorn
- diversity in everything: sexuality, brains, culture, etc...
- lists
- art of every kind
nov 18 2009 ∞
dec 12 2024 +