Genius Lists

Throughout the day random thoughts come to me. Whether it is in the wee morning hours when I'm barely awake, or when I'm driving to work, barely awake, there are occasional ideas that zip through my head that I could swear were pure genius. This has been happening for years. Unfortunately, many of these ideas and thoughts are forgotten as quickly as they are realized. Until recently.

A few weeks ago while driving to work I had a really funny thought, or at least it left an impression on me that it was funny because I couldn't remember specifically what it was. I tried several times to remember what it was so that I could tell Veep, because I knew she would think it was funny too. So in my frustration to remember what my really funny thought was, I decided to write down a few passing ideas I have had lately. These took the form of two lists, which are in no way complete. They are, however, somewhat telling as to who I am or at least my sense of humor. So here they are. I hope you find them as amusing as I think I thought they were (I can't remember for sure how amusing I really thought they were but oh well).

Things I like

snow

cereal

bicycles

shelves

laptop computers

legos

college basketball

driving video games

skate videos

backpacks

pepperoni pizza

getting comments on my sad little blog

Things I don't like

rain

the expressions "you go girl", "da bomb", "my bad", and "don't go there"

billboards

flies

fannypacks

NBA players

SUVs with shiny chrome wheels that spin backward

tattoos

NPR pledge drives

people who make microwave popcorn at work (especially before lunch)

committee meetings

babies with faux-hawks

people who sign emails with "cheers"

Again, these are partial lists that I plan to add to as the seasonal winds of genius come and go. Stay tuned.

Since moving into our new house, I've spent some time going through boxes of stuff from childhood, college, and med school. It has been fun to look at things I'd forgotten about and be reminded of little gadgets and gizmos that I treasured as a kid. While I can remember many things that I no longer have, it was interesting to see things that somehow made it from Rosewood Court to Hangman lane (our new address--scary I know).

So, in the spirit of things that I treasure, and in the setting of a new house, I thought I'd share the parts of the house that so far speak the most to me. Indulge me if you will.

The first thing I want to mention is that I'm actually writing this post on my laptop while I lounge on my half of the bed with Sal sleeping soundly next to me. What's really cool is that I don't have all the photos that I'm posting on my computer's hard drive, but am accessing them through a wireless hard drive (Time Capsule for all you Mac faithful). So that's the first thing I'm really excited about--a wireless external hard drive that all the computers in the house can access (including the clunky PC in Schmoopie's room).

So, in short, this is the first part of the house that I like.

My half of the bed is near the door to the deck, as you can see. I've got plenty of room for stuff and can fit my nightstand next to the bed. This was not the case in our rental house where I was wedged into the corner of the room next to a louvered closet door with no room for a lamp or clock radio let alone a night stand.

The next thing that I'm enjoying is my own closet. Not much to say about this except that I can put whatever I want in it, including ski boots.

Another part of the house that I'm starting to enjoy is the basement. Though it is unfinished, it is heated and cooled so it is usable space, perfect for an exercise room. I just recently set up our old TV and got a cheap DVD player so that I can watch training videos (for biking) and Veep can watch whatever while we pedal.

Along those same lines, I have quickly come to appreciate the garage. This is something I knew I'd like, especially during this past winter. It is great having room for both of our cars plus plenty of room for camping stuff, skis, and bicycles. Oh yeah, and garden tools somewhere.

So there you have it, some of the treasured highlights of the new house. There are other things I appreciate about the place of course, but these are the things that probably make the most difference in my little world.