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It snowed on my way home, frosting and glazing the streets into a slick of black ice. Just a mile from my house, I saw a man running through the bitter cold with a sturdy German Shepherd by his side. I did a double-take—not at the guy, but at the dog. She looked just like my sweet old girl, Bosco, and she carried a thick, 3 ft. long stick in her mouth. Her tail wagged away the snow. She was jubilant.
“See?” I thought. “That’s great. Now there’s happiness.” In my mind’s eye, I scratched the Bosco look-alike behind the ears and said, “Who’s a good girl? Who’s a good girl!”
So ridiculously great. Ridiculous greatness.
It must be that time again…
~*~
Maura’s (Third) List of Ridiculously Great Things
1. The funny things my kids say now that they watch commercials.
A few days ago, the TV in our family room broke, so GB disconnected the small flat screen in our bedroom and moved it downstairs to watch the Steelers seize the AFC championship. (Woot!) The smaller screen size prompted H to wax pragmatic.
“How much did you pay for that TV?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” GB said. “${X} or something.”
“That’s a shame,” H said. “You should have called Progressive [Auto] Insurance. They would have let you name your price.”
2. One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez
I’ve only just started to read this classic work, but I’m already hooked. The first sentence alone was enough to snag me:
Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win a Pulitzer Prize.
3. A Lego A Day Blog
Honestly? This blog is one of the best things I’ve ever seen. I’m not kidding.
Dan, the blog’s creator, is a 5th grade teacher and gifted photographer with a slight obsession: Every day, he posts a photo of a Lego mini-figure doing some action-packed, usually outdoor activity. I cannot get enough of this site. Here’s a link to one of my recent favorites. Just click—it’s absolutely worth it. But be sure you have some time to spare, because trust me, you’ll want to keep browsing once you get there.
4. Those “easy” loads of laundry.
I’m talking about the all-towel/all-jeans loads, with not a sock or pair of underwear in sight.
5. And speaking of jeans…
By some genius stroke of luck, I pulled a pair of Ann Taylor Loft jeans off the clearance rack and they fit perfectly—my favorite pair of jeans in all of my 36 years. Price? $11. Ridiculous greatness.
6. Le Jolie’s Worldwide Tour via Blurt
Have you ever come across something you wish you’d thought of first? Something, thy name is The Jolie Pez Project. About five months ago, Omawarisan, the hilarious mastermind behind Blurt, purchased an Angelina Jolie action figure from eBay for the express purpose of mailing her around to “save the world” and also visit bloggers he knows. My friend Wendy (from Herding Cats in Hammond River) recently hosted Le Jolie on the Canadian leg of her tour. (Wendy dedicated three whole posts to the visit. Here’s part 1.) Visit The Jolie Pez Project to see what other exotic climes Plastic Ms. Brad Pitt has visited.
7. Lego Ohio Stadium via Paul Janssen
Photo by Paul Janssen
Personally, I’d like to make the case for hosting Le Jolie here in Columbus. THE Ohio State University’s Paul Janssen (associate professor of physiology and cell biology and associate professor in cardiovascular medicine) spent the last two years building an exact replica of Ohio Stadium—out of Legos. (Read ESPN’s post.) I want Le Jolie to stand on the “O” at the 50 yard line. I don’t know Paul Janssen, but why should that stand in the way of making this magic happen? I’ll have Le Jolie’s people call his people.
8. The Decemberists’ new album, The King is Dead
You either love or hate these guys. I fall in the “blushingly adore” camp thanks to their poetic lyrics and smart compositions. Give their first single a try: “Don’t Carry It All”
9. My new laptop
It arrived Monday, and will be imaged and ready for use by the end of today. I haven’t taken it for a test drive yet, but for God’s sake, it has to be better than the piece of crap I’ve been using.
10. Valentine’s Day
For all you lovers out there…our favorite day is just 20 days away. Start writing your sonnets now.
Want more? Read Ridiculously Great List One, and Ridiculously Great List Two.
Have your own list of ridiculously great things? Sound off below. Bloggers love comments, especially me, so gimme the goods.
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