Pennies I Like

Pb n jelly, meat from the deli;

crunching a leaf, snorkeling a reef;

having hope, using Scope;

big dogs, funny blogs, dropping logs, warthogs, going for jogs, and my mom's clogs which were so bright red the hospital made it a new rule that nurses can't wear such "flashy" shoes.

Lucky Charms, dairy farms;

chocolate bars, seeing stars;

green lights, colorful kites;

the show Hey Dude, any food that's barbecued;

The Wonder Years, laughing till tears, the theme song of Cheers, and carnival mirrors;

Jason Bourne, candy corn, my car's horn, and jeans slightly torn and often worn so they aren't too tight when I eat too much a get a food baby and then have to unbutton them.

Fresh powder, clam chowder;

being right, the book Night;

drinking from hoses, awkward solo poses, stopping to smell roses, and people with funny-shaped noses;

old cartoons, hot air balloons, country tunes, cool sand dunes, ancient ruins, and National Lampoon's because all those movies with Chevy Chase are solid gold.

Finding cash in my pockets, shooting snot rockets;

body surfing waves, exploring bear caves;

tootsie rolls, grassy knolls, styling trolls, deep cereal bowels, pleasant strolls, and Shia Labeouf in Holes although my favorite work of his has to be Even Stevens- loved that kid Beans.

Face dimples, popping pimples;

a wagging tail, a storm with hail;

being in airports, candy of all sorts, building cool forts, and not being preggo but wearing maternity shorts because Nordstroms sells them in the juniors department so it is okay but it was not okay all those times I accidentally browsed the maternity section and was a tiny bit mortified when I realized it.

Cartwheels, kids' squeals;

Jack Bauer, a hot shower, a tall sunflower;

chicken curry, not having to worry or be in a hurry, boots that are furry;

synchronized dances, hypnotized trances, getting second chances and second glances;

Gilmore Girls, wearing pearls, carmel swirls, and flying squirrels- not the animals though, I hear those are quite frightening- but rather the type of pool dive where you grab your ankles mid-air and pray your nose doesn't scrape the bottom of the pool like mine did years ago leaving me with a huge nose scab.

Yodeled songs, zingers and ding dongs;

Jacob Black, the Outback;

the Sandlot, my cat Dot;

Crest whitening strips, crunching Pringles chips;

Thanksgiving turkey, smelly beef jerkey;

muddy runs, witty puns, fresh baked buns, squirt guns, and Sister Act nuns;

jumping on trampolines, teaching awkward teens, eating pork n beans and classic movie scenes like when Lloyd and Harry meet Sea Bass or when Elle shows up at Harvard, "What? Like it's hard?"

Warmth of the sun, nutella on a bun;

a good cry, a book that's Sci-fi;

when people run into screen doors, eating delicious s'mores;

life-long friends, picking split ends;

Honey Smacks, clearance racks, using Macs, peeling backs of others or myself because it is so oddly satisfying to peel off a huge strip of skin burnt by the sun.

Mr. Deeds, sunflower seeds;

watching Glee, having clear pee, the book Little Bee, AFV, an aqua sea, and calling a boy baby "she"- no wait, I actually HATE when that happens- I did it in India once and still cringe thinking about it- who dresses their baby boy in pink?

Corny jokes, ice cold cokes;

cracking my neck, sunning on a deck;

scuba-diving, go-cart driving;

rolling down grassy hills, watching people take spills, awkward moments of Phil's from Modern Family- if you haven't seen this show yet because you're turned off by Al Bundy since you weren't allowed to watch Married with Children, don't worry- he is hilarious.

An African chorus, jokes about Chuck Norris;

buzzer beaters, busting cheaters;

late night snacking, going back packing;

skipping super high, rolling lucky die;

silly faces, running races;

getting fun mail, exploring a new trail, reading a fun tale, being tan and not pale, going to Unique Nail and seeing a breaching whale which I did when my college team went whale watching but the only image I remember is of a lady leaning over the ship, puking her guts out on the school of dolphins swimming next to our boat.

Playing ro sham bo, eating raw cookie dough;

forgiving police, the actress Reese;

a zebra's stripes, the smell of pipes;

When Harry Met Sally, teaching at Valley, seeing underdogs rally, living in Cali and the host Mike O'Malley who hosted the show GUTS and was the inspiration behind the cheer my team used to say before we'd play, "Do do do do you have it? GUTS!"

The Potter books, getting strange looks;

Bass lake, funfetti cake, a thick shake, a juicy steak, and the teacher's lounge at break- mainly on Friday's when someone brings treat- I look forward to this moment all week.

Silent laughs, gangly giraffes;

slurpees, white tees, a cool breeze, no fees, snap peas, climbing trees, making threes, birds in v's, mac n cheese, catching z's, and candy from Sees like the butterscotch lollipops- but all other flavors are borderline nasty.

The Cucumber Larry, Little House on the Prairie, eating Pink Berry and skits with Cheri Oteri;

Pixar flicks, magic tricks, pogosticks, jumping pics, and Blossom and Six among other characters from that era like Screech, Urkle and the Fresh Prince.

Seeing God's hand, watching planes land;

sweatpants, monks' chants;

toe-headed kids, low e-Bay bids;

cartwheels, good deals;

Care Bear stares, funny dares, cheap concert fares, and Gummi Bears- both the candy and show. I caught myself singing "Magic and mystery is part of their history and so is the secret of Gummi Beary juice" a little too loudly while I pumped gas and got a very strange look.

A child's joy, the old slang term "doy";

long eyelashes, surprise birthday bashes;

skipping rocks, automatic locks, nature walks, thick, warm socks, transforming talks, Nike Shocks, Bass Lake docks, and comfy Crocs although I do not like the purple pair my brother wears all the time.

NBC on Thursday nights, looking at bright Christmas lights;

playing the infamous MASH, the song about a diaper rash, the game of Steve Nash, songs of Johnny Cash, and when old ladies talk trash at basketball games- the Westmont coach's mother is infamous for chanting "bad call" till she was blue in the face.

Tyrone Wells, bike cruisers with baskets and bells;

four hour naps, Eminem's raps, huge wall maps, playing the game craps and taking satisfying ones that leave you feeling 10 pounds lighter.

Ray ban sunglass, Globe Trotter trick passes;

Pottery barn dishes, dandelion wishes;

Jimmy Fallon's show, Edgar Allen Poe, The Hills star Lo, beating a foe, hearing Joey say "Whoa", the Simpson character Mo, teeth so white they glow, and Trav's joke about Joe- who? Jo Mama.

Watching college ball, the writings of Paul, crisp air in the fall and heels to make me tall;

the laughter of a kid, eating fried squid;

freshly cut grass, friends with some sass;

eating ham, my amazing fam, teaching at CAM, and the joke about the dam- "What did the fish say when it ran into the wall?"

Bebo Norman, a friendly doorman, and laying on the shore- man, life is pretty sweet and full of "free surprises" and pennies that I will attempt to acknowledge, enjoy and praise God for.