being told that I'm beautiful ... babies smiling at me in recognition and tumbling straight into my arms for a bear hug ... a juicy, melt-in-your-mouth piece of medium-rare steak with cocktail-y steak sauce ... a well-plotted and dastardly, but hilarious plan of action ... the jump in your stomach from one well-connected glance that seems to last forever ... a cheesy postcard from a cheesy place ... having so many things that I want to do with my life and being excited to start some, nay all, of them ...

thunder that cracks so loudly and violently that you startle wide-eyed like a baby, then giggle shakily at yourself for being so scared ... lightning that flashes across the sky in jagged configurations that make you wonder where it's going ... the smell of rain ... meeting a challenge and having one of your own offered challenges be met ... the moment when a baby's curious stare changes into a charming and selfless grin of acknowledgement ...

the most pleasant of surprises ... being forgiven ... a perfect sunny and warm day with just the slightest (or not so slightest) breeze in the air ... the smell of sunscreen that reminds me of the pool and summer ... hotdogs ... baseball games ... sleepy babies that snuggle droopily against my shoulder ... milkshakes ... quality time with especial friends ... finding common ground with complete strangers ... NHF Praise Team ... a perfectly-timed hand on the knee ...

the New York Yankees ...

strolling the streets of Manhattan on a warm but breezy evening with a best friend ... a really tasty meal that's worth the cost ... serious conversation followed by honest laughter ... realizing that someone loves you more than you think they do ... leaving the bed to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, only to return to sink into blankets that are still warm and snuggly ... slightly sludgy coffee ... watching the best-laid plans go horribly awry in the funniest way possible ... rehashing an old joke again and again and again and giggling every time ...

macaroni and cheese ... trusted guy friends who will love you and embrace you without judgment, no matter what, and who will kick you in the butt to make you feel better about yourself ... that particular formula-and-baby-powder baby smell ... the way that babies nuzzle you in the neck when they are tired, and how their little hands fist into your sweater when they want to static cling, and how they lean their foreheads against your chin as they peer over their shoulders at what is out there in the big world ... lukewarm water ... the top of Cadillac Mountain in Maine after a four-hour hike ...

the warm inside of a car when it's pitter-pattering rain outside ... split pea soup with pieces of ham floating inside ... Manhattan ... a clear-but-smoky singing voice that reaches to the heavens and makes your guts tremble ... coming out of a great music concert half-deaf from the overpowering speaker system ... thinking up tricky tricks to play on your most easy-going and quick-to-laugh friends ... Scrabble ... learning something new and unexpected about someone ...

... soft -- not rough -- and vibrantly-colored flannel pajamas that are just a bit too long, and a heavy down comforter to get lost in when i'm feeling under the weather ... an afternoon lost (not "wasted") in front of it's-so-bad-it's-good television ... completing several demanding obligations, coming home, washing up, changing into more comfortable clothes, and just sitting down to breathe ...

In the grand tradition of Margaret Cho and The Unlimited Mood, I humbly present to you what I love -- an ever-changing, ever-evolving list of things, people, places, events, views, experiences that bring joy and foot-stomping rabble-rousing music to my inner heart ... check back often, faithful readers, for you never know what crazy, cheesy, heart-warming, unexpected addition will appear next ...