New things I'm enjoying in my life

1. A haircut
Really, it is my typical haircut, but I felt like my hair was so much longer than usual. My hair stylist was a little upset I wanted it short, but it cuts the drying time in half. It also marked a milestone for me in my adult life: The same person cut it three times in a row. Usually, I change stylists at every cut.

2. A fan

I have some sleep issues that I have mostly worked out by creating an ideal sleeping environment (and with medication). One of the things that I need in order to sleep is a fan. It's not for the cool air, just the white noise it produces. I always know when the power goes out because I wake up when the fan cuts off. Two weeks ago, my three-year-old fan finally bit the dust even after I took it apart and coated it in WD-40. My dehumidifier substituted for a while, but it was not a long-term solution. So this new sleek fan is making me pretty happy.


3. Holiday drinks at Starbucks

I don't drink caffeine (see above, I have sleep issues). But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy coffee drinks. I have to drive to get to a Starbucks, so I don't go very often. However, the peppermint mocha in November and December is my weakness. I look forward to it all year and had my first one of the season on Saturday.


4. An apron

Because until six months ago I didn't consider myself someone who cooks, I didn't see a reason to have an apron. And then I kind of felt silly buying myself an apron, so I didn't have one. But a couple of weeks ago I came home to a package from my parents that contained an apron. I now feel very official when I cook (or do dishes).

5. An ear warmer
The night before I was leaving to go camping I couldn't find my Eddie Bauer ear headband (is that what they're called?), which I've had since high school. The forecast for camping was for temperatures at least at freezing, if not below. I will on occasion wear a baseball hat, but I don't wear winter hats. So at lunch the next day I found myself downtown looking for an ear warmer. There are several vendors downtown selling a variety of items depending on the season and that is where I found my ear warmer. I have never seen a knitted headband like this, but it kept me warm and looks a bit cuter than my teal Eddie Bauer headband.


6. A new work computer
I realized this week I was losing hours of time waiting on my slow computer to load simple things. But it is one of those things I thought was normal because as a Mac user, I've never seen a fast PC. I finally cried out for help (i.e. sent an email) and was given a new, super-fast computer and suddenly saw how much better things could be!