Things That Are Awesome

A while back, I posted about Awesome People, so it's only right that I talk about awesome things as well.  There are lots of really cool things in our lives, but only a few truly awesome things.  These things go above and beyond the normal stuff, to give something to our lives that is just awesome.  Things like:

The Air Conditioner

I already mentioned that Willis Haviland Carrier was the inventor of the modern air conditioner, which makes him awesome, but the AC itself is quite amazing.  I live in Alabama, where a large part of the year is not only ridiculously hot, but oppressively, "I'd lay down in the middle of the street and cry if the pavement weren't 500 degrees" humid.  The AC not only makes things cooler, but it also takes out the humidity.  That makes life livable.  It's bad enough that you have to pretty much swim to your car through all the moisture in the air.  If I had to swim around my house too, we'd move.

Publix

Publix is an awesome grocery store that we have only gotten here in Alabama in the past few years.  Why is it more awesome than say, Food World or even Wal-Mart?  Well, for starters, they have crazy sales going on all the time, like, buy one get one free on cereal, which is how I support my Reece's Puffs Cereal habit.  They also have this guy who gives out samples every evening, but these are not normal grocery store samples.  This is an entire mini-meal!  A tiny entree and one or two mini sides!  AND they give you a recipe card for the meal, AND all the ingredients for the meal are right there by the guy in this little refrigerator.  So you can grab everything you need.  And you know the meal is good because you tasted it, and you've got the recipe!  Any place that does my menu planning for me is awesome in my book!

Bees

Not only do bees make honey, one of the greatest condiments on the planet, they make beeswax, they pollinate our plants, and they're super organized about it.  Sure, they have stingers and they kinda freak me out in person, but they're doing a lot of good in the world, is what I'm saying.  I just don't want them doing it near me.

Polarized Sunglasses

I had what I thought were polarized sunglasses for a long time, but apparently they were lying to me.  I bought my first pair of real ones at the beginning of the summer, and WOW!  It's like, the real-life equivalent of rose-colored glasses!  Everything looks more beautiful, sharper, and more defined.  I'll be gushing over a sunset for a long time, only to find out that to everyone else, it's only half as beautiful.  Sad for them.  They are also great because they let you see tint on windshields and stuff, which makes you feel like you have x-ray vision or something, and if you turn your head sideways, the glass gets darker.  This causes some strange moments when I'm standing there staring at something and slowly tilting my head to the side and back up again, but it's totally worth it.

If I ever get my hands on a pair of Costa del Mars, I'm done for!

Chick-fil-a Lemonade

Chick-fil-a is pretty awesome in general.  They have lots of stuff I could have put on the list, but the best by far is their lemonade.  I'm pretty much a lemonade junky anyway, but this stuff is amazing.  I don't understand how theirs can be so much better than mine since there are only three ingredients and since Brian used to work at Chick-fil-a and should know their secret, but it is.  So much better than mine.  I think they put a fourth ingredient in there:  liquid joy.

Rotary Cutters

My recent experiements with quilting have given me a strong appreciation for how awesome a rotary cutter is.  If you don't know what it is, it's like scissors, but in a circle, so I guess more like a razor.  But it's not scary or dangerous really, because they have a handle and a little retractable thing so you can store it safely.  They also have these self-healing mats that you cut on, and they don't leave any grooves or scratches, even though you are cutting on them.  Hmm.....retractable and self-healing?  They are like, the Wolverine of sewing supplies!  Pretty awesome.

Burt's Bees

Don't confuse this with regular bees above.  Burt's Bees is chapstick.  Well, chapstick and now a lot of other things that I don't use, but mainly chapstick.  The best chapstick.  It makes your lips kinda tingly and then not chapped at all, which is definitely the idea.  And unlike some other chapsticks who will remain nameless, it smells great.  I know it's a little thing, chapstick, but it's awesome.

Wax Melters

My friend Mindy gave me a wax melter recently, and I am amazed that I never knew how awesome they were until now.  This is an electric one too, so there's no flame to worry about.  You just turn on the little light bulb inside it, and then you put your little cube or tart of wax on the tray, and it slowly melts the wax and makes you whole house smell awesome!  It's great because unlike buying a candle, which is a commitment to like, twenty hours of smell, you can buy little tarts or cubes for like, two dollars a pack, and change the scent up every day.  I apparently prefer food smells, and right now I have a vanilla wax melting that makes me really want some cookies. 

Ziplocks

Seriously, ziplocks are probably the most awesome thing.  Think of everything you can do with ziplocks.  Store stuff in the refrigerator, sure, but I mean, everything goes in ziplocks.  Got a bunch of pencils/markers/juggling balls that you want to keep together:  gallon size ziplock!  Need to keep a pair of socks dry while your hiking in the rain:  quart sized ziplock!  Need to take some delicious White Cheddar Cheeze-Its to work with you:  snack sized ziplock!  Need to make Shake and Bake:  gallon sized ziplock again! 

(Disclaimer:  I do not actually eat Shake and Bake.)