ten things i can't live without

at my office they've been selecting one employee a month to interview and post the ten things they can't live without so naturally i started to think of what i might say if they every picked me (pick me, choose me, love me!). here's what i came up with (in no particular order):

1. music: for some reason at some point i stopped listening to music as much as i used to, didn't by any cds or go to shows for over 2 years... but recently i discovered pandora and have re-awakened to all sorts of stuff i hadn't paid attention to in a while and began to hear amazing artists/songs i would never know how to find on my own. i feel like a part of me has been restored.
2. gmail: i'm on it all day long, it's my main means of communication and i just realized i could change the background so it reflects the weather outside, which is so cool.
3. my new yoga pants: i don't even *do* yoga and they're so comfortable that i want to wear them all the time.
4. dancing: as those who know me well are aware, i am never afraid to act the fool when i'm feeling the groove. i think dancing is sometimes better than therapy.
5. hugs and foot massages (okay that's two, but there's a reason they go together): having recently found a group of friends that is heavy on the touchy feely, it's amazing to realize how long i went without daily hugs (and how much that sucked!). plus it's certainly nothing to scoff at when one of said friends is a trained massage therapist and generous with those skills.
6. cheese: i had cheese for dinner last night... morbier, manchego, buche de chevre, gouda, you name it i love it... with bread, with jam, all alone with a little glass of red wine... i'm getting hungry just thinking about it!
7. public radio: my current pittsburgh stations are WDUQ and WYEP depending on whether i want an npr heavy broadcast or the morning traffic jam.
8. public transit: i've been lazy lately, driving to work more than i should for obvious reasons but also because i just *love* the bus... love reading, snoozing, people watching, or just zoning out to transition from home to work or vice versa. not to mention the great bus ride i had recently with friends heading to the southside to watch the super bowl!
9. my new roommate: she was the catalyst for some major healing i've done over the past few months, and i am extremely grateful for her presence in my life.
10. faraway friends and family: even though i've had trouble communicating a lot of what's going on with me lately to people who are not in pittsburgh, i miss them a lot and appreciate their support and interest. i also don't see my utterly adorable nephews nearly enough.

note: i reserve the right to add to this list... but right now i'm tired.