12 (Free) Things

I did an image search for facebook scrabble and this came up
let's go with it--makes things more intense

Last time I tried to make a list of the 12 things I'm loving right now, I only managed to come up with 10, and listed my bicycle twice (I really like my bike!).  This time, the challenge is to list 12 things that are not only awesome, but are also free.


1. Facebook Scrabble!  Apologies to my scrabble partners, I've been a bit slow lately, but that doesn't mean I don't love you!  What I love about facebook scrabble is that it's fun, interactive (you can catch up with friends while playing), and it's not a total time suck.  If I was into castle quest or one of those other games, I would never stop playing.  With scrabble, you have to stop, because it stops being your turn.  I've got a good collection of facebook friends that I play scrabble with, some of whom I haven't actually seen or talked to in years!

2. Pizza!  I realize that usually pizza is something you have to pay for, so let me explain.  There is a local pizza place around the corner from my house that BF and I order from pretty frequently.  I recently got on their email list, and it turns out that they love to give away free pizza all the time!  This fall, every time Brown University beat whoever they were playing in football, this place gave away a free pizza.  Apparently Brown is good at football, cause I got a free pizza every Sunday for six weeks.  Yesterday, they sent out an email saying free medium pizza!  So I got one, and will each it for lunch, possibly dinner.  Someone else gave me the tip that if you 'like' Dominos on facebook, you can get free pizza that way, but so far, it hasn't panned out.

3. Decluttering.  I just dropped off three pairs of boots at the thrift store.  I hadn't worn any of them in at least two years, and one pair I only wore once because they're actually too small (did I think my feet would shrink?  Why did I buy them?). Since getting rid of those albatrosses, my shoe rack has enough room for all of my shoes!  Also, at work, the ladies who were there before me had legitimate hoarding tendencies.  In the past week, I've cleaned out the hanging files (printouts from 2002! Why!?!?), organized the bulletin board and started a massive weeding project (getting rid of old books).  It's starting to look a lot better in my beautiful library, and now we can find the things we actually need.

4. The clothes I already own.  Yes, there was an initial cost to these, but once I own them, they're free.  I'm still really trying to push myself in terms of trying new things with my old clothes (with the help of fashion blogs like What I Wore and Thankfifi)

5. My Kitty.  Wee Watson and I have been together for nine years, and I'm fairly convinced that I love him more than I could ever love a human child.  He was completely free (born in a barn), and as far as pets go, is quite inexpensive.  He doesn't like treats or fancy toys, just dry kibble (the cheapest brand) , boxes to sit in occasionally, and a good wrestling match/chase fight every once in a while.  He also keeps my feet warm.

Watson as toe-warmer

6. Sparkpeople.  Sparkpeople is a free (ad-supported) nutrition tracker that I've been using for about a year.  At first I was annoyed with having to log in everything I ate/drank, but now I love it!  I signed up initially to track calories consumed versus calories expended, but now I just kind of love keeping track of my nutrition and trying to have as balanced a diet as I can.  Plus, it gives me points and virtual trophies, which is lame, but makes me strangely happy.

7. My profession.  Despite my occasional annoyances with weirdo librarians, bureaucracy and the American Library Association, I really do love my profession.  I get to spend my day helping people, and that's it.  I don't have to sell anyone anything, I'm not under pressure to raise sales or meet arbitrary goals.  If you come into my library, you can stay there all day and not spend a dime (except for printing costs and late fees), and you can learn about practically anything you want.  I get to go home at the end of the day and feel good about what I've done, and that's pretty awesome.  Plus, they pay me!

8. My Couch.  When I moved to Providence, I only took what fit in my car, so I needed to get some cheap furniture right away.  Thankfully, my landlady at the time had a boyfriend with a house full of furniture (long story).  He gave me this awesome seafoam green sectional couch circa 1975, and I have loved it ever since.

Watson likes it too.  He also loves music.

It's getting a little beat up, but should last until I can afford a real grown-up couch, or I move again and leave everything behind (no idea if that will ever happen, but I am always up for an adventure).

9. Mild winter.  It was 51 degrees yesterday, people.  That is unreal.  I went for a long run in the morning (and injured myself), and it was the perfect temperature.  We're saved countless dollars on the cost of heating oil, and I love it!

10. Awesome friends.  I really have some awesome friends--that's awesome.

11. Not being in grad school anymore.  At first, when graduation was looming, I was terrified of being out in the real world--paying taxes, navigating all sorts of paperwork, being responsible...  Now I love it!  It's not scary at all, and I'm allowed to do extravagant things like have hobbies and go out for lunch!  It's amazing, and much, much cheaper!

12. Shirley's Lost and Found box.  Part of my regular running route is on a 1.5 mile path that runs along the edge of town. This path is frequented by runners, walkers, mommies and people just out for a leisurely stroll.  It's awesome because there are so many people, you frequently get head nods and smiles and in the fall, the foliage is really top-drawer.  Because it's so well-used, someone named Shirley mounted a Lost & Found box to one of the benches.

I opened the box one day, and it's jammed with all kinds of things, including thank you notes to people who have found lost items.  I love the spirit of camaraderie and helpfulness!