Our favorite things

Let me tell you about some of our favorite things of late.
1) The half mile wooded stretch on Vermont street near our neighborhood. You see, Amos-dog is cherished. Brad and I just adore our little "pup pup". Most of the time we agree that Amos was the best addition to our marriage. Yes, often, we will agree, too, that Amos is killing our relationship. How does that happen? This happened recently when Amos jumped on the forbidden place, our bed. I let him stay there because I was wanting Brad to pay me some attention and then what do you know....Amos squatted and let the flood gates open. This was not a good night.
But at least twice daily Amos gets a walk. Our favorite route winds through the classic homes of Brookhaven. Most of the walk is shaded by the large Oak trees and other varieties that I can't say but that Brad can tell me all about. We all love when we come to the the little wooded area off Vermont. We illegally let Amos off the leash and he hops through the monkey grass chasing butterflies and anything else that flies. This is a Bagwell favorite place. Brad and I follow Amos pretending for a brief moment that we live near the woods and we venture to get lost in them as often as we can. Something about the outdoors for the three of us. It just does it!

2) Dinner with mama or anyone else that should care to cook for us. One negative implication of a career based out of the home is that after the work day - I don't want to be home. Much less, I don't want to cook or clean or do anything that I should enjoy. But we also get pretty tired of eating out. We have a few staple eateries that we seem to frequent. There is also a hidden goal to try to eat at these fine establishments for less than $14. This is near impossible but it is a fun game. So anytime mama or anyone else's mama wants to cook...even if it is a grilled cheese sandwich - we are thrilled! We'll drive the 40 miles round trip just to sit at a table (that's the other thing....we don't really have a table) and enjoy a healthy, delicious home cooked meal. It is delicious just by the fact that I didn't have to think, prepare, plan or cook it. I do love to cook so don't feel too bad for Mr. Brad or our marriage. I just don't look forward to it after being home all day and not seeing the outside world.

3) Brewster's at night after the walk through the wooded stretch. We used to walk just to walk....you know, to get the heart rate pumping a little after dinner only to come home and feel light and free. Then we discovered a secret. It's actually not that much of a secret as every dog in a 2 mile radius seems to know about this trick. If you take your dog to Brewsters they will give the dog companion the cutest little "doggie cup" of ice cream with a dog bone on top. Amos knows by instinct if we do not turn right at the first street that we are headed to the ice-cream haven and he automatically starts skipping. I don't mind telling you, too, that he is surely the center of attention at the ice cream parlor. He sits and waits patiently while other ice cream lovers admire his cuteness, knowing he is about to devour some creamed ice and a little cookie bone! He dances and twirls the whole way home all fat and happy. Unfortunately, this little habit of ours sort of takes away from the "exercise" aspect of our nightly walks. Oh well, life is short.

4) Thunderstorms and heat lightening at night.

5) The anticipation of the fall season. This favorite has nothing to do with the obnoxious heat of the summer that we are experiencing currently and everything to do with fried chicken and the windows open in our condo and tailgating with family and rowdy friends and pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks and slightly chilly nights and the joy in recalling a splendid wedding that took place last fall. Brad and I both love change. He deals with it much better than I do but it is a fact about us ..... we like change. Yes, mama, I may not embrace it but I like it and Brad is teaching me how to actually wrap my arms around it. So what a better way to enjoy change then to literally watch the Beauty of the world around us change from bright and brilliant to confident and bold the way it seems to happen in the fall. Much of our conversation on our nightly walks seem to surround the nearing fall season and all the smells and memories that follow....

6) So You Think You Can Dance. No explanation. We have every episode saved on our Tivo and I have threatened Brad with divorce if one is erased. Secretly, he loves them too. After an episode we try our latest favorite move in the empty space in our bedroom. I am not kidding. Don't let Brad tell you otherwise. We LOVE it. I am going to be Chelsie Hightower for Halloween and Brad is going to be Twitch. Enough said.

And.....things we don't like:
1) Finding a job.

Off to continue with the one thing that seems to suck the life out of me but hopefully tonight there will be a thunderstorm right before our walk through the woods on the way to Brewsters as we discuss the nearing fall season and the latest couple kicked off of SYTYCD.