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Some of Gloria's favorite things

By Gloria Diaz

Check out Gloria's Blog — Edge of Gloria!

Fort Wayne Reader

2008-11-25

I’ve been a little introspective lately, and my usual pessimistic self, so I’m going to try and get out of my funk by focusing on things that I like. These aren’t in any particular order (like you care) and they include a wide, strange spectrum, so consider yourself warned.

I like eating out. I dislike cooking, so my big vice is eating out. I eat out entirely too much, and this summer I realized what a slave I am to food that is prepared in restaurants. I was so broke this summer, French fries and a Coke at McDonald’s seemed like an incredibly guilty pleasure. Those two things are only $3.02, but when I had to scrape it together, it seemed like a crime to spend it on food when I needed to put gas in my car. Now, I can afford to eat out again, but it’s dawning on me it’s smarter to buy crab legs at the grocery store for $7.99 a pound, than go to a restaurant and pay $7.50 for a half pound. Yes, I realize crab legs aren’t the cheapest protein around, but damn, they are so good!

My menstrual cycle isn’t exactly pleasant, so I have to take extra precaution during those special few days of the month when the blood flows like the Mighty Mississippi. It means super-size tampons, and pads with the wings. However, the folks at Always finally got it right. They came out with the Always Maxi “overnight extra heavy flow” pad. Now, THIS is a pad! The name pretty much says it all. Super-long, (a stunning 15 inches!) and it has a little extra width to the back, plus the wings. I have to say, since I’ve worn this pad, I’ve not had any leaks. I usually don’t gush (sorry) about products because I am never impressed enough by anything to be excited anymore, but I have to say, this pad is well worth the money. I may send Procter and Gamble, who distributes Always, a thank you card.

I like sleeping late. On my days off, I frequently sleep as late as possible. I’ve had problems sleeping these past few years. I wake up maybe four hours after I go to bed, then if I don’t have to work, I’ll stay up and eat something, read for an hour and a half, then go back to sleep. I don’t have that luxury on the days when I do work, so when I wake up an hour to an hour and a half before I’m supposed to get up, I try and get back to sleep before the anxiety sets in. What am I anxious about? What’s NOT to be anxious about? Financial crisis (personal), financial crisis (national), housing crisis, jobs being sent overseas, health care mess, and an uncertain future.

My down comforter. I bought my first down comforter in the late 1990s, and anticipating a future on the road, I picked up a cheap one at Bailey’s Discount a couple years ago so I could keep one in my truck. Now, I am sleeping in my own bed, but it means that while one comforter is at the cleaners, the other one is at home. I snuggle into it, sometimes feeling that I’m buried alive because the damn thing is so heavy. But it’s a GOOD buried alive feeling, not a bad one.
Reading a good book. Lulling in bed in the mornings on my days off knowing if I want to, I can read for hours. A more delicious feeling is staying up late reading, and being able to sleep late the next day.

Seeing a great movie in the theater. Add a container of salty, buttery popcorn and a large Coke, and I’m happy. The best movie theater popcorn I’ve ever had was at Landmark Theaters in Indianapolis at Fashion Square Mall. It’s genuine Orville Redenbacher’s with real butter. YUM.

My backyard. It’s not fancy, but it’s familiar. My garden was fertile, my grapevine produced again this year, and I made juice. Someday, I’ll make wine. But I say that every year. The only thing that would make my backyard perfect is a swimming pool.
Being able to go to the grocery store and spend more than $25. Buying meat. Buying seafood, if I feel like it.

Traveling makes me happy, and rejuvenates me. I haven’t been able to do any traveling this summer, but I’m hoping that with time, I’ll be able to make short trips again.

There are other things that make me happy. But I’ll save those for a future column.