N is for Nej

Sass over at Are you Sassified? put forth a challenge. And you all know me, I can't resist a challenge.

Unless that challenge is say..... scuba diving. Claustrophobia and the fear of deep water are not positive prerequisites for scuba diving.

Actually I took a scuba lesson once, in a pool...so I guess I did even tackle THAT challenge. The results of the day were less than wonderful. Swimming around in a pool, with a heavy tank on your back, breathing under water (which is just freaky - yes, I said freaky, welcome back to 1985!)....all the while watching your mask fill with water. It was just the act of watching it slowly fill up....it scrambled my brain. Ugh!!!

Well, that was quite the tangent, eh? Back to the post.

Sass issued an alphabet challenge. She sent me a letter of the alphabet, and I have to think of 10 things starting with that letter. Oh - not just ten random things though.....oh no, that would be too easy. I need to list 10 things that I love. 10 things that make my heart go pitter patter. 10 things that...well, you get the idea.

So, here goes.....(in no particular order)...

#1 Netflix. Yep, movie rentals with no pressure to return them when "the man" says you must. I can hold onto that copy of Airplane as long as my little heart wishes. And, when I do decide to return it, I need only walk to my mailbox. No getting into my car and driving somewhere to return it. Netflix is better for the environment...."Netflix, Go Green, Movie Style." (You can't steal that. The marketing genius you just saw there belongs to me. Back off!!!)

#2 Nine O'clock. That's about the time my (boring) butt starts heading for bed. Usually to read a couple chapters of the book I'm reading, or sometimes I really stir things up and just turn off the light and go to sleep. I'm a mad woman, watch out!!!!!! She's cccrrraaazzzyyy!!!!

#3 Newfoundland. Actually, Newfoundlands. I'm talking about the dogs here folks. Those huge, black canine teddy bears. Every time I see the commercial where the rescue dog jumps out of the helicopter to make that deep sea rescue, I have to cheer him (or her) on. What the heck was that commercial selling anyway, I can never remember. Energizer batteries maybe?

#4 Nala. My cat. Actually she is Mot's cat. She hates me. When she was a kitten, she bit my eyelid. Not a pleasant experience. On a good note, she seems to be hating me less and less these days. In fact, she's sitting next to me on the couch while I type this. Because of this, I feel obligated to put her on the list. (Also, the letter N is proving more difficult than I originally thought.)

#5 Nachos. Meat, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and maybe some beans. The more the plate actually looks like a heart attack, the better. Not only are they a salty snacker's heaven on earth, they are also a game. Nothing like the challenge of eating nachos!! Challenge you ask? Come on, you know what I mean. All the toppings are on the top 10% of chips. You have to play Jenga to get down to the bottom chips, without disturbing all the goodness on top. You have to make sure the chip-to-topping ratio stays even and fair. The best part - that one chip. The one that is so soggy with cheese and sour cream you have to bring in utensil backup.

#6 Nickels. They are a very overlooked and under appreciated form of currency. I managed a grocery store for 8 years (through high school and college), and there was this awesome old dude who would come into the store once or twice a week. He loved getting nickels back as change. No, he wasn't obsessive about it, it just brought a smile to his face. One day I asked him why. He said everybody collects pennies. You'd be hard pressed to find a house without a change jar filled with 'em. He, on the other hand, decided in his younger years to collect nickels. He assured me he had a jar of pennies collecting on his dresser as well....but he said you can collect 5x the money, in less space if you don't spend your nickels.

#7 Napkins. Eat a plate of buffalo wings, and tell me you don't admire the napkin. Eat spaghetti on a first date, and tell me the napkin isn't the best invention ever!!!

#8 Nieces and Nephews. My sister has two beautiful children, Brandon (Bug) and Lauren (Peanut). They are, quite possibly, the cutest and bestest kids ever, on the whole planet!!! (I might be a bit biased, but I think that's my job as an aunt.) Overall, the whole idea of nieces and nephews was a good one. We can spoil them to death, feed them sugar, and then return them to their parents when the noise level gets annoying. It's like having grand kids that you can spoil, only you don't have to have children of your own, and wait until you're 50 to get them. :-)

#9 NCIS. The TV show. It's not my favorite show, but I do enjoy it. I had to list it though, because it's the only TV I watch that starts with the letter N. How is that possible??? (And Abby rocks!!)

#10 Naked. I can only come up with a few examples of when naked it a bad thing. a) In your dreams - it's never a good thing. Usually involves work or school. b) Seeing naked you wished you hadn't seen. I took a water aerobics class for a couple of months, a few years ago. 90% of the women in the class were over the age of 70, and they were not shy in the locker room.

But, the list of good examples of naked are too many to type. Plus, it's just a fun word to say...naked, naked, naked.

So, there you have it. 10 things starting with the letter N. Thanks Sass!!!!!!!!!! :-) If anyone wants to make their own list, let me know, and I'll send you a letter.