Things that make me go "WAHOO!"

1. I'm going on--GASP!--vacation!!

I'll be in sunny Palm Springs in one short month for a grand total of six days. Originally I was going to be away on a work trip during this week on the whole other side of the country, where it's cold and people are angsty and clammy and it's not yet summertime. Then I snapped the fuck out of it and realized that I could, instead, get out of the work trip by pawning it off on somebody else for once, and go where there are palm trees and I can be in a swimsuit by a pool with a gorgeous tan and a fabulous book and a couple close friends and cocktails being delivered to me every 28 minutes by a tall bronzed californian man who calls me "miss" (because I insist he does it every time I tip him) and clearly works out.


2. Holly O'Reilly and Rachek Harrington at the Triple Door. It's my mom's birthday on the 20th, and so I'm taking her to the show, where we'll sip cocktails, have a little dessert, hear some great music and enjoy being two happy women out on the town. Also, on April 22nd, Rufus Wainwright is coming, and I have a ticket, though now they're all sold out. Neener neener neener. I win. And I'm really looking forward to seeing him live.

3. Mochi. This shit is... well... the shit. If you haven't had it, it is going to sound incredibly weird, but go with me for a minute: it's a tiny scoop of ice cream wrapped in a thin rice dough and powdered with powdered sugar, then frozen. And it's seriously the best thing ever. Ice cream is hands down my favorite naughty food, but Mochi takes the naughtiness to a whole new level: now I can eat the naughty food with my hands. Tittilating, isn't it? But be warned: because mochi is already weird on its own, do not attempt to eat it in weird flavors. If strawberry and chocolate are the delight equivalent of a really really good sneeze or maybe a surprise party, green tea and peanut butter are like getting sneezed on, or being hit unexpectedly by a party bus. Very, shockingly bad.

4. Bang Bang Shrimp at the Bonefish Grill. I recently discovered they also have these little buggers at other restarunts, in particular Quinn's Steak, Seafood and Raw bar in Miami (though they call these "Bam! Bam! Shrimp", there, which is weird). These crispy little shrimp appetizers are like heaven. The good news, too, is that Bonefish is a chain (an overpriced chain by the same people who do the Outback Steakhouse). But their happy hours are great and these shrimp are worth looking up the nearest Bonefish for.


5. It was 71 degrees our here the other day. I firmly stand by my position that Seattle is simply the most beautiful place in the country, particularly in the spring and summer months. Everywhere you look, there's either bright green trees and grass (thank you, rain) or bright blue ocean and lakes against which the Seattle and Bellevue cityscapes are set like reflective metal mirages. Plus, people here are (prepare yourself for some sweeping generalizations, now) generally healthy, well-educated, and a little mysterious without seeming sociopathic, which, when combined with the trappings of summer (more live music, less clothes, more dogs on leashes, people on boats, barbeques, and outside patios/beaches/parks with many people on them holding coolers/buckets/frosty mugs of beer) is a recipe for four to six months of some of the most incredible joy imaginable for those in the 18-35 age range.

(I exclude those under 18 for legal reasons and those over 35 because I am just arrogant enough to believe I will always be "young" and therefore needn't worry about those in the old, older, and oldest age groups, unless I am helping an old lady across the street because I recently went to church or flipping off a swerving geriatric in a tank-like Buick who shouldn't still have his/her license).

And it's all so close I can almost taste/smell/see/feel it.