Oh Joy!

10 Reasons I Love Lip Balm

10 ~ It's compact and can be carried everywhere.

09 ~ It's relatively inexpensive (depending on your choice of balm)...which means I can have multiple tubes or little containers...all in different places around the house when the need strikes.

08 ~ I can't leave the house without it. An evening out to dinner without it is PURE torture.

07 ~ They come slightly tinted. My favorites are Perfumeria Gal in Red Current and Neutrogena MoistureShine tinted lip balm in Clean.

06 ~ In case of emergency, it can be used a temporary face moisturizer...particularly the clear balms.

05 ~ Like a potato, it's versatile. It can come in a tube, a stick, a pot, or a wand.

04 ~ It makes one appear feminine and kissable in just seconds.

03 ~ It can be found almost everywhere.

02 ~ It fixes all my problems...particularly the slight feeling of dry lips.

01 ~ It's not addicting...I swear.

10 Reasons I Love Bob

10. Nine years ago, he asked me out on a date...even after Jim said I was bossy.

09. Most people complain about their job...they hate their boss, they hate what they do, they're not getting paid enough. Bob works 80-100 hours a week yet he hardly ever complains. He actually loves what he does.

08. Bob lives the baller lifestyle without the baller wallet yet he can be reasonable when reason is needed. That is why we are a good match...I lack reason.

07. Bob is a sophisticated dork. He has taught me to appreciate the finer things in life...like expensive earphones, flash memory, Belgian beer, and the difference between a merlot and a pinot noir.

06. He loves cats. And he's totally straight.

05. He is the disciplinarian of the household. The cats know who's boss.

04. Bob likes Thai food. (Or at least he pretends to so that I'll keep him around.)

03. He knows what's going on in my head before I know it myself. Just a few days before he proposed to me, I saw a picture of a bomb ass engagement ring in a magazine. I dog-earred the page for "future" reference..and hid the magazine at the bottom of the pile so he wouldn't see it and freak out. But, three days later--when he proposed, he gave me the very same ring I had dog-earred in the magazine. AND, he had purchased it three weeks prior...before I even knew it existed!

02. He is very good at random surprises. One morning (after being post-call and working 36 hours), he came home and made me Eggs Benedict before I even woke up.

01. He knows how crazy I can be, yet he wants to marry me anyway.

10 Reasons I Love Potatoes

Every Friday I list 10 Reasons I Love {fill in the blank}. Previously, I have talked about my friends, today I give you...my favorite tuber. So, here are 10 Reasons I Love Potatoes...

10. They're filling. If you're ever hungry, eat a potato. You won't be hungry afterwards.

09. They come in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and flavors. There's really a potato for everyone.

08. Potatoes are a versatile food. They can be baked, fried, mashed, boiled, dehydrated, sauteed & pureed. They can be served cold or hot.

07. They are also versatile for craft projects, such as making a Mr. Potato Head, creating potato stamps & for powering a clock for an elemantary school science project.

06. Potatoes don't like to be ignored. When you forget about them in the cupboard, they try and reach out to you. They grow stalks from their tubers that say, "Don't forget about me! If you do, my stalks will grow so much you can eat me anymore."

05. Potatoes aren't stuck in their ways. They can be savory or sweet...a main course, an appetizer, or a dessert.

04. Potatoes can get you buzzed. You can use them to make wine or a light Vodka. It takes about a year before you can drink the potato alcohol, but it can be done. Here's the recipe.

03. Potatoes are cheap. If you're broke or would rather spend your paycheck on shoes than food, a potato is an inexpensive meal choice.

02. Potatoes can also be used as a method of self-defense. How? I don't know. But I couldn't think of anything else for #2.

01. Potatoes make me happy.

10 Reasons I Love Jim

10. I have known Jim since the 5th Grade. We went to elementary school, middle school, and high school together. That's 16 years! Anyone who can be friends with me for that long deserves an award. Or a blog posting in their honor.

09. Jim is honest. When Bob first met me and asked Jim what I was like, he said, "Joy's kind of bossy." The man does tell it like it is.

08. Jim did hold back from telling Bob anything else about me, so luckily Bob still asked me to his prom. (Yes, folks, this was a LONG TIME AGO!)

07. Jim takes one for the team. When we were juniors in high school, Jim, Christine, Jubi, and I did a group video project on the 1950's. I did this scene where I pretended to be a 1950's girl being interviewed by the news..dressed in full 1950's garb..poodle skirt and all. I had this idea that Jim should do a continuation of the same scene, except HE would be the 1950's girl...dressed in the SAME clothing I had worn. Needless to say, he did it--and it was the best part of the entire video. Because of Jim, we really did earn that A-...or was it a B+?

06. He'll always share a Macadamia Nut Brownie Sundae with me from Rose Tattoo. He knows if he doesn't he'll regret it.

05. I can talk to Jim about anything. And he REALLY listens. (I think?)

04. Jim loves ribs, cheesesteaks, mass amounts of Korean food, and mass amounts of BBQ. He is very fun to eat dinner with.

03. Sometimes, he eerily reminds me of Bob. So, sometimes I get them confused.

02. He has already started calling me by the new last name I will have in one year's time. I think he likes calling me by that name because it is also his last name.

01. He is going to be my new cousin-in-law! It's great, but now we can't hook up anymore.

10 Reasons I Love Jenna

10. Boy, can she sell! You think you don't want something or you think something is not worth your time, but Jenna can convince you otherwise.

09. She gives really good back massages. And she gives you a warning when she's almost done, unlike some people.

08. She has funny sayings like calling her cats, "Crittens" or she'll spew off quotes from famous female historians.

07. The other night we were at dinner, and she asked the waitress if the cows that were used to make the hamburgers were "grass-fed" or "grain-fed".

06. Jenna has no body issues and is confident in who she is. When summer comes and most girls get all self-conscious about wearing a bathing suit, she can't wait to pull out her little polka-dotted bikini.

05. Jenna always keeps her word. She got engaged this summer two weeks before me and said, "I'm not even going to start planning a wedding until next year. It'll be at least two years before we get married." I saw Jenna this week and she says, "Guess what?". I responded, "Are you pregnant?" She says, "No...but we're having the wedding next year. Three weeks after yours!" Beth was right. Those brides who say they want to wait, never do.

04. Jenna agreed to be one of my bridesmaids, and I agreed to be one of hers. I guess we like each other enough to do that. Or as she says, she is really using me for my talents and wants to take advantage of what I can contribute to her "team".

03. Jenna lets me hook up with her fiancé. I suppose we'll have to stop once we're all married...but she's totally cool with it for now.

02. She can dance till the cows come home. We could be at a bar or a wedding, and she doesn't care if anyone else is dancing...or if people are staring at her.

01. She is so confident, outgoing, and optimistic that she doesn't let anything get in the way of what she wants to accomplish.

10 Reasons I Love Beth

10. She's a humanitarian and loves animals to no end. She wants two pugs, two rabbits, one cat, and one skunk. That is 3 more pets and 12 more furry feet than she currently has.

09. When I see something I want to buy, but I know I shouldn't (a bag, shoes, or other unnecessary item), she tells me why buying it is the right decision. And when I actually do buy it, I am very happy I did. Distressed brown leather Anthropologie bag is a very good example.

08. She loves Brunch more than I do. Or at least the same as I do. Or almost as much as I do.

07. She frequents her favorites restaurants so regularly that the waitstaff begins to chuckle at her...to themselves...in another language...but nothing will get in the way of her Friday night quesadilla and margarita.

06. She stalks the newstand guy for Lucky every month. Three days after she has read the current issue, you can find her tapping him on the shoulder for next month's issue.

05. She truly looks out for my well-being and encourages me to make new friends in the new city I have recently moved to. She tells me I will make new friends if I start a club, but I fear no one will ever join.

04. She is the only person who would join my Magazine Club (instead of a Book Club) if I ever started one. She is the only person who understands how much magazines excite me and how I would much rather read a magazine than a book.

03. In my moments of craziness, she reminds me why being crazy is normal. Or at least why it's acceptable. Or why people will tolerate it.

02. She really is the most thoughtful person you'll ever meet. She never forgets birthdays and sends cards for everything. I have gotten cards from her (in the mail...which is the BEST) for...getting engaged, moving into a new apartment, getting a raise at work, getting laid off at work, and for a million other random but great reasons!

01. She has perseverance. She convinced me to start this blog...it took her a really long time, but she did it.

(More "Reasons I Love {fill in the blank}" soon...YOU just might be next...)