Life's Little Inventions

There are many inventions I appreciate mucho in life: cars, phones, internet, cheap French wine, etc. But being over here definitely makes me appreciate certain seemingly random inventions even more. For instance:

Mashed potatoes: I don't know what it is about them, but they are borderline heroic. So inexpensive (a kilo of potatoes costs less than a euro at the marche), so simple, yet so very wonderful. Warm, filling, comforting. Carby. American. Makes me think of home. Yum.

Webcam: I've never been a webcammer-- mostly just because I've never had one. But with this spiffy new laptop from Jess, that has changed. And I can talk to him AND see him, for free. Added bonus: when Corbu struts by in the background and meows-- yup, I can see and hear all that too. Sometimes it makes me homesick, wishing I were there, but more often than not it just brings a smile to my face.

Fuzzy socks: I don't know what that material is called. You know the stuff-- unbelievably soft, used for baby toys and bathrobes. Brad and Jana got me a pair during a weekend away so my tootsies wouldn't freeze in France. Boy do I love them-- I wear them damn near every night when I go to bed.

Flickr: Now you can all see my pictures, all the time. Even better, now I can back my pictures up to a website just in case something should happen and my laptop, camera and iPod video all decide to kick the bucket. Whenever I upload new photos, I inevitably go through old ones (either mine or my friends') and reminisce.

Cheddar Cheese: While studying in Le Mans, we found cheddar once. One time, in 6 months. As someone who is very picky about cheese (and cheddar being one of the kinds I actually do like), this was not a good thing. So imagine my utter delight when I walked past a fromagerie inside Les Halles and saw a big neon orange block. "Une tranche, s'il vous plait!" I couldn't say it fast enough. It's almost gone now. Maybe I should've gone for the whole kilo...

Febreeze: Before I left the states I bought a travel-size spray bottle and filled it with some of our Febreeze. "What do you need that for?" the fiance inquired. The question is, what DON'T you need Febreeze for?! Indeed, it has saved me many a time so far. All those nights spent in smoke-filled bars? Febreeze my smelly coat and the evidence is gone (save for my hangover). Expensive loads of laundry? Drastically reduced, just spray on some Febreeze! And who needs deodorant when you've got magic in a bottle (OK, I'm kidding, I still use real deodorant).

Every single day that I am here, I come to appreciate some random object, concept, technology, etc, more than ever. This list is not all-inclusive-- not by a long shot. I'm sure I've left out all sorts of things; for instance, blogs. Yes, blogs are great. Know what else is great? Sleep. Bonne nuit a tous.