So Good it's Bad

Wasn't that an intriguing title? I assume the mind is spinning over what I could be speaking.
Today is Monday, therefore Listicle day at The Good Life.  This week's topic, chosen by the hysterical Jacqui at Chick Tuition is Guilty Pleasures.

I will admit, all week my brain has been simmering. Slowly thinking, pondering, this topic, mainly because I find little guilt in the things I love.
Alas, I arrived at the following list.

Pleasures

(Guilt may or may not be associated)

1. Ice Cream

On the boardwalk, I prefer soft served frozen custard from Kohr's - chocolate vanilla swirl w/chocolate jimmies. (If you aren't from the Philly area- jimmies are what others refer to as "sprinkles" such a girlie word)

At Duffer's challenge, it's the Fluffernutter sundae.

Yes. The whole sundae is mine. No sharing of the peanut butter ice cream, swirls of peanut butter & marshmallow, sprinkled with peanuts and the homemade pizzele on top.

Late night, it's my friends: Ben & Jerry.

Have you met their offspring?

Milk & Cookies and What a Cluster?

(At our local Wawa what a cluster is named Clusterfluff)

I apologize if you read this blog often. This post seems eerily familiar.

Yes. I just wrote about ice cream in the last post.

Can you blame me? It's good!

2. Wawa

There are convenience stores. From what I hear, 7-11 is okay and in Taiwan quite the local hangout*.  Quick Chek is good for coffee in the early morning, while if one goes south of the Mason Dixon into Maryland Royal Farms pop up. I've heard of Cumberland Farms  

There is nothing, however that takes the place of Wawa.

Nothing.

Need a hoagie at 4 am?

Try Wawa.

Milk for your breakfast cereal?

Ben & Jerry's after bedtime for the kiddos?

Sugar cookies that are super soft and sugary?

Soft pretzels? Iced Tea? Mac & cheese? Gatorade? ATM? Gas?

Coffee after Thanksgiving dinner, since the hosts (that would be us) don't drink coffee.

One word:

Wawa.

Mo is three. She knows only a few letters of the alphabet, yet she can read Wawa.
I don't know whether I should be proud or scared?

My friends outside of the Wawa universe. I am so sorry. My heart goes out.

Just ask anyone from the greater Philly area, and they'll let you know, how important Wawa can be.

Information gathered from my brother in law*

3. Pedicures

There was a time where I did not like people touching my feet. As a teen, I scoffed at the idea of a pedicure. Why would I pay someone to touch my feet?

I was so stupid.

Pedicures are pure bliss.

From the hot water bath, to the foot massage, to the attention spent on my feet that usually are so neglected, it's worth every single penny for that forty plus minutes of uninterrupted time.  

A pedicure is complete pleasure, no guilt at all.

4. People dot Com

I place 100% of blame for my interest in those in Hollywood from my mother.

 Growing up, some families had the nightly news on their television, my mom had the tv tuned into Entertainment Tonight. From a steady diet of People and those TV shows, I developed a fascination for this. People dot com somehow seems like the grown up version of those shows.
At times I embarrass myself with the things that have somehow made it into my long term memory.

I can't remember the formula for finding the area of a square but I can rattle off facts about real housewives, the actors in Lost, and the name Tori Spelling used for her third child.*

Hattie Margaret

5. Fluffernutter Sandwiches

A few months ago, I was obsessed with the idea of making homemade whoopie pies. It seemed that every site I visited had a recipe, and the photos looked amazing. I jotted down a recipe and at the grocery store picked up the ingredients, of which Fluff was one. I never got around to making the whoopie pies, however the Fluff sat on the shelf. One morning, I was out of cereal and imagine my surprise when I spied, Fluff in the cupboard. Paired with crunchy peanut butter on a potato roll and a cup of orange tea,  that Fluffernutter sandwich was a delicious breakfast.

I admit it, for the next few days, that was my breakfast.

There was a bit of guilt with this one, especially as I ate it with two sets of little eyes staring inquisitively at me.

Mo asked for a bite and I said no.

Mama doesn't share her fluffernutter!

6. My Message Board

On facebook, I have 300 plus friends of which about fifty are women I have never met in real life.

I have belonged to a message board for nearly seven years. (I will not disclose my refuge, for fear of outing myself as a complete and utter mess.)  I have offered advice, recipes, parenting guidance, and recommendations with a multitude of women whom I know mainly from screen names. I have purchased toys that were "must haves" Sophie the giraffe & Sing a Mi Jig , I have been updated on world events, Celebrated births, mourned losses, read reviews of vacations and gotten straight up advice from these ladies. Checking in daily, I find happiness in Friday pregnancy announcements, heartbreak over miscarriages, empathy over illness and diagnosis, and at time laughter at the opinions related to tv shows & field trips.

This place is my sanctuary in times of chaos and a place to brag over successes.

7. Pizza

 Is there such a thing as bad pizza?

Even pizza deemed as less satisfying is still yummy.

A good slice of pizza covered with warm cheese still stringy, the aroma filling the confines of our home.

In our fifteen years of being together, Bry and I have lived together for ten. We are in our third and hopefully last place together. With each move to a new town, we were on a mission to find the best pizza. Until we found that, we truly didn't feel like we were home.

Sad?

Yes, but good pizza makes it worth staying in to eat.

8. The Amazing Race

This is by far the best reality show on television. 

I know as you will see in entry #9, but this show is heads and tails above all the others. 

Season to season, the pairs are extraordinarily casts as they weave in and out of airports and foreign countries, dealing with language barriers, sleep deprivation and crazy stunts like bungee jumping off a bridge in Australia or unrolling stacks of eight foot high hay for a clue in field in the middle of Germany.  All while testing the relationship of the twosome, be it the married couple, or the friends/former showgirls, or the lawyers dating.

Each week is something new, and exciting as those lucky pairs race around the world.

In our house, the conversation has remained the same.

Who would be pair best made for casting?

Bry swears it would be either he & his brother, he & my sister (lawyer/doctor in-laws) or he & my father (in laws). The thought of that last twosome would be horrible, or brilliant?

I think my sister & I might make good for tv, though we might kill each other and neither of us know how to drive stick, yet?

9. Bravo TV

Andy Cohen, the Real Housewives, Rachel Zoe, Top Chef,

I could go on and on.

I am a closet Real Housewives watcher. I don't set the DVR, I mean, do I really have to? Bravo shows those episodes over and over, but those trainwrecks make really bad/good TV.

The new show, Mad Fashion, showing Chris March from Project Runway (formerly on Bravo) is ridiculously fabulous creating over the top dresses for his famous/nearly famous/ want to be famous clientele.

I'll even admit, I've watched a few episodes of the Millionaire Matchmaker. Enough to realize that Patty would tell me to lose a few lbs, get a tan, make up application, and wear a better bra.

Whatever goes on at the Bravo clubhouse has me hooked.

10. Monday Listicles

I'm not just kissing up to the talented and terrific Stasha, but I really love Monday Listicles.

These weekly prompts have helped me break out of some writing blocks and more importantly given me an opportunity to write a lot about my family, my culture, my traditions, and me. 

A guilty pleasure? 

Mostly no. 

But pleasurable none the less. 

Thank you Stasha!