I know I said I would talk about the marketing theme today. But we had another corporate brouhaha today. Mild as brouhahas go, I guess. But still, as a friend said, "For a moment, there I was afraid we were trapped in the movie Office Space." That movie should be required viewing for all those who feel they must enter the corporate work force. Problem is, no one would believe how close to the truth it actually is until you work for one and by then...it's too late.

So, I guess, I'm not really in the mood to talk about marketing. Plus, I would kind of like to wait to roll that out until I have my instructor's final comments.

Instead, I'm going to try something new. I'm going to do a list. I like lists, though I have to admit, I rarely write them down. I just sort of note things in my head as I go. So, like Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music, here's a list of my favorite sensations (and keep your mind out of the gutter. It's not like that!) in no particular order.
1. Clean sheets. I love the smell and feel of clean sheets when you climb into bed that first night. Nothing makes the world feel safer than that.
2. Warm rain on a spring or summer day. Not the downpour, but the kind that gets your clothes wet and you don't really mind.
3. My dogs' ears. They have the softest fur on their ears, like rabbits, which is ironic, given that they are greyhounds.
4. The smell of a bookstore (does smell count as a sensation? I say it does.) The blending together of fresh paper, ink, coffee and whatever else it is that always signals to me a sense of coming home and excitement of starting some kind of unknown journey.
5. The smell of a church. Warm candle wax, the smell of burned out matches, floor polish, faint scent of perfumes blending together. It's the smell of safety, of peace.
6. Snow falling at night. When it snows, there's this strange hush in the air, which is only amplified when it happens at night. I don't know what it is, but it feels almost otherworldly, especially combined with the beauty of the independent flakes floating down, like the thinnest slivers of diamond or glass.
7.Freshly cut sawdust. My grandpa made all kinds of things out of wood. Little animals, papertowel holders, my toy chest. And the smell of sawdust reminds me of him for the same reason that flannel shirts and Old Spice do too. I think it's Old Spice. That's what my grandma says anyway. All I know is that sometimes, I round the corner somewhere and smell that cologne and instantly, I'm looking for my grandpa, even though I know he's gone.
8. Covergirl face powder. My mom wore this kind of powder when I was a kid, so now whenever I smell that powder, it always means Mom to me.
9. My dad's laugh. Does the urge to win approval ever go away? I love hearing my dad's laugh because it means, usually, I'm being funny. And man, he's a tough crowd, so it doesn't happen as often as you'd think.
10. My husband's voice on the phone. Because no matter how crappy my day is or how confusing things get, it's always comforting to know that I'm not in this alone.

So, that's it. Boy, you do really give something of yourself away when you write! If you have a list like this that involves other people, like mine does, make sure you let them know how much they mean to you. Have a good night.
Talk to you tomorrow.