Awesome Day Sixteen: The Little Things

Awesome Day Sixteen was one of those days where Awesome was not the central theme.  I woke up late after a late night of post-bartending card-making and letter-writing the night before.  By the time I got moving, work was looming right around the corner.

So what do you do when there isn't a whole lot of time for a big kind of Awesome during your day?

You focus on the little things, and how Awesome they are--because I guarantee any day has at least one Awesome attribute, one moment where you stop and smile, one small silver lining.  Even days like Awesome Day Sixteen, which came precariously close to being un-Awesome by a challenging (and dare I say it: bitchy) over-demanding, de-humanizing, down-right-not-nice customer at the bar.  Sometimes service jobs just kinda suck.  (Clearly this woman had become lost on her search of Awesome in life.  Bummer.)

But I digress.

Awesome Day Sixteen didn't have any huge crafting projects or nature hikes or life changes.  But there were a few great Little Awesome moments that happened, and I decided to spend my day celebrating those.

1) It was my brother's birthday.  He is Awesome.  That is reason enough for an Awesome day.  Here's how cute we were when we were little:

2) I've been attempting to regain my control of literacy lately--namely, by reading again.  I used to devour books, and then college hit and reading became kind of a chore.  I didn't have time for fun reading anymore; it was all textbooks and political jargon and academic papers.  I got out of the habit of searching for (and hoarding) good books; without good books sitting around, I filled my free time with other pursuits, like television, until that just became the norm.

But I recently finished an Awesome book--my first novel read for fun in probably (sadly) a year.  It was the kind of book where I read the last chapter reaaaaallly slowly; it was so good, I didn't want it to end. So I committed myself to finding a new book on Awesome Day Sixteen, and while I did download one option on my Ipad that looks promising, I decided instead to take a stab at one of the (many) books that have been collecting dust on my bookshelf, forgotten:  Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential.

I have mad respect for Anthony Bourdain.  In my mind, he's in a tie with Mariana van Zeller for Most Awesome Career award--although, honestly, I think Bourdain might be slightly ahead in the category.  I respect his writing. I respect his presence on television, the way he owns the camera and keeps his audience engaged and talks like he has a brain and an opinion.  I respect his Awesomeness as a traveler, as someone who clearly takes the time to understand where he is and what it's about.  He is Awesome.

But I've never read his book, the one that kinda jump started the whole famous-tv-star path he's currently on.  So, on Awesome Day Sixteen, I sat down with a pint of beer and a good book, ready to be enlightened about the restaurant world I already know too much about.

3) That online commercial I made after getting my headshots done last week is live, and it's not as totally embarrassing as I thought it was going to be.  I'll be signing autographs later today, if you stop by the brewery (I always look that happy while pouring beers, in case you're wondering).  You can watch it here.

4) I found this pretty Awesome speech by Ashton Kutcher at the Teen Choice Awards that happened a few days ago. Unlikely source for super inspirational, REAL talk for teens (and adults, for that matter).  Watch it; he has some good stuff to say.


Sometimes, it's all about the little things.