5 more amazing things about america

Last Monday marked the two month anniversary of our return to the land of spacious skies and amber waves of grain, etc. Here's five more things that are great about this fair land.

1. Electric driers and fabric softener. Though I came to appreciate crusty shirts and towels---for one thing you'd know right away if something is clean, and for another, there's something positive to be said about that mild 30 second full-torso exfoliation---it is a wonder of convenience to regularly finish laundry in 2 hours rather than 2 days and for those clothes to be soft and fluf-fay.

2. HGTV. Yes: Home and Garden Television. As much as I remain less-than-enthusiastic about the TV, this interior design and makeovers network has created a warm conversation space in my heart. Oh to have a room of one's own.

3. Starbucks Coffee. Especially when you work there ;-) My nerdy inner coffee snob has definitely taken up more and more space on the afore-implied couch-with-tasteful-throw-pillows of my heart.

4. When business people know that you want to give them your money, you're the cat's pajamas; you're the bee's knees (yeah, the bee's knees).

5. Major League Baseball. If all goes well, next Wednesday I'll catch an A's game---my first major league game in two years. And if you're not, say, an A's fan, this season's got a pretty good play-off chase. My impulsive and moderately-informed guess for the World Series: Angels over the Mets in six.