The One Uppers

 

It’s Fourth of July 2013, sunny and hot in Middlebury Connecticut. The Spinners  are at our local town beach, The Middlebury Recreation Area (MRA)  on Lake Quassapaug with hundreds of other Middlebury families and their friends. Like it is in your town, whether it’s Northampton, Massachusetts,  Kendall Park, New Jersey or Charlotte, North Carolina you can’t miss this day in your town.  In Middlebury, everyone is there. The best part is, most people, give or take the stress to get a table and a spot on the beach, are in a great mood. We are celebrating our nation’s birth!  Joe Laporta, in charge of the MRA, is on the PA announcing the next teams up for horseshoes or hoops. Jack Worgan is walking around busting someone’s balls. Pat Lewis is bumming a free beer off of a new friend and the smell of barbequing is in the air.

Sitting in the picnic grove around lunch time with some of our closest Middlebury friends, biting into some Cape Cod Chips and sipping our beverages of choice (for me it’s water or Snapple until at least 6 0’clock) passing around condiments and hot dogs we are talking about the food. The Jorgensens brought a full watermelon and we are cutting that baby up and it looks great. This watermelon is just the right amount of red, juicy…we pass it around. I realize in the middle of my first bite, I’m going for seconds. Carrie Jorgensens says, “There’s nothing better than cold watermelon on a summer day.”

Oh no she didn’t! She dropped that gauntlet, just like that? NOTHING better than…cold watermelon on a summer day…Nothing? My verbal wise ass goes into overdrive….nothing? Sure, watermelon on a hot summer day is good but does it top the list? Is it at the pinnacle? The apex of all existence? To be put up on that oh so lofty perch of…there as nothing better than…Well we started riffing right away…my first comment is, “Nothing? How about a cold beer taken from a cooler full of ice and water?”  Joel Jorgensen, always quick on the uptake even though he’s from Iowa, goes to the opposite end of the spectrum, “How about hot chocolate after a cold day of skiing or sledding?” 

The writer in me goes into action, “Hold on, this is perfect for a blog, we have to write this down.” We had a great time, thinking of all of these life affirming things, simple things that make life good, events that make life fun and exciting and full of taste and zest and well, LIFE.” So in no particular order, this is what we came up with sitting around that picnic table on the Fourth of July…

There’s nothing better than… 

A hug from your children, a REAL hug with hearty squeezing.

A Belly laugh. Preferably a group belly laugh. Belly laughing so it hurts, so you have tears in your eyes.

Hearing a great song on the radio while you are driving…singing at the top of your longs.

Hitting a line drive on the sweet spot, knowing it’s over the shortstop’s head as soon as it leaves your bat, thinking two as you round first base because it might be in the gap…even better if there are men on base.

Ice cream in the summer, here in Middlebury, we go to Rich’s Farm in Oxford, or Charlie’s in Woodbury…whatever your flavor from soft serve vanilla or chocolate to Razmanian Devil…is there anything better than ice cream on a summer day?

Sticking a jumper from 20 feet. In my case it’s a set shot but you get the idea. Knowing you let it go with the right amount of arc and rotation, that it’s good on the release…even better if it’s point game and cherry on top if the game is hard fought and you know the guys on the other team.

New book smell.

Finding a book to really lose yourself in; one that you don’t even realize you are reading, just escape into this other world the author has created just for you, the reader.

Endorphin rush after a bike ride, run, a workout.

Coming home to a clean house. (this was Kira’s)

Crafting the witty comeback, the one that vanquishes your opponent or makes everyone laugh.

Reminiscing with old friends, Facebook has been pretty good for this.

 

Thin crust NY style pizza (Totonno’s in Coney Island, Grimaldis at the Brooklyn Bridge, Pepe’s in New Haven, Anthony’s in Oakville…

Thank You Notes. Giving or receiving.

New York City in the spring time.

A really good movie. Movie pop corn.

My mom’s lasagna.

Diving into a pool on a really hot day.

That light bulb moment when you teach someone something and they get it. Like teaching your kid to ride a bike, or to swim…there’s nothing better than that smile…when your pupil realizes…I can read, I can dive off the dock, I can swim!

 

Working together as a team to get something done: a family garden, a home improvement project, a community clean-up…

Sleeping in your own bed after being away for a long time (especially if you’ve been camping!).

Smell of coffee in the morning, tied with bacon apparently. 

Steak.

Mashed potatoes.

Lemon Italian Ice.

 

The smell of fresh cut grass.

That first t-shirt day of spring after a long winter.

Or that first sweatshirt night after a brutally hot summer.
 

This was a lot of fun to brainstorm and to craft the list. So what’s on your, “Nothing Better Than” List?