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by Neil Pasr icha
bt-ng ut The Book of Awesomen
1000wmtng.m
2012Daily
CalenDar
The caleNdar of
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In the years since, Ive ound that tak-
ing note o these little moments can
really make an awesome diference in
our stressed, jam-packed lives.
We all need to celebrate the awesome
that surrounds us. Every day o the year.
So come on into The Calendar of Awe-
some and, or just a minute each day,
stop and appreciate all the tiny joys
that make lie
AWESOME!
Neil Pasricha
When one spring night a ew years ago
I started jotting down a list oawesome
things, I never imagined my thoughts
on the smell o gasoline, thinking its
Thursday when its really Friday, or
wearing underwear just out o the
dryer would take o the way it has. My
blog 1000AwesomeThings.com started
as a reminderin a world o rising sea
levels, global conlict, and a troubled
economyo the daily joys that make
lie sweet: finding money in my coat
pocket, dropping my cell phone on the
ground and realizing its totally ine, or
the smell o a bakery . . .
So whats this all about?
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JANUARY
SUNDAYSATURDAY
Because anything could happen.
And maybe anything will.
AWESOME!
Staring ahead at a brand new year
DECEMBER31 1New Years Day
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JANUARY 2
MONDAY
When youre really tired and about
to fall asleep and someone throws ablanket on you
toss on your semi conscious sel. When
that happens, you immediately eel thewarmth radiating around you, a tiny
smile curls itsel on the corners o your
lips, and you all deeper and deeper into
a nice, relaxing rest.
AWESOME!
When you start driting on the couch
you enter that blissul semi consciousPre-Nap World where your thoughts
loat and zoom around your brain and
your muscles relax and de-intensiy.
The sun eels warm on your ace, the
radio in the background ades to a com-
orting white noise, and you know . . .you just know . . . that youre about to
all asleep.
Thats why its great whenever some-
one notices you lying there and quietly
grabs a blanket rom the closet to
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JANUARY 3
TUESDAY
Greasy orehead, sore ankles, and a dull
headache cap your traic-jammy ride
home rom a long day at work. Drag-
ging yoursel to the door, your stomach
rumbles and grumbles as you picture
the bland rozen burrito youre gonna
nuke or dinner.
Yeah, the day got you down, the day
knocked you out, but suddenly you
unlock the door and your mood zooms
sky-high as theres a BARK BARK
BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK
BARK BARK!!! waiting.
Someones happy to see you.
AWESOME!
When the dogs really excited youre
back home
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JANUARY
WEDNESDAY
Because its always best avoiding debates
about whether your pineapple juice
will drip over to my side o the pie.
AWESOME!
When the person youre ordering pizza
with likes the same toppings as you
4
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JANUARY
THURSDAY
When someone whips out a camera,
its time to suck it in, baby. Eye the
trigger inger and pull in when they
push down. Ater all, maybe theres a
six-pack under that stained and baggy
T-shirt. I mean, we have no reason to
suspect a jiggly bowl ojelly belly or
anything.
Theres just no proo.
AWESOME!
Sucking in your stomach just before
the picture is taken
5
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JANUARY
FR IDAY
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And i your entrance is marked by heads
turning, orks dropping, ists raising,and loud cheers, it means youre hang-
ing with a great group. So smile and
accept their little Welcome Package o
hugs and high-ives.
Its gonna be a great night.
AWESOME!
Sometimes youre late or the date.
Stepping into the dark restaurant, shak-ing o your umbrella, squeezing past
the bar, you dont know what youre
gonna get: Whos gonna be here? Have
they already ordered? Will there even
be a chair?
I youre like me, baby butterlies lap
in your stomach when you stumble into
Tonights Social Scene or the irst
time. Brushing rain o your eyebrows,
unzipping your jacket, you smile ner-
vously as you spot your riends and walk
over to their crowded table in the back.
When you meet up with a group
of friends and they stop talking tocelebrate your arrival
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JANUARYJANUARY
SUNDAYSATURDAY
Actually making
the right amountof spaghetti
AWESOME!
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JANUARY
MONDAY
Taking the price tag off in one clean peel
Have you ever waged a quiet ten-minute
war against a stubborn price tag?
You see it slapped on the side o a sou-
venir or stuck to the bottom o a vase,
so you start peeling it o with your
ingers. But then it tears and you hold a
sad little scrap in your hand.
Thats when its time to roll up the sleeves
and wheel out big guns like the edge
o a credit card or nail polish remover.
Nothing is o limits as you ight oryour right to give a non-sticky action
igure to your nephew on his birthday.
So you rub in oils and lotions, dig your
ingernails, and inally, huffing and
puffing, smear it all o. But since it
takes orever and stresses you out, just
smile and love it lots when that tag rolls
o in one smooth peel.
AWESOME!
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JANUARY
TUESDAY
Sweaty crowds in sticky shirts scream
and scramble or better views between
songs. Drums kick boom and guitars
get tuned just beore the bright lights
lip up and flick on. Everyone slides
orward on the beer-slicked loor and
as the irst notes kick in we all catch
our breath.
AWESOME!
The moment at a concert when the
crowd figures out what song theyreplaying
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JANUARY
WEDNESDAY
Sometimes those old, ratty sandals need
to get buried. When sidewalk steps rat-
tle your spine and walking to the store
gives you severe Blackfoot, its time to
go shopping.
Next time you slide on that resh new
pair in the store, just pause or a sec-
ond and look wistully at the broken,
smooth-soled lat ones in your hand.
So many rainy nights, so many deckparties, so many quick trips or gas.
Fight tears and steady your lip as you
stare the teenage cashier square in the
eye and say:
Do you guys have a garbage can?
AWESOME!
Wearing the shoes you just bought out
of the store
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JANUARY
THURSDAY
When a stranger helps you push your
car out of the snowIts just the Brotherhood o Snowy
Climates.
Thanks or lending a hand.
AWESOME!
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JANUARY
FR IDAY
Waking up to the smell of sizzling bacon
As you laze around in crumpled sheets,
sun streaking through the blinds, your
eyes slowly blink open and your lips
curl into a slow smile. You make some
deep, grunting noises as you twist your
back and stretch your neck.
Then it hits you.
Nose twitching, brain sniing, you
catch faint fumes o sizzling bacon
driting up rom the kitchen. Can it be?
Is this why you woke up? You bunny-sni again and this time youre posi-
tive, youre certain, youre sure.
Bacon!
It smells like Moms cooking break-
ast. It smells like a sunny Sunday
sleep-in. It smells like pajamas and a
resh newspaper. It smells like little
white grease bubbles in an old black
rying pan.
And it smells a lot like
AWESOME!
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SUNDAYSATURDAY
AWESOME!
Looking in your
fridge right aftergrocery shoppingand still choosing
the junk food
14 15Martin Luther Kin g Jr.s Birthday
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JANUARY
MONDAY
Emptying the recycling bin on your
computerAs old school assignments, half-
downloaded mp3s, and duplicate
photos crumple and disappear rom
your hard drive, you settle back into
your oice chair, slap your hands
together, and smile at inishing up
The Worlds Easiest Chore.
AWESOME!
16Martin Luther Kin g Jr. Day
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JANUARY
TUESDAY
Spin the dial to the let and youre
drowning under a frozen glacier
waterfall. Spin it to the right and
youre stinging under some sharpsecond-degree burns.
We all know your perect tempera-
ture lies somewhere between these
dangerous extremes, so every time
you strip down to scrub up youre
playing detective.
Yes, theres one or two dials, max, that
youre spinning around in your groggy
hal-asleep state to ind the perect
shower temperature. When you stepin that shower and its just right, youre
loving it. Bring on the Shampoo Aros,
lathery bellies, and nose blowing as you
get ready or ten hot minutes o
AWESOME!
Stepping into the shower when its
already at the perfect temperature
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JANUARY
WEDNESDAY
You played a risky game, riend.
But you made it.
AWESOME!
Changing the channel during a com-
mercial break and then flipping backjust as the shows coming back on
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JANUARY
THURSDAY
Feel the buzz and rub that uzz.
AWESOME!
Rubbing someones newly shaved head
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JANUARY
FR IDAY
Beore you lick out the lights and slip
into golden slumbers, you must irst
guess your Sleep Comfort Zone. I
youve ever woken up with the shivers
or the sweats, then youve added too
many blankets or slept too nude.
I youre on your own, there are ceiling
ans, heating vents, and your general
sweatiness to consider. I youre with
a pet or a partner, youve got double thehot-breath actor and a lot more sweaty
legs under the covers.
I youre like me, then your eyes might
blink open in the middle o the night
as you realize youre uncomortable.
And i this happens, just hook yourselup and toss one leg on top o the covers
and one leg under them.
Also known as the Toe Vent.
AWESOME!
Sleeping with one leg on top of the
covers and one leg under them
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SUNDAYSATURDAY
AWESOME!
Breakfast
for dinner
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