Ten Guilty Pleasures

1) Trashy books. I can't help it. I know I'm supposed to read intellectual things. But, the truth is, I am not interested in intellectual types things. Unless it is an intellectual type thing wrapped up in trash. (For instance, I just read Sudhir Venkatesh's Gang Leader For a Day which is the popular culture version of a grad student in sociology did for his dissertation work. It was rather light reading, but when the boy caught me reading it, I told him I was just doing some "research" on participant observation. Because I like me some methods readings, of course.)

So, I like Nora Roberts and her alter ego JD Robb, Judith McNaught, Sue Grafton, and Barbara Delinsky. I escape from the real world with my entertainment and that includes the reading I do! I should probably apologize for this, but I can't find it in myself to do so.

2) Baby clothes shopping. This obsession has been well documented here. I can't seem to stop myself from compulsively buying adorable baby items, especially socks. The situation is so bad that I am forced to hide my baby purchases from the boy, so I think this definitely qualifies as a guilty pleasure, maybe even bordering on addiction.

3) Endless games of Boggle. I just keep starting new games. Over and over and over again. This is one of the reasons we don't actually own a gaming system. I think I would never be able to step away!!

4) Gossip-related entertainments shows. TMZ, Entertainment Tonight, Extra...I watch them all. See, the thing is, the boy and I have a lot of fights about this. He things it's just perpetuating the problem of the dumbing down of America, the explotiation of celebrities, and the dumb lawsuits resulting from paparazzi being dumb. And I can't argue with him. But, see, we don't have royalty in the United States. These people are our royalty. I need to know the intimate details of Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal's life!!

5) Steaming hot showers. Mother Earth gets angry with me every morning. So does my skin. But, in this case, my impulsive control lets me down. It just feels so good!!

6) Secret moments alone with food I shouldn't eat. Sometimes when I go to the fancy grocery story, I buy one of the mini loaves of French bread and wolf it down in the car. It's wrong, but oh so right. Once every three or four months, I go through the McDonald's drive through and order a small fry. And wolf them down in like thirty seconds. Then I air out the car and pretend like I have no idea how that fry got wedged in between the seats.

7) The two hours I have alone in our apartment on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. I know I should be doing something productive with this time, but instead I just send emails, read blogs, catch up on my Perez Hilton updates, and listen to music. If I hide in our office, I can barely hear the kid screaming next door. It's like an island of loveliness.

8) My music. I can't help it. The boy recently burned me a copy of Bon Jovi's Crossroad CD and I listen to it loudly. All the time. If the boy hears "Livin' on a Prayer" one more time, I think he might shoot the speakers out and strangle me. I wish I had cooler taste in music, but between Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, and Garth Brooks, I'm a happy little camper!

9) The several drawers of hosiery I own. It's an addiction. I love socks, hose, and tights. I love funky patterns, disturbingly bright colors, and the texture of sheer silk against my legs. I even love buying socks for the boy. Oh, socks. It's a delightful extra oomph to any outfit to have super awesome socks.

10) A weekend away with my husband. Whoo and hoo. This time tomorrow, we're going to be gone!!! Away!! It's costing us way more money than we thought that two days away ever would cost us, but it's totally going to be worth it. Peace out. I'll be back on Sunday.