46 Things Better Than Pumpkin Pie with a Scoop of Ice Cream

Last night when we went to Noonmark for dessert (well, a decaf coffee for me), I felt particularly like I was missing something: good old fashioned pumpkin pie with vanilla ice cream. Pumpkin pie has always been my love... until I went vegan. 2015 is going to be my first holiday/winter season as a vegan, and it is going to be a challenge to restrain myself from taking some of my mom's characteristic chocolate chip mandel bread and sugar cookies lying around the when I am home in December and January. The fact that my sister's boyfriend, a friend of mine as well, just got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes also made me realize just how debilitating it can be to restrain yourself from sweet treats whether it be for health or ethical reasons. (You might say "can't you just make your own vegan pie and ice cream?" I could, and I probably will try, but c'mon that is a lot more effort than just taking a guaranteed delicious slice of some from the local market!)

So... as a way of coping with the sadness of not being able to have all the holiday goodies people prepare this fall and winter, I am going to make a list of "46 Things Better than Pumpkin Pie with a Scoop of Ice Cream". Also, I don't feel right making numbered lists of anything more or less than 46 units while I am here. :)

1. Waking up a few hours before your alarm goes off, knowing you can go back to sleep

2. Having a yo-yo return to your hand

3. Saying the exact same thing as someone else at the exact same time

4. Picking a weed up from its root

5. Hearing the phlebotomist say "you're all done" when you still thought the needle was in your arm

6. Covering up the last exposed part of the wall with paint

7. Ripping of a dangling piece of your fingernail

8. Enveloping yourself in a full warm bath

9. Touching the bottom of the deep end of the pool

10. Forming a cocoon around your body so no body parts are exposed as you get settled to watch a great movie

11. Seeing nothing left in your room after packing up to go home for summer break

12. Puppy kisses

13. The song on the car radio ending just as you pull into the garage

14. Letting out the fart you’ve been waiting for, thus relieving your bloating/pains

15. Seeing a friend you haven't seen in months/years

16. Spooning

17. Funny dog video clips marathon

18. The big O

19. Finding the matching sock to a lonely one that got done in a separate load of laundry

20. A big glass of water after an intense workout

21. Seeing an unexpected rainbow

22. Walking into your home after being gone for a long period

23. Beating your own personal record in a physical activity

24. Putting up a fresh calendar for the new year

25. Going to sleep knowing that tomorrow is your birthday

26. When you get to listen to the song that's been stuck in your head for hours

27. Remembering the name of a song, friend, or artist/actor that you have been trying to figure out

28. Getting a riddle right on the first try

29. Arriving at an empty movie theater, realizing you and your family/friends have it to yourselves

30. Stretching your legs after a long road trip

31. Catching a frog/toad in your hands

32. Meeting someone in a place far away from home who knows someone you know back home

33. Getting into a bed of warm, freshly washed sheets

34. Being able to take off your cast/braces and/or not be bed-ridden any more because of some illness or injury

35. Missing out on something you were originally really bummed about not being able to take part of but realizing that you had a blast doing what you ended up doing instead

36. Laughing so hard that you cry and/or your abs get sore

37. Getting a handmade gift from someone or seeing the smile on someone's face when they receive something you made them

38. Finishing a lengthy novel with a satisfying ending

39. Finally spotting a bird or other animal that you usually just hear calling or making noises

40. Being able to replenish and rest at the summit of a mountain you've just hiked

41. Buying something you love that also cost much less than you expected

42. Getting to watch an eclipse or other natural event that won't happen for many years, perhaps not even again in your lifetime

43. Finishing all of your work ahead of schedule

44. Playing board/card games for hours straight without realizing how much time has passed

45. Reuniting with your dog after he/she got lost

46. Finding money on the side of the road and being able to keep it

Surely, experiencing one or more of these things during the week would give you more sustained pleasure than ingesting a slice of pumpkin pie, no?