Loss

As October draws to a close and the leaves fall off the trees (they will eventually, right?) It seems to be a season of letting go and saying goodbye. So here is a random list of things I am going to miss:

1. Touchy McToucherton. I have had a first generation iPod touch since they were brand new. Amy, my amazing wife, bought me one as a totally extravagant and amazing gift for Christmas shortly after they came out. I think I have used it every day since to listen to pod casts, watch movies and TV shows when my job required frequent flying and for playing Plants vs. Zombies when Jonah's baseball games got too boring. I have recently acquired my first iPhone (yay!!) so Touchy McToucherton will be sitting in a drawer somewhere. Not even my kids will play with it. Too old. No speakers. (First world problems, I know.)

2. On a related note, goodbye Steve. I have been a Mac enthusiast since I was 15. We were outsiders, once. But we knew great design and amazing products, even before iPhones became ubiquitous. When I heard the news of his death, it hit me harder than I expected. I think it is easy to say that someone changed the world, but I do think that Steve's products have forever altered the way that we consume media.

3. Sort of loving things. Amy has pointed out to me that I never say "I love" something. Just that I "sort of love" them. "Did you try these new turkey burgers from Costco? I sort of love them." "Are you watching the second season of Work of Art? I sort of love it!" You know how people point something like that out to you and then you hear yourself saying it all the time? And then you feel like an idiot? So I am going to miss sort of loving things. I need to either just like them, or love them. It is time to commit.

4. Sleeping at night. Tis' the season of spooky things on TV. From American Horror Story to The Walking Dead to late night viewings of Insidious on AMC late at night. For some reason, during October, I intentionally seek out scary things and then immediately regret it when I am laying in my bed terrified and imagining a home invasion happening, right then.

5. Nachos. My favorite late night snack.  Juanitias tortilla chips. Melted tillamook cheddar cheese. Jack's special salsa. Sour cream, pickled jalapenos and a few dashes of Choloula hot sauce. I could literally eat it EVERY NIGHT. But I've gained a few too many ellbees (as Juliana would say) so I am doing Weight Watchers. I know they say you can eat anything on their plan. But if I ate those nachos, I would have to eat nothing else for 19 days.

6. Football practice. "What?!" you may be saying. See, our new house backs up to a park. And when it was a bit warmer and we had the windows open in the evening, we could hear the teenage football teams that practice in that park. It is a bit too cold now, so the windows are closed, even though they are still out there rehearsing. (That's the right term, right?) There is something intrinsically autumnal about listening to football practice on a warm fall evening. And I don't even like football. Maybe it is because I am missing Friday Night Lights. Yeah - I am sure that is it. Texas forever.

7. The 80s being retro. Remember when we were kids and we would have 80s parties and we thought it was hi-lar-i-ous. Because the 80s were just so funny? Well, now the 80s are ancient history. You know what is retro and hilarious? The 90s! When you were in high school! On a recent episode of Two Broke Girls (please don't think I am watching this show - I heard this from a friend.) they had a 90s party. And guess what were the hot items at Old Navy this fall? Long denim skirts, high waisted jeans and baggy plaid shirts. We even got these boots in:

Did I own boots EXACTLY like these when I was a freshman in college that I would wear with my loose fitting Quicksilver jeans and baggy plaid shirt? You bet I did! Am I planning on on buying them again? You bet I am. 

8. Lila being tiny. Does everyone remember when Lila looked like this?:

I mean, she was such a peanut. She could sit in the palm of my hand. Now she looks like this:

C'mon! She gorgeous but when did she get so grown up? Her poncho doesn't even fit anymore! She is just so old and funny and talking a lot and wearing skinny jeans and it makes me a little bit sad. She's still my baby, but I miss her being teeny tiny.

I gotta wrap this up. I need to go flip through more pictures of nachos on Google images. It made me feel good. What are you going to miss as the seasons change?