The 2012 Calendar of Awesome First 20 Pages

7/29/2019 The 2012 Calendar of Awesome First 20 Pages

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by Neil Pasr icha

bt-ng ut The Book of Awesomen

1000wmtng.m

2012Daily

CalenDar

The caleNdar of


2/21

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?


3/21

JANUARY

SUNDAYSATURDAY

Because anything could happen.

And maybe anything will.

AWESOME!

Staring ahead at a brand new year

DECEMBER31 1New Years Day


4/21

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


5/21

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


6/21

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


7/21

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


8/21

JANUARY

FR IDAY

6

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


9/21

JANUARYJANUARY

SUNDAYSATURDAY

Actually making

the right amountof spaghetti

AWESOME!

7 8


10/21

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!

9


11/21

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

10


12/21

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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13/21

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!

12


14/21

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!

13


15/21

JANUARYJANUARY

SUNDAYSATURDAY

AWESOME!

Looking in your

fridge right aftergrocery shoppingand still choosing

the junk food

14 15Martin Luther Kin g Jr.s Birthday


16/21

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


17/21

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

17


18/21

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

18


19/21

JANUARY

THURSDAY

Feel the buzz and rub that uzz.

AWESOME!

Rubbing someones newly shaved head

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20/21

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

20


21/21

JANUARYJANUARY

SUNDAYSATURDAY

AWESOME!

Breakfast

for dinner

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The 2012 Calendar of Awesome First 20 Pages

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