Five things making me smile these days.

1. The Blazers/Rockets first round playoff series. If I'm gonna take any chunk of time outta my life to watch sports, then it better be worth my while. So far: totally worth it. Bonus: seeing my wife get worked up over sports. Double-bonus: seeing my daughter get into bball and start trying to absorb the intricate ballet of a double team or pick-and-roll. Triple-bonus: watching our son try to differentiate between basketball and football.

2a. Nine Inch Nails "Copy of a." The poppiest, catchiest little ditty Trent Reznor ever did do.

2b. Men Without Hats. A new album? Yep, in 2012 that somehow slipped under my radar.* Their inimitable danceable electro pop is already shaping up to be a summer staple for 2014. Delightful.

3, ii. Anne of Green Gables. "I am in the depths of despair."
How can seeing the young Ann deliver those lines, earnestly and deadpan, repeatedly, NOT make you smile? Bonus: hearing my daughter's giggle throughout. Such a treat.

4, pt. A. Memory game. My son's new obsession, and that is not an overstatement. We have two versions we've been playing: a generic animal one, with stupid little haphazardly drawn cutesy creatures on each flimsy card, and a superb Charley Harper version, with his delightful and bold modernist interpretations of wildlife and nature.

His preference is the former; his sister's is the latter. I decline to provide my preference. They were arguing over which one to play recently, and my daughter told him:

"Well, I like our Charley Harper one because it's more abstract, and you have to try and figure out what the pictures are..."

I didn't hear the rest; my heart was swelled so big with pride that it was covering my eardrums. Next up: Joan Miró.

4b. Charley Harper.

5b. A secret hiking spot on the Willamette that we found. It is a graveyard for driftwood, which means it's like Christmas and birthday rolled into one for our son. It's very dangerous and difficult to get to, but message me if you want to come with us sometime, but make sure and being some strong rope, a lifeboat, and some graham crackers.

5c. My wife picked up this wasabi mix of nuts and cranberries at Trader Joe's that is strangely addictive. It's not even that good, it's just really addictive, and since I don't have any other major addictions, besides love, then I figured it would be okay to get hooked on something semi-safe, like a wasabi trail mix. You should try it. Just once. Can't hurt.

Hope your day has been pleasant, memorable, and adventurous. Au revoir

___

*and virtually everybody else's, I think