that loving feeling

There are some things I just really love. Seriously in love. Some are people, some are places, some are objects, but I'm in love with them, in some way or another. I feel instantly happier in their presence.

1. Mesa Grill, off Union Square, NYC. I mostly love this place because I love Bobby Flay. Two words: squash blossoms. I think he's a brilliant chef and I would eat just about anything he could feed me, with only a few exceptions because they could kill me. But Mesa itself is not only a culinary haven, it's also just incredibly comfortable for me. The decor is warm and friendly and I especially love sitting in their balcony for a lesiurely dinner. I'm going there tonight for Restaurant Week, so that's why it goes first on my list.

2. Weeds, on Showtime. I think this is, hands down, one of the best television shows in recent history. It's dynamically written and acutely aware of itself and what the picture of family and suburban life that it presents. Plus, Mary Louise Parker has incredible skin. She's fantastic in the role, too, but that skin.

3. My friends Mary and Michelle. Each for different reasons and the same reasons. Mary because she's incredibly put together. If she tells me something is going to be okay, I can believe her. She just has everything under control - she knows what she likes, she knows who she is and exudes confidence. I love that. Michelle because she is confident in a "you just wish that you could be as lively as I am" way. She can look cool, be cool and leave others in her cool dust. I enjoy my time with these girls immensely. I'm not afraid to say anything off-color around them and that feels satisfying.

4. My new bag. I love handbags. Chic, versatile handbags. This is the first new bag I've purchased in over a year. I'm seriously elated. It makes me feel more adult and stylish than I have in a while.

5. Panasci Lounge, Schine Student Center, Syracuse University. I had a breakdown there once. I filmed portions of my sketch show, CowTV there, with Sean and Lisa; I learned to light a "set," if you can call it that. I would go to Panasci when I needed a break from the Box, as I often did. I did my French homework there. Panasci was one of the largest open indoor spaces on campus. It was well-lit by the sun most days (or by the snow, as the case may be) and was reasonably quiet under peak campus hours because it had comfortable chairs and couches on which to curl up and nap before your next class. I often curled up, but I never napped, despite sometimes wanting to. I recall feeling enveloped in the best of Syracuse there.

That's not all I love, but all I have the energy to recall today.