These are a few of my Favorite Smells

I love smells. A good smell can give you an instant natural high, and totally change your attitude & state of mind. In a very special edition of the Power 12, here are my top 12 favorite smells listed in inverse order.

12.) Gasoline, and Car Exhaust
      What is it about this smell that makes it so good? I can't figure it out, but it is just inherently good. When I was a kid, I used to enjoy sticking my nose right next to the tailpipe of a running car just to suck in the wonderful smell of exhaust. Apparently that can kill you, but at least it's pleasant-smelling.

11.) Sauteing onion & green pepper in butter
      I do this whenever I'm preparing my favorite spanish rice dish. Just do it sometime & add it to any dish: one green pepper & one onion (chopped up, of course) in one melted stick of butter in a frying pan over a stove. You don't even have to eat it -- it just smells great!

10.) Florist Shoppes
      I love the fresh smell of stepping into a florist shoppe. But beyond the smell, it just feels good for a guy to step into this place to buy flowers for his woman. Florist shoppes have the affirming smell of, "I'm about to make a special lady REALLY happy in a minute!" :)

9.) New car smell
      This is sort of a stalwart of favorite smells lists, and it deserves to be listed here.

8.) New book smell
      There's nothing else like opening up a brand new book & inhaling that inspiring smell. It's a bold scent that silently screams, "You're about to receive a lot of new knowledge and get SMARTER!"

7.) Cinnamon Brooms
      Publix grocery stores here in Florida carry these things every fall. You buy a couple & place them strategically in your house, and the sweet smell of cinnamon will permeate through air. Pure serenity.

6.) Girls' Hair
      Ahhhhh, the sweet & fruity smell of a recently shampooed head of female hair. It's intoxicating! One of the most frustratingly tantalizing smells that exists for a single dude trying to stay pure.

5.) Barbeque Joints
      Is there any walk that is more exciting than the walk from the car to the door of your favorite BBQ joint? Okay, maybe the walk to the ballpark -- that one's more exciting. But with that great scent of expertly-grilled meat wafting through the air, it's just an exhilirating smell.

4.) French Vanilla Candles
      That's right -- I like to burn candles. I'm a dude, and I stink, and I'd like to smell something more pleasant than my own smelly behind from time to time. As for french vanilla, it's just the best candle smell. Bottom line: I've never spent money on a french vanilla candle & regretted it.

3.) Fresh Laundry
      I think we could probably all agree on this one.

2.) The Scent of a Ballpark
      I need to clarify here. I'm not talking about the kind of mammoth structures that I visited on my Pilgrimage. I'm talking about your average, ordinary set of ball fields: whether softball, little league baseball, high school ball, etc. Places where you can actually catch the scent of the dirt, and the pine tar, and the gloves. There's just something about the smell of a good ballpark that just fires me up.

1.) Crisp Fall Day
      This is simply the best smell there is. It brings me to LIFE! It is the scent of relief & refreshing after a long, oppressive summer. And the best is that FIRST fall day where there is no humidity and you just can't get enough deep breaths. It is almost always my very favorite day of the year. It's a fundamentally depression-proof day!

If you're friends with me, chances are you've heard me talk about this. I was on the phone yesterday with some college friends of mine from 8 or 9 years ago (Justin & Kristen), and they were excitedly relating to me about how they had their first fall day a few days ago. They opened up all the windows in their house & they said that they thought of me. I'm so jealous. I can't wait to have mine. :)


What are your favorite smells?