I want, I want, I want

Late yesterday afternoon, we got back from our Big Trip to Paris with our nieces, Molly and Caroline.

Although we had our moments - let's face it, we're not used to having kids around 24/7 for almost a week straight; and there's a reason why people our age don't have kids (unless they're crazy) - everything went very well.  The girls are bright, curious, and fun to be with. And if the occasional giggle-fits could be irritating, hey, I remember what is was like to be that age.

This was my fourth trip to Paris, and it was tremendous fun to see it through young eyes, experiencing something so new and exciting for the first time. (Hey, I even liked the corny Seine boat tour.)

Now that we're back, here's what I most want (besides world peace, economic prosperity, etc.):

A bagel. A poppy-seed bagel. With chive creamed cheese.

Network news. (Although Al Jazeera could be habit forming, I did miss Brian Williams.)

The Red Sox. (The season's first series with the Yankees starts tonight).

Spring weather. (After a rainy first day, the weather in Paris couldn't have been more perfect. It's still cold and cloudy here. Bring on spring.)

Leaves on trees. (Yes, the trees are budding, but Paris was in full bloom. Bring on spring.)

Better towels. (The apartment we rented was great, but the towels were sort of thin, sparse and scratchy.)

Girl Scout Cookies. (Fortunately, there are two boxes of thin mints in the freezer.)

The mail.

The mail that includes a magazine, and not just donation pleas.

Light at night. (It was still light in Paris at 8:30-9:00. As far as I'm concerned, there's never enough daylight time.)

My comfy LL Bean slippers.

Ah....

Traveling's great, but...there's no place like the place where you part your comfy LL Bean slippers.