Fun Firsts

Dear Diary,

I opened a brand new jar of peanut butter the other day. 
After taking the cardboard seal off the top, there it was: the whoosh of peanutty scented air, and that smooth top layer of brown creaminess -- without the toast crumbs. 
What satisfaction I got out of plunging my knife into it!

It got me thinking about other new things for which I get the most satisfaction out of its first use.

A calendar.  That blank canvas on which to shape and mold the year ahead.  Though, let's face it, the kids' schedules really do most of the shaping and molding.  But still, look at the rows upon rows of blank little squares, just waiting to be filled with multi-colored ink scribbles by me, the Master Destiny Maker.  (Let me at least indulge in that falsehood for a brief moment.)

Stickers.  Collecting stickers was a big thing when I was a kid.  Stores used to carry all shapes and sizes.  But, honestly, it was hard to actually use those.  I had a kind of scrapbook to put them in so that I could look at them -- unused -- and show my friends.  Once I was given a whole roll of personalized silvery stickers with rainbow hearts!  Awesome when you are ten!  I rationed those. I did NOT want to use those up.  They were too precious, too priceless.  Rainbow hearts?
Irreplaceable, really. 
So I didn't. 
And I still have them. 
(I did use a few. If you look closely at my profile picture you'll see one!) At this point I wish I could use them up. But what is a 44-year-old going to do with silvery rainbow-hearted name labels? 
And I don't know any little kids with my name to give them to either, so save the suggestion.

Moving on.

Shampoo.  Because I am a good Girl Scout and always prepared, I will purchase a new bottle of shampoo before I actually run out of the old stuff.  Usually it is a different brand or fragrance.  Whatever grabs me or is cheap.  Once I get it home I can't resist using it --just once-- before I'm finished with the old bottle.  Oooooh!  I feel so underhanded and rebellious when I do that!  Sad what thrills me.

How about books?  A new book that has yet to be dog eared, dropped in the tub, highlighted, or jelly smudged (have I mentioned I read when I eat lunch?) is a treasure to open for the first time.

Here's more off the top of my head:
Can of paint.
Nail polish or lipstick.
Pack of gum.
Bag of potato chips.

What else?

LJ