These are a few of my favourite things that I can't have here.

In a very short week, I'll be home and I must say, I'm excited.

Of course I miss the people most of all -- family, friends and, it goes without saying, Chevy the dog.  That's a given.

But loved ones aside, I miss a few other things quite a bit, and I plan on indulging in them at least a few times over the month I will be at home:

• Baths  Showers are good and all, but there's nothing like soaking in warm water and reading a book or even having a glass of wine.
• Sleeping on a real bed    Two words:  Bunk beds.  One number: 31 (years). The two should not mix.
• Tim Horton's hot chocolate and coffee  I will very very likely be scratching this itch within an hour of landing in our fair country.  Sweet.
• marshmallows  It's not that I'm a huge fan or anything, but the marshmallows here are just odd and fake tasting. 
• Poutine  It is a crime that this has not caught on elsewhere, but to be fair, no one makes cheese curds like Quebec (actually, does anyone even try?)
• Air popped popcorn and Kernels  I don't think my love of puffy deliciousness is a secret. It was generally the main component of one meal a week back in Canada. I think I'm suffering from withdrawal.
• Butter tarts  yet another delicacy that hasn't gone global for some unknown reason. Shame.
• Maple Syrup  self explanatory.
• Chips of the all dressed and cheddar variety  They have lots of very good chips here (or crisps as they say in NZ) and in flavuors we don't have in Canada -- Lamb and mint, chicken, balsamic vinegar and onion, sweet and tangy, etc.  But no all dressed or plain cheddar (or dill pickle for that matter, but I don't like them anyway, so I'm OK with that)
• Sandwhiches from La Botegga in Ottawa  Take the best sandwhich you have ever had and throw it to the ground, stomp on it, spit on it, and turn your back on it and walk away to La Botegga and get yourself the most mouth-watering square of cheese, meat and bread you will ever have.  mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
• Pizza from either Picollo's in Lafontaine, or Lorenzo's or Collonade in Ottawa  This part of the world has tons of great Thai, Indian, Japanese, Turkish and Cantonese food.  But for some reason, pizza eludes them.  The crust is dry and bland.  the sause uninspired.  Cheese is woefully scant. Oh, the humanity.  I want a slice (or 5) of pizza dripping with greese and tastiness. 
• President's Choice fizzy water  It's so good, so healthy, and so cheap!
• My mom's granola and soup
  (not together, obviously).  My mom may not know how to glaze a ham to perfection, or how to braise a lamb shank (she's a vegetarian), but the woman makes the best granola and soup.  Bar none.
• Christmas cookies, both the baking and consuming of them  Sugar cookies, shortbread, ginger bread, and -- a personal favourite -- peanut butter balls.  You will be mine.  Oh yes, you will be mine. 

Feel free to enable me in this endeavour.  As you can imagine, I will very likely be putting on 10 pounds or so over the month.  Be warned.