Recently, Guardian columnist Victoria Coren Mitchell wrote about how oppressive the current news cycles are and then suggested a list of things that make her happy. I think this is both an excellent idea and a relatively stress-free exercise for someone looking to maintain a weekly blog-posting schedule.
In that spirit, here is my list.
Clouds that look like animals.
The soundtrack to Hamilton. And seeing Lin-Manuel Miranda’s schoolboy grin on the TV. And on YouTube. Obsessions can make a person happy, right?
Bacon. Obvs.
Setting up a new computer. Although, this is only if it all goes to plan. Any hiccup in the process makes the whole thing hellish.
Saturday morning explorations of downtown. Not a euphemism.
Winning the Champions League in FIFA 2017 on “Professional” mode.
Steak, BBQ, meat, meat, meat.
The anti-Toska.
Nights outs that get cancelled and are then surprise night ins.
Guillermo Del Toro.
Marrying someone who has never seen 30 Rock or the West Wing and getting to show her the whole damn thing.
The comic timing of David Sedaris. The rough-edged poetry of Tom Waits.
A comfortable seat at the movies. And, while we’re at it, a dark movie theater when the movie starts. When did that stop being a thing? And three or four trailers, max. Not 30 minutes of movies-we-didn’t-come-here-to-see.
Playing office basketball, with just a crumpled up sheet of paper, a wastepaper basket, and a Friday afternoon ahead of you.
Re-naming raccoons “Trash Pandas”.
Smells…coffee, a stormy sky, cocoa, a wet dog, a loved one.
The love of a good woman who improves every part of my life.
The absence of a God or gods so we can take responsibility for ourselves.
Please feel free to add your own entries in the comments below.
Small Change on Strangers 