Happy Happy Joy Joy

I have a bit of a reputation as a pessimist. I prefer to think of myself as a realist with glass half-empty tendencies. But just because I'm not a jumpy claps "Super Fantastic!" kind of girl, that doesn't mean there aren't many things that bring me joy. And it's almost always the tiny moments. Sure, standing on the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower makes my face hurt from grinning, but I only get to do that every several years. Every day happy is a bit more reliable. And yet so much easier to overlook. Some things I try to appreciate each and every time:

1) The muffled cracking sound ice makes in a glass when I pour in my drink. And Diet Coke does it, too, before you all mention a 12 Step program.

2) Going to see a movie, getting there in time for all the previews, and they're all movies I can't wait to see.

3) Walking into a bookstore and unexpectedly seeing a new book by the author of a book I loved.

4) Waking up and looking at the clock, and realizing I still have three hours until the alarm goes off.

5) Kissing someone for the first time. And for the 200th time. But the first time is pretty great.

6) A snowy day, a full fridge, a good book, and no place I have to be.

7) Nachos with extra guacamole. Or pizza with extra mushrooms. It's like a cheese-covered Sophie's Choice. 

8) Having a cold beer on my patio after work, in the summertime at twilight.

9) Happening upon a word I don't quite recognize, and looking it up. I realize this makes me a huge geek. A huge happy logophilic geek.

10) A kitty, a couch and flannel pajamas. Or an office, a blog, and a jingle bell tinkling behind me, like it is right now. Some poor catnip something or other is getting the snot kicked out of it.

11) Reading old emails from someone I once loved. This has the potential to quickly take a turn towards the unhappy, so my advice is to keep just the nice ones.

12) Baking for no reason other than to make my kitchen smell all butterysugary.

13) A coffee shop, a good friend, and free refills.

14) Seeing my Mom pull into my drive for a weekend visit.

15) Pancakes very late on a Sunday morning. Or very late on a Saturday night.

16) The hand of someone special on the small of my back. And no, creepy guy at the bar who wants to buy me and my friend a drink, you don't count as "someone special".

17) A stack of new magazines, a cup of tea, cookies, then a nap. Bliss.

18) Having my friends over, looking around my living room, and seeing everyone laughing, chatting and having a great time. Or trash talking each other over some bogus Scattergories point grab.

19) The first strawberry shortcake of summer. Followed about 8 minutes later by the second strawberry shortcake of summer. Who can eat just one serving of perfection? Weirdos, that's who.

20) Making someone belly laugh.

21) Listening to music in a house lit only by candles. This is doubtlessly more enjoyable seeing as how I never developed a fondness for Megadeth.

22) Glass of wine. Jazz c.d. Cutting board. Mezzaluna. This jumps into the Happy Hall of Fame if I'm cooking with someone else. This may be an excuse to have a man roll up his sleeves and feed my borderline forearm fetish. I'm okay with that. Chop the cilantro.

23)  Cupcakes. Red velvet with cream cheese frosting.

24) Finding the perfect birthday card for someone.

25) Planning to do something that scares me. Doing it. Doesn't matter if I do it well, only that it scared me and I did it anyway.

Some of these (1, 4, 9, 17 and, luckily, 20) are part of my day all the time. Others (3, 5, 16 and, thankfully for my ass, 23) are few and far between. But I always notice them, because when it comes right down to it, true joy might just be in the details. Now if I could just do something about #22...