This challenged was issued to me by a friend via email, so I thought I'd put it out here for myself, and anyone else brave enough to do it.
The challenge is.... for 8 straight days, no matter how minuscule the thing, you have to write about something that makes you happy.
That's right;
happy. Big things, medium things, completely trivial things, doesn't matter. The important part is to spend 8 days, more than a week, actually documenting at least one thing a day that make you smile or warm your heart. For instance, if I had started yesterday, ONE of my things would have been the fact that I was the first person to use the tube of toothpaste.
It's supposed to be 8 separate entries (like her 8 separate emails, which are great, btw), but I don't think I'll be doing that. Not my style. I'll just keep updating this one. She gave me the challenge 3 days ago, but I wanted to wait until a day I needed to be happy to start. I picked today, Sam's would-be 23rd birthday.
Day 1: Thursday, August 13, 2009 --Finally remembering to check/read the comments section of Mindsay and seeing that people were speculating about my last post. SO sweet to see that people remember things about me and in general, are concerned with what's going on in my life. You guys are awesome <3.
-- How delicious this honeydew melon tastes.
-- Not setting my alarm for this morning and still
waking up at the exact minute my clock would have gone off, at 6:04. That means my body is STILL in the right mode, and if I ever DIDN'T set my alarm to go to work, I'd be able to wake up in time and get where I have to go.
-- Postcard from Jess during her trip to London/Europe. I looooooooove my ex-roommate. If I could move back to NY, I would live with her again in a HEARTBEAT.
-- Two GREAT episodes of M*A*S*H being on. One with FLAGG, who is an amazing character in all of the episodes he guested in, which might be 8 - 12. And then the one called "The General Flipped at Dawn", whose amazingness I can't word. Everyone should watch MASH.
Day 2: Friday, August 14, 2009 -- My banana telling me to 'Place sticker on forehead. Smile'.
-- The first 'Jess' episode of Gilmore Girls being on. So far, that's 2 days in a row that I've written about being happified by something on TV, which is not par for the course for me, but it's true; I LOVE the Jess episodes of Gilmore Girls. He's such an ass, but though I avoided the series throughout its run, he drew me in.
-- The sunshine, blue skies, and puffy white clouds currently sitting outside my window, begging me to come play in them. DONE; has summer
finally arrived, though some of the leaves are changing?!!?
-- Finding a movie called, "Asian Wang Riders". Yeah... clearly an adult movie by that title, but made me smile.
-- Finding the ring Michaela gifted me my last trip to NY. Beautiful.
-- Getting invited to Elana and Menlo's engagement party. I've been alerted the 'kids' aren't invited to the actual affair, but I can't wait to see my family Sept. 26th :)
Day 3: Saturday, August 15, 2009 -- Waking up (at 6:45) with Jackson sleeping and purring on my bed. That means the evil dog is at work with my mom, and that of all the spots in the entire house he could curl up, he picked mine.
-- Taking a walk at the Rec with mom and Ugly (the dog). I don't like having her there, but I like walking with mom, and I like getting exercise after a week of a LOT of being unable to stop eating.
-- Getting to see Olivia whilst hiking in the woods TWICE. She's my favorite of the lifeguards at the pool, and has been for the last 4 years. I love Livi.
-- Still having no
idea who Kim Kardashian is. Or her sisters. Or these Jon and Kat people. Or Miley Cyrus. Very happy to report I could walk past any of them on the street and have no idea that I had just done so.
-- Re-hearing my Dad's Woodstock story in honor of its anniversary.
Day 4: Sunday, August 16, 2009 -- Thinking about E and D's story featuring 'Aunt Yo Mama' and of course, the protagonist, 'Yo Homy jin jin' (sic). I miss those boys sooooooo much.
-- Today being day 4. 4 is my favorite number.
-- Finishing Nicole's birthday card. It's a fishbowl, with a bunch of fish (her, her sister, and her brother's faces are glued onto some of the fish to be funnier), and inside it says, "it's your birthday - get FISHFACED". I meant to get a pic of Dave Matthews, her faaaaaaaaavorite (since she moved on from Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin), onto one of the fish, but it's not done. Oops.
-- Finding a really beautiful dresser for my new apartment for a mere $20.
-- Going to the pool at the rec for the first time as a 'G.P. (general public)'. Just sitting by the pool, reading, listening to music, tanning, NOT watching the campers in the pool. I love watching the kids swim and have fun, but ... today, it's just me.
-- Sunday Night Traditions. Reading overheardinnewyork.com and PostSecrets. So voyeuristic of me, but I can't help it.
Day 5: Monday, August 17, 2009 -- Watching Gavin and Jake having a rip-roaring good time playing a game outside. I don't understand all the rules, but it involves the garden hose, a stick, and a lot of yelling, so it's a good time.
-- Getting a dresser for my new apartment for $20.00. And then getting a call from the guy who I left the 20 bucks for and him saying, "uh, I thought you were gonna take the neon green shelves, too, as part of the 20 bucks payment". SO NOW I HAVE SOME SHELVES FOR MY CLASSROOM, TOO!
-- Setting up my filing system. So nerdy, but SO necessary.
-- Email back from Aaron. Aaron's the one who's gonna be living ON the same floor as me in the apartment. The other 2 haven't written back yet, but I think contact w/ Aaron is going to be most important, because I have to be comfortable enough with this kid within about 2 weeks' time to share a bathroom with him. HOPING he got that I was joking around in the email (I HATE how that never seems to translate).
-- Reading. I am only on page 262 of about 500+ of
FOREVER, by Pete Hammill, but I'm going to recommend it anyway. It's taken a long time to finally get to the premise the back of the book talks about (260 pages to finally earn immortality), but now I can't wait to see how it turns out.
-- Erica calling to say: "I was thinking on Wednesday, since last time you came shopping with me, you and I could check out the Science Center like you wanted to". OMG -- EEEEEE! I am so excited to geek out at the Science Center in Hartford and see what it's like.
-- Phone with Arsenio. I am PRETTY sure he's the same guy from our last stay, the one who made it magical. Hope he works Tuesday nights : ).
Day 6: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 -- Putting things into my bag to go to Hartford in a few hours. I know it's completely frivolous to go spend a night in a hotel in Hartford just to see a friend, but it's also necessary, having been so lonely all summer. I'm really happy we have a place we can meet halfway to see each other.
-- The Hot Tub.
-- Amazing Desk Attendant (aka Arsenio) remembering us from our previous trip.
-- An onion a dream.
-- Seeing 'my husband'. Okay, so by 'seeing' I mean, I saw his picture in the paper; we are in no way in any sort of relationship. But he got written up because he's a 24 year old (samesies) corrections officer (aka, works with kids who would have been in my class if they were in elementary school) who is using up his sick/vacation time because he donated his bone marrow to a random kid from a donor list. He said he did it so the kid would know that there are people out there who just care about humanity. Pretty much, he's
perfect. Oh; and 'Daniel Katz' haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas to be Jewish :).
Day 7: Wednesday, August 19, 2009 -- Connecticut Science Center <33.
-- Billy Joel. Live. One day, will get to see him in concert.
-- Guacamole. More Guac than 2 ppl should eat in a lifetime, but felt right.
-- 500 Days of Summer. Go see it, if for no other reason than its soundtrack. Great.
-- New Found Glory's Hoodwink performance. Not as good as when I saw it live, but still AMAZING. I mean... I L O V E T H E M . I don't care if that's not cool anymore. I love them.
-- Not pulling over/into a parking lot when someone was driving right behind me for a period of more than 10 seconds. That is HUGE for me. I HATE having ppl drive behind me - it freaks me out.
Day 8: Thursday, August 20, 2009 -- Waking up, and my first thought being, 'it's Jessica's birthday'. Still. After not seeing her for more than 6 years, she still means that much to me. Camp friends really are like sisters.
-- Eating at Hope & Olive. Delicious.
-- Getting in touch with Mary Ellen, the teacher who did my program last year, to set up a meeting and maybe get some of the damn supplies tomorrow. NOT happy that I have to go do the leg work when THAT isn't my job, but happy to finally be able to DO something in my room.
-- Free peaches.
-- Writer's Block being lifted. The drought is finally over...ish.
-- Having Weezer stuck in my head. Perfect.
Day 9: Friday, August 21, 2009 -- My salad at lunch today. Crispy, cool, and delicious, with my homemade salad dressing.
-- Driving home in the thunderstorm. But ONLY because it made me think of "Made with lightning...REAL lightning" and made me laugh. Yuck it up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRuNxHqwazs. Prepare to feel uncomfortably energetic.
-- Watching the 2nd video after watching the first to post it here. I hate the beginning, with the guy in the desert, but if you can get past that... not bad.
love
