Happy Things!

Inspired by Dr. Freex, I am compiling a list of things that make me happy, or at least, happier. This should by no means be considered complete, and will be updated at intervals.

Happy Things

You know when you're walking into the barn, and you're having a conversation with someone, and you come around the corner and there's your horse, and he's standing in his stall with his ears perked up and forward, because he's heard you coming and he's happy to see you? I love that.

60's movies with Michael Caine. Well, 'The Italian Job, ' 'The Ipcress File, ' and 'The Man Who Would Be King, ' anyway.

SinFest - the web comic, I mean.

Clementines. A pocket-sized seedless sweet orange you can peel with your fingers.
*The* perfect snack.

Chris Barrie. Mostly in Red Dwarf, occasional popups in other comedy series, and that bit in Tomb Raider where he gets a shotgun. Marvelous.

Emulators for old computers. There's nothing like playing the games you used to wait ten minutes for with just a click. A lot of them are still as engaging as you remember, too.
- Specifically on that, the games Silicon Dreams, Scarabaeus, and Rocky's Boots.

Those Donna Karen catalog shoots with Jeremy Irons. Mmmmmmm. #grins#

Anything Edward Gorey has ever drawn. Sure, some of it is desperately depressing, but it's all so well-done and Victorian and grimly funny that it makes me smile anyway.

T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book Of Practical Cats"

John Bellairs' series of horror novels for the younger set. They're creepy and funny and Gothic as all get-out, and the stories are great. My copies are pretty old, and have the awesome Edward Gorey illustrations.

Chocolate digestive biscuits. And that chocolate coffee cheesecake that Tara makes.

Getting new stuff for my horse in the mail. Somehow it's more fun than buying it in a store. In fact, getting anything in the mail is way more fun than buying it outright.

The Hall of Dinosaurs at the Carnegie museum in Pittsburgh. I have never once gone there (and I've been there a fair few times) without being completely delighted every time. There's nothing like looking up into the jaws of a Tyrannosaur skeleton to make your day complete.

A happy rattie hanging out on your shoulder. Especially when they learn that if they run to one side or the other, you'll go in that direction. Then they try to take you to where the food is. :)

Art supplies, and a brand-new blank tablet of good paper.

Samurai movies. The Lone Wolf and Cub ones and ones with Toshiro Mifune get extra
points.

All night Quake Deathmatching sessions with the Gods of Quake. Especially now that I've got a PS2 controller for the PC. I still suck, but it's on my own merits and not because I can't cope with the mouse/keyboard combo.

Really funny TV series. Especially Bottom, the Young Ones, Spaced, MST3K, Upright Citizens' Brigade, Blackadder, Flying Circus, Dangermouse, and the Kids In The Hall.

Plot and character driven anime series. Specifically Trigun (my all time favorite), Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Hellsing.

Speaking of, Trigun- Still my favorite anime series of all time. It's character and plot driven, and follows the life of a man who is determined to do the right thing no matter the cost to himself. And no matter how bad things get, no matter how many times he gets knocked down, he still does the right thing. How can you not love a story like that?

Killer Shrews- Vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, milk, and Kaluha. Mix in blender. Qualifies as a dessert rather than a milkshake.

Take-out Chinese food.

Cool rainy days with lots of fog. Alternatively, bright sunny days, as long as they aren't too hot.