It’s The Little Things

Voltaire said, “I have begun to be somewhat merry because I have been told that that is good for one’s health.”  While “being merry” is more or less a choice, it’s nice to have a little outside help.  Here are some little things that have made me smile.

1. Hearing and seeing the birds in my yard.
2. Pushing my cart around the supermarket while my five year old rides underneath (on the part where you put the jumbo packs of toilet paper).  I get a lot of, “he’s a horrible parent” looks.
3. One time I was at a small zoo where the squirrel monkeys were allowed to climb in the trees outside of their cage.  There was an annoying family there harassing the monkeys, and a monkey peed on one of their children.  Made my day.
4. Using Q-tips.  It’s very satisfying.
5. Swimming in a natural swimming hole.  Creek, lake, river.  Doesn’t matter.
6. Watching an unmanned shopping cart roll across the parking lot.  (Extra points if it hits a BMW)
7. Dr. Pepper.
8. When a really aggressive driver gets in the left lane to pass me and then gets stuck in traffic.  And I get to do the whole head-turn long stare while I roll on past.
9. Sitting down after everyone else has gone to bed.  That way I know that no one can ask me to get up for anything.  (Extra points if I don’t have to get back up to find the remote.)
10. When one of my children says something thoughtful and kind.  A lot of the time I think they’re just tiny vikings.
11. The New England Patriots getting caught cheating at anything.  Hearing that Tom Brady cheats at checkers would not surprise me, and would also make me happy.
12. One lady at our gym.  She’s probably in her sixties.  She slowly gets onto whatever machine that she is going to use, and then frantically pounds out like twenty reps.  It’s hilarious.
13. Post Honey Graham Oh’s.  They’re delicious.
14. Whenever the one magazine I subscribe to arrives in the mail.  Usually I’ve forgotten that I actually have a magazine subscription, so it’s like a gift to myself.
15. Realizing that I am one year younger than I thought I was.
16. Whenever the Pirates win.
17. Hearing my wife say something that makes absolutely no sense when she wakes up from a deep sleep.
18. Laying in a hammock.
19. Combining coupons with the Cartwheel app and the Red card at Target.  I am singlehandedly driving them out of business.
20. Reading a book that has a great twist that I didn’t see coming.
21. Picking my kids up from school.  (Unless they got in trouble.)
22. Free food.  Even if it’s just a sample at the supermarket.  Still a win.
23. Tripping and falling, then looking around and realizing that no one saw me.

LINKS

• I don’t watch a whole lot of soccer, unless it’s the US national team, USA, USA.  Even I know this goal is pretty awesome.
• Today is the 7oth anniversary of VE day.  Here’s a cool write up from USA Today.
• Forgot to add other people falling to the list of things that makes me happy.  This is Shaq falling on TV during a halftime report.  You know it was a good fall because he lost a shoe.
• I mentioned swimming holes.  Here is a website with a countrywide list of places to cool off.  Some are even clothing optional.  Wink wink.