29 September 2011

It also makes me happy...

So, some things from last post's Happylist that people have commented on that may need some explaining:

The folks at Nerland: You know how in Jellicoe Road* they have Houses (also Harry Potter, but this relates more to the ones in Jellicoe Road) and each house has a 'personality'? Well, Nerland has this quirky, strange personality. Their programs inevitably include My Little Pony. When you're there people randomly ask you to model for photos and then bring you flowers (which, I'll admit, was a little creepy. But in a sweet, slightly socially-awkward way.) Also, Nerland is home to Morgan, which is reason enough to put Nerland on the happylist.

Liver and Onions: This came out during a campus devotional we were having. We were talking about topics for next week and I said it didn't really matter what the topic was because I'm interested in basically everything. My lovely friend Jamie then replied "Even Liver and Onions?!" And then I thought about it. And you know what? Liver is really cool. How many vitamins and minerals (good source of IRON, people!) and the form that its in? Or its function?! And then you think about how people have evolved to eat liver. And then, from a whole different angle, you can explore the flavor profile of the liver, and learn why it tastes better with onions, and why the onions taste better when they've been carmelized instead of sweated. And you can think about the taste buds and how they react and the social reactions to liver and the cultures in which liver and onions is a staple food and GOSH.

Yes, its interesting. It can blow your mind, how interesting something is. If you think about it.

Anyways, thanks to everyone who commented! Here's part 2:

It Makes Me Happy (cont.)
22. Snow!

23. Engaging required reading

24. Poetry slams

25. Brett Dennen's lyrics

26. Pure Empower Mint

27. Vegetarian Cooking

28. Twinkly lights

29.  Vlogbrothers proposals

30. Serendipitous encounters

31. Phone conversations with good people
*Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. If you haven't read it, go read it now. It trumps every reading. Homework reading. Newspaper-after-momentous-event reading. If you told me "Sorry, I can't read your blog because I'm reading Jellicoe Road" I will totally understand. And forgive you. And commend you on your reading tastes.

26 September 2011

100th post! It Makes Me Happy...

Hi everyone!

This is my 100th post. A momentous occasion! When I started this over a year ago, I don't think I expected to keep it up this long. And yes, there have been long dry spells. Typos. Tears. (Maybe not tears, but a lot of frustration with internet at least). And it all worked out so far.

This past week, I've been thinking of something big to post about for my centennial post. (is it centennial if its the 100th, or is that 100 years? I'm not sure). I spent a good portion of my time wondering, and finally decided that I don't have anything super huge.

And then today I came home from Feast. And my heart was smiling! And when I got to my room, my roommate got to hear me gush about all the random things that are making me happy. I decided to write it down, on my favorite medium (sorry blog): Yellow legal paper. My plan was to carry around my list in my pocket and add to it as I find things to make me happy.

Rest assured that I'm not trying to quantify happiness. I think its a combination of my love of list making and that huge feeling of gratitude that washes over you when you see that with almost no thinking you have this huge list of things that you're blessed with. I look at that list and think "I'm such a lucky person. I have all of these things to be grateful for" and its just this happy...ness. Try it sometime. Because I bet you that even if you're having a sucky crap day, you can come up with a list. Because these things don't have to be big. Number three on today's list is "squishy firetrucks". I'm not talking top 10 here. I'm talking top as-many-as-you-want.

How does this relate to your blog?? You may ask. And so I don't have a SuperEvent that makes my 100th blog special. But looking at your life and thinking "I like it! I'm happy!" is something to write home about. And so here's the deal: I'm going to start an online version of It Makes Me Happy. I'm not going to explain a lot of the things. So if you want to hear about them, you have to get interactive (this is the fun part)! It can be as easy as leaving a comment like "#3!" (anonymously, if you so desire) or as in depth as an essay (please include the bibliography). I'll read comments (I do that anyway, rather obsessively actually) and then go into a little more detail about whichever numbers you want in my next It Makes Me Happy post. That way, my dear readers, YOU can decide what I talk about (efficacy! Great, huh?) and I get to continue what I love doing: making lists!

Here's the first installment:

It Makes Me Happy
1. Broomball Games
2. Getting texts from Elika
3. Squishy Firetrucks
4. Going to Feast
5. Sending packages
6. NPR podcasts
7. Unity and harmony in Barenaked Ladies songs
8. Unexpired milk
9. The folks in Nerland
10. Bollywood movies
11. Being remembered by people who I didn't think remembered me
12. Free hot dogs
13. My sister
14. Getting Mail
15. Cute relationships between friends
16. Bunk beds
17. Talking with Ecuadorians
18. Deep rock climbing discussions
19. Liver and onions
20. Regina Spektor
21. Goldfish at the Tilly

Don't forget to write comments on which you want to hear more about!