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REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL, PART III (again):
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September 9th, 2005

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL, PART III (again) @ 10:05 am

Current Mood: bouncy
Current Music: Ian Dury

OK. There's enough sorrow and horror to last a lifetime these last two weeks.

It's Friday. Let's take a quick break.

Let's resurrect that semi-tradition here at Muskrat Ramblings: REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL, PART III.

The Rules: Name three - and only three - things that make you happy. Ideally, these should be small, easily taken for granted things. But if there's something big you'd like to share, share away!

Here are mine.

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL, PART III

1) GET FUZZY. This has become my favorite comic strip by far. I mean, seriously, wow. It almost never fails to amuse. And, since its style is so unlike my own, I feel like I'm learning cartooning all over again. (Minor quibble - Satchel gets a bit more annoyed at Bucky these last few months, as if he's "on" to him. Clueless Satchel is far better than Cynical Satchel, in my book. But these last two weeks have been priceeless). So, who knows how I can meet Darby? (Pearls Before Swine is also quite brilliant, IMHO)

2) MY FRENCH PRESS COFFEE POT. I'm sorry. I must mean Freedom Press coffee pot. Anyhoo, I ran out of coffee filters about a month ago, rendering my drip coffee maker tempoarily useless. In desperation, went digging through boxes and drawers for my old French Press coffee pot. The results blew me away. I'd forgotten what a magnificent cup o' Joe (Jaque?) these things make: deep, rich and satisfying beyond words. Especially those times when I can afford Illy coffee. I may have to mortgage the house...

3) MY GROUNDHOG. Well, not "my" groundhog. But along with the wild turkeys, he's been coming by the backyard pretty regularly, feasting on the nuts fallen from the trees. I half expect, Caddyshack style, him to start grooving to "I'm Alright."

Yes, three things indeed that brighten up my days.

Your turn.

And what the hell. Let's pass this on. Let's Meme this puppy!

I tag ALL OF YOU!
 
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Comments

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From:[info]autumnsfire
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:14 pm (UTC)
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Three reasons to be cheerful:

1) New job, I love it. Working in Technical writing and at a company that I can handle and who can work with me. Plus, any company that gives me three days off the week after I start for Gencon has a plus in my book.

2) My cats. I have two. Lazy and Crazy (Actual names are Corrigan and Aideen, but the first fit better). While one doesn't do anything that she absolutely doesn't have to, and this includes playing with toys (if it's out of her reach, she gives up), the other one licks bags, runs around like crazy and will flop on her back or bump her head against someone to get attention. It's very cute and always a smile bringer.

3) Gaming/Getting my Geek on. I'm a gamer/comic dork/geek, I admit it, but it's my way of relaxing and to be honest, I enjoy it. It's a few hours a week doing something other than the mundane, where I can stretch my imagination and in the end, it helps with my writing of short stories and such. So...more getting geek on.
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From:[info]romney
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:17 pm (UTC)
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Is including "Dork Tower" in the list a) Mandatory b) assumptive or c) sycophancy ?
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From:[info]e_juliana
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:19 pm (UTC)
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My three reasons (I'll probably cross-post this to my journal):

1) Autumn is coming up fast, and autumn in Minnesota is one of my favorite things in the world. The smell, the colors, the sounds... So very nice.

2) Both of the shows I'm working on are on track to sell very well. They're also very good pieces of theater. Doing good work is very cheerful-making.

3) I'm in the best shape I've been in in a while. All the better to run the marathon with, my dear....

Thanks for doing this.
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From:[info]skexy
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:19 pm (UTC)
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A french press really is does make one of the best cups of coffee anywhere.
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From:[info]mollyred
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:20 pm (UTC)
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1. Keren Ann. Bee-yoo-tee-ful music from a bee-you-tee-ful French girl. (Freedom girl? that doesn't make much sense now does it?)

2. OK, speaking of France. I also give thee A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke. A light, amusing read for Francophobes and Francophiles alike. See, we all CAN get along. **Just please ignore the fact that it has THE WORST COVER ART, EVER!!!!**

3. My new Rio Carbon I just got for my birthday! Yay!
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From:[info]gamerguy
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:21 pm (UTC)
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Satchel really does know that Bucky is an evil, deceitful little prick but chooses to ignore it most of the time because he thinks of Bucky as his friend :) If you haven't read the collections, look at the most recent one. There's a sequence in there where Bucky finally does make Satchel really, truly mad. He grabs Bucky and pretty much says that, 'Hey, I'm like five times your size and if I really wanted to I could snap you like a twig, but you're my friend so I don't.'
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From:[info]mind_of_richard
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:23 pm (UTC)
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1. The pond (pictures coming). The apartments that Ari and I call home have a huge pond in the middle with a nice walking path circling it. The pond is shrouded in woods, and the whole spot is a place of peace and tranquility. Every day since we moved there, we have walked around the pond, as well as the natural trail that follows a creek that feeds into it. The pond is home to a lot of ducks and fish, and occasional we can see other forms of aquatic bird life.

2. My butcher. Prior to moving to Wisconsin I had a butcher in Park Ridge who I went to weekly for all my fish, meat and poultry. Since moving back I was happy to learn he still remembered me, and was still able to get me my organic and free range meat I like. After being unable to get good quality fresh fish for so long, it is nice to go to a place that knows what I like and be able to buy it.

3. Hot water. When we moved into the new apartment we had very little water pressure and hit or miss hot water. After weeks of complaining, the hunting down the problem, the whole building now has scalding hot water, and water pressure.

So what makes you cheerful?
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From:[info]gryphonrose
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:28 pm (UTC)
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1. My little girl. I have pictures up in my office, and all I have to do is look at one to lighten my day.
2. My wife. It's a wonder she puts up with me. Esp. now that she's pregnant again.
3. My house. We've been in our first home for almost a year now (it'll be a year in November). We still haven't unpacked a few boxes or hung more than a few pictures, but we still look around sometimes and think "wow, we own our own home!"
From:[info]sphinxcat
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:31 pm (UTC)
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1 my 2 daughters. They're ages 1 and 3, beautiful, funny, sweet... and mine lol. No matter how bad my day has been, they always make me feel awesome.

2 my job. I know, what? I'm working as a colorist for a friend's comic (http://www.halloweenman.com) for an issue. It's one step closer to my dream job, I don't even care that I'm not getting paid.

3 it's nearly autumn. It's my favorite season of the year, and it means that my favorite holiday, Halloween, is right around the corner. All I've gotta do is decide if I'm gonna be catwoman (Julie Newmar version) or a 1960s spy chick. lol
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From:[info]everflow
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:32 pm (UTC)
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My Sailor Moon Stuff, (such a geek) lets me forget and think that in the end the world can be ruled by love and friendship

Coke: everyone needs there caffinee I like mine in a can

Web Cartoons: What can I say they keep me smiling and let me take a bad day and know someone else out there has it worst.
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From:[info]yshaloo
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:33 pm (UTC)
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1) it's payday, and i have a small shipment of books headed my way from amazon.

2) i have an interview today for a job i don't necessarily want. however, it means that i have OPTIONS other than my current job.

3) plans with friends this weekend, sushi and hanging out!
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From:[info]scottbateman
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:35 pm (UTC)
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All-music edition of Reasons To Be Cheerful:

1. The new Opeth album, Ghost Reveries.
2. Jandek's first-ever performance in NYC on Tuesday, where he played the organ for the entire show, an instrument that has never appeared on any of his 40+ albums or at his three previous concerts.
3. The Legendary KO's MP3, "George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People."
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From:[info]prodigal
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:36 pm (UTC)
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If you aren't reading Narbonic, you owe it to yourself to. http://www.narbonic.com
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From:[info]hedgetrimmer
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:38 pm (UTC)
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1) an old lady saying hello to me in the street - not something that happens often in Dublin, which is a comment on our times.
2) Thinking of love, and having someone who loves me.
3) looking at my writings and thinking, "Hey, I have done stuff. Maybe I *am* a writer" :)
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From:[info]stellabambino
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:38 pm (UTC)
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Funny enough, I know Darby's brother. Don't know if he's still in Athens though. I'll make some calls.
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From:[info]legion_i_am
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:40 pm (UTC)
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Having not participated in previous "reasons to be cheerful" posts, I'll start with the big things.

1) My kids. They make me proud to be their dad. John for his integrity and sharp wit. Amanda for her sticking through school when I KNOW it is very hard for her. I'm proud of them both.

2) My Girlfriend. [info]muppet_sue has been wonderful. it's been a couple months now and it just seems to keep getting better. Thank you for being so amazing.

3) My puppy, George. George makes me happy EVERY day. he's always so happy to see me and he dances around so very happily. His joy is so overwhelming that he can't be touched. you must just simply watch him dance till he's got it worked out of himself to the point where petting him won't make him rupture :)
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From:[info]lucfia
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:40 pm (UTC)
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1. sitting on the bus going through Heathrow Airport and sneaking a peek at the planes over the barriers as the bus is tall enough to get a clear view.

2. watching the chillies on my plants ripen as its the first time iv grown anything thats fruited indoors

3. falling asleep on the sofa, then being put to bed and tucked in like a kid, its just that not quite awake and not quite asleep state that makes everything seem fuzzy and warm
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From:[info]delazan
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:40 pm (UTC)

My list

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My list can be found on my blog:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/delazan/37908.html

I also tagged others to do the same. This is going to be fun.
-Lori
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From:[info]corwinofamber
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:40 pm (UTC)
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  1. My "baby" brother came to town for Dragon*Con, and spent the rest of this week at Mom and Dad's house, so we had a mini-reunion.

  2. Since I was also spending the week at Mom and Dad's, I got lots of home-cooked meals this week. (And she's fixing pecan pancakes, with her homemade blueberry jam instead of syrup, for breakfast tomorrow!)

  3. Today is payday. :P
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From:[info]gbsteve
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:42 pm (UTC)
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Free theatre tickets
It's On the Ceiling by Nigel Planer (Neil of the Young Ones) at the Garrick. I got the tickets through our the Civil Service social club who has about 3 of these offers a month!

Cricket
It's game 5 of the Ashes and England are still not out of it! With some help from the weather, it's currently raining in London, and a modicum of application, the boys should be able to clinch the series. That said, English teams are past masters at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. But whilst I've got fingernails left, I'm happy.

Tea and buns
Apart, they're pretty damn good but together it's a winning combination. Who cares about the waistline, give me tea! And buns!
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From:[info]rhianona
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:43 pm (UTC)
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1) A nice cup of freshly brewed loose leaf tea;
2) The smell of the earth during and after a summer thunder/rainstorm
3) My cats purring on my lap while I cross stitch.
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From:[info]mjolnir_babe
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:44 pm (UTC)
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1. a job five minutes from my house, oh so much better than the hour+ commute i recently had.
2. my new tattoo. though painful to get and itchy right now, its a beauty! :)
3. my pets. various and sundry though they may be, they brighten my day.
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From:[info]kittengirly
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:45 pm (UTC)

Happiness is . . .

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1) On-line comic strips. Thanks to my Hubby, I'm hooked on not only Dork Tower, but Sluggy Freelance, Homestarrunner, and Two Lumps. Plus all the syndicated ones that our local paper doesn't carry I can read online.

2) Helping my best friend with her wedding. My own wedding was out of control and not at all how I wanted it, but it's fun helping her plot and plan and getting to taste wedding cake! Mmm, cake. . .

3) Books. If it weren't for books, I'd be a mad woman. If it weren't for my local library, I'd be in the poorhouse. Thank you, Andrew Carnegie!
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From:[info]rachet
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:55 pm (UTC)
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As a ferret owner I absolutely adore Get Fuzzy.

And I agree about Pearls Before Swine. Excellent.
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From:[info]red_tanya
Date: September 9th, 2005 03:57 pm (UTC)
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Happiness is living in the moment, so I'll share what's making me happy RightExactlyNowThisSecond:

1. [info]hackard will be joining me for a movie tonight that I think he'll enjoy. So will a bunch of other wonderful people. They are all good at hugs, and the movie (The Aristocrats) is extremely funny. Alamo Drafthouse is playing it, so there will be good food and drinks to be had during the movie. I'm so excited, I keep looking at the clock to see whether it's time to go to tonight's showing yet. :)

2. It is a gorgeous day here in Austin. Sure, it's hot, but it's beautiful. And I'm in air conditioning, so I can just look outside and enjoy it. (My office looks out over treetops and into the sky. Birds like to come sit on the railing next to the window and seem to stare into the office at me. They're actually staring at their own reflections, but it's fun to watch.)

3. There is some Twining's Darjeeling tea in the break room, ready for me to fix it and bring a little more enjoyment to my morning. There's even fresh whole milk in the fridge to add to my tea. :)

Your groundhog, by the way, is intriguing. I've never seen one in the suburbs, where I live. We get deer, though.
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Dork Tidings

Muskrat Ramblings for Now People
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL, PART III (again):
Dork Tower | Recent Entries | Archive | Friends | User Info | Previous Entry | Next Entry