Sunday, June 01, 2014

Reasons to be Cheerful

Having posted about what gets me down the other day I was challenged to post about what makes me happy. I didn't want to take too long over it so I stopped at 100. Here goes, accompanied by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, obvs:

1. Having a knowledge of, and access to, five decades of music.

2. The perfect juxtaoposition of alcohol, olive and bake-product.

3. Lists.

4. A clever use of words.

5. Polishing good people into great people.

6. Discovering hidden depths in the truth.

7. West Brom victories. A Saturday when all four of my family's teams win on the same day.

8. Sons.

9. Laughing with friends.

10. Deep and serious conversations that potentially change the world.

11. Labradors, other retrievers, border collies.

12. Garden birds.

13. Spending money.

14. Having a new DVD box-set.

15. Playing keys in a good band.

16. Numberphile.

17. A pile of books and space to read.

18. The sun-faded-paint colour scheme on Gozo.

19. Really good restaurants.

20. Inventing a new dish.

21. Getting fish cooked right.

22. The introduction to Money for Nothing on the Dire Straits live album with Sting on backing vocals.

23. Likewise Jane by Jefferson Starship.

24. Pretending I'm on Desert Island Discs.

25. New pants.

26. Douglas Adams.

27. A good plot twist.

28. Being insulted for fun.

29. Listening people down.

30. TOMS shoes.

31. KIVA loans.

32. Zen gardens.

33. Vision.

34. That moment when the view through the windscreen matches the soundtrack perfectly.

35. A blank piece of paper.

36. A working day clear of appointments.

37. My Saab 2006-2008.

38. Good real ale served cellar cool.

39. Candy Crush Saga.

40. Beating a pb at the gym.

41. Remembering a name after a think.

42. Slam poets.

43. Being a good example of the gospel.

44. Living near Bristol.

45. Copper foliage - acers, beech.

46. Cheese.

47. Grapefruit.

48. A good cooked breakfast.

49. Bitter enders (you know who you are).

50. Craic.

51. Percussion.

52. A really good busker.

53. Having children around.

54. Taking a good photo.

55. Twitter.

56. Anyone who doesn't take themselves too seriously.

57. Making people laugh.

58. Being able to stand up and stand still after four years of not (1999-2003).

59. Remembering that the idiots will die.

60. Recalling success.

61. Successfully memorising the route to a new destination before setting out.

62. Cold sparkling water on a hot day.

63. Expensive shower products.

64. That moment you realise the new music you are listening to is a work of rare genius.

65. BBC Radio 4's news coverage.

66. Comedy panel quiz shows.

67. Stewart Lee.

68. That my childhood friend and I have sent the same birthday card to each other other for 40 years and he still forgets the date.

69. Bonking and that (I changed this one, if you saw it earlier).

70. Killer heels and a good leg.

71. Having a ticket for something.

72. Google.

73. The Coen Brothers.

74. Roots Shoes, Leamington Spa RIP.

75. The interior of St Mary and St Cuthbert, Chester-le-Street.

76. The absence of horrible, poisonous biting things in the UK.

77. Cooking shows.

78. The English Lake District.

79. Damaris.

80. LICC.

81. Pioneers.

82. 20/20 cricket.

83. Ta Frenc Restaurant, Marsalform.

84. Playing the piano in Holy Trinity, Nailsea when it is empty.

85. Sunday night.

86. Thursday night.

87. Alpine borders.

88. Birmingham.

89. Remembering Radio 4 broadcast one of my stories once.

90. Big handkerchiefs.

91. Christmas morning.

92. Being able to help when asked for directions.

93. Writing a good joke.

94. Live football in a bar.

95. There's something about board games but maybe more about learning them than playing them.

96. Eating where the locals eat.

97. My big leather sofa in the conservatory here.

98. A whiff of unpredictability.

99. Ponds.

100. A walk in the woods.

1 comment:

Mike Peatman said...

I was hoping you'd do this in three parts.