Number 12 - 500 things that make me happy.

Number twelve of my 101 things is to make a list of 500 things that make me happy... so here we go! I'll add them as I go, and cross them off as I "re-experience them".

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500 things that make me happy (besides money and material objects):

1. cityscapes.
2. sunsets.
3. silhouettes.
4. being awake to see the sun rise.
5. standing outside in a downpour of rain.
6. the smell of rain.
7. the sound of cars driving in the rain.
8. city lights at night.
9. black and white photography.
10. candid portraits.

11. cats purring beside me as I fall asleep.
12. green eyes.
13. the sound of hymns in a cathedral.
14. taking a shower with the lights off.
15. falling asleep in the car on a late night, long drive home.
16. bed sheets and towels fresh from the dryer.
17. when someone puts a blanket over you right as you're falling asleep on the couch.
18. waking up at three a.m. and realising you still have hours left to sleep.
19. lowercase letters and proper punctuation.
20. putting chips in sandwiches.

21. the feeling of the wheels leaving the ground when a plane first takes flight.
22. the feeling in your stomach when you drive quickly over a hill or right when a roller coaster starts its plunge.
23. the ache in your muscles the morning after doing something active... the good kind of ache.
24. the sound of rain when you're inside a tent.
25. falling asleep in the sun.
26. building forts out of blankets and pillows and brooms (to hold the blanket up, obviously).
27. unexpected compliments, especially from people you don't know.
28. flirting with someone who flirts back.
29. love. love. love. love. love.
30. laughing so hard your stomach hurts and you think you might pee.

31. the climactic crescendo in a powerful piece of music.
32. pirates. come on. they're pirates.
33. slow dancing in unromantic places... that feel romantic anyway, because it's you and it's them and you're dancing.
34. the smell of freshly but grass in the summer.
35. turning the cold water up at the end of your hot shower.
36. laser tag.
37. watching men play pool. but only when they play it well. and wear jeans. and push their sleeves up and concentrate.
38. European accents.
39. cowboy boots. and hats.
40. the smell of trees and moss and wet, green air.

41. street photography.
42. the smell of wood burning in the autumn.
43. the first frost of the year.
44. Christmas carols.
45. Starbucks during Christmas time.
46. candlelit mass.
47. candlelit baths with music in the background.
48. nights when it's warm enough to walk around after dark without a coat.
49. the sound and smell of the ocean at night.
50. good coffee pairings. and good wine pairings.

51. right after every single article of clothing has been washed, dried, and put away.
52. your bedroom right after a good, deep cleaning and organising.
53. leaving the store spotless and prepped at night. (Starbucks made it on my list not once, or twice, but three times.)
54. Starbucks culture amongst people who actually know it, appreciate it, and live it to its full capacity. (four times.)
55. regular customers/people you interact with on a minor scale on a day-to-day basis who make your day when everything else can go to hell.
56. romanian pop music.
57. lists of things. anything, really. grocery lists. playlists. lists of goals. lists of things to do.
58. concession stands at baseball games. spits, freezies, chips, pop, and penny candies.
59. friends whom you can call at two in the morning without hesitation and know that they won't mind.
60. finger painting and clapping games and reliving one's childhood.

61. blasting songs and cranking up the bass in the car with the windows rolled down.
62. long stretches of deserted roads through the country.
63. mountains on the horizon.
64. pretending to be all gangsta an' shit.
65. men in all black suits. black shirt, black tie, black everything. especially if they're blond. and have russian accents.
66. 24 and/or tv shows/movies with espionage/politics/action/deviosness/etc.
67. the satisfaction of making personal ringtones for every caller on your contact list.
68. the satisfaction of organising every song in your iTunes, including which album they're from and finding the correct cover art for every album.
69. cramming people into photo booths at the mall.
70. heart-shaped lockets with pictures inside.

71. acoustic guitar.
72. piano - just piano and a voice singing along.
73. climbing into bed with any of my best friends and just snuggling.
74. men who smell nice.
75. men with a five o'clock shadow/a bit of scruff, especially if they rub it against my neck.
76. animals who want to be wherever you are - at the foot of your bed, napping beside the bathtub while you're bathing, waiting at the door for you to get home, etc.
77. foot massages. and back massages. and scalp, and face, and anywhere massages.
78. soaking your feet in warm water after a long day.
79. curling up with a cup of tea and a blanket when it's miserable outside.
80. the smell of coffee in the morning.

81. songs that take you back.
82. that feeling you get when you're first falling in love, and you know it, and you're not sure if you want to celebrate or flee or both and you just cry and whisper it to yourself out loud and part of you, though scared as hell, comes alive.
83. the smell of cinnamon and vanilla.
84. love letters.
85. post-it notes.
86. meaningful graffiti.
87. poems with amazing closing lines.
88. the smell of horses.
89. and the smell of farms - reminds me of home.
90. late night walks in small towns.

91. laying down in the middle of the road and looking at the stars.
92. when your bed is so comfortable in the morning that you don't want to move because you're literally in physical bliss.
93. coming home to the smell of someone cooking you dinner.
94. classic board games.
95. finally beating a really hard video game level. feelings of self-worth soar.
96. flipping your pillow over in the middle of the night.
97. the silence of snow falling.
98. a single track of footprints through the snow.
99. the heaviness of the air right before a storm.
100. holding hands with mittens on. always. always.

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ADDED: 12/05/09

101. receiving notifications on Facebook.
102. Argentine tango.
103. grinding up against a cute man in a club.
104. screaming a song so loud with a group of people that your voices all meld together.
105. thunder so loud you can feel it in your chest.
106. playing music so loud on your headphones that it sounds like it's coming from inside of your head.
107. bread fresh out of the oven.
108. cheesecake.
109. when my baby sister says "hello" on the phone.
110. tobogganing.

111. snow on evergreen trees.
112. coming inside and defrosting after being out in the snow.
113. tea with my mom late at night or incredibly early in the morning.
114. the feeling of freshly shaved legs against silk or soft sheets.
115. laughing at Celenia's ESL moments.
116. long hand-written messages inside cards.
117. freckles.
118. lying in bed all day with someone and just... talking.
119. kisses.
120. sex.

121. holding hands.
122. when someone strokes my skin.
123. playing piano.
124. when someone makes eye contact with me and sincerely smiles.
125. when someone draws on my back.
126. when someone brushes hair out of my eyes.
127. when someone pats my head affectionately.
128. when someone plays with my hair.
129. staying in a bookstore reading on the floor until you forget where you are.
130. a gooooood stretch after a nap.