Things that Fill Me With Joy

I had mentioned on Living Dew Free that I was noticing that depression seemed to be approaching me and I've been trying to combat it without going to the doctor & getting a prescription for Effexor (not because I don't like the Effexor. Oh, no. It's because I don't want to take a day off of work & have to ride the bus. I hate the bus. And what am I going to do? Ask Keem to take the day off as well and give me a ride? That's just silly).

Anyway, I've been coming up with a mental checklist of things that make me happy or, in honor of Thanksgiving, things that make me give thanks. And, in order to provide you with some joy as well, here goes. A little list of pick-me-ups, Dana style.

1. Diet Coke with a lime slice, poured by Bobby. There is just something about Bobby that makes the Diet Coke taste that much better. It also might be because I'm at karaoke.

2. Spending time with Beth and Keem. Like last night. Yay!

3. A good book, even re-reading it for the sixth or seventh time. Just finished Birthright by Nora Roberts.

4. Comments on my blogs. I am a feedback junkie and a comment from someone sends a little joy shiver right through me. Which sounds a little odd but seriously, do you know how much I love hearing from you people (see this is proper usage of the phrase you people. There are many of you. Yet so few comments. Sigh).

5. This is weird but I was very excited to find out one of the people who works in my office is gay. I wanted to hug him and say "Good for you." Ask Beth. Occasionally I will clap for no reason and say "So-and-so is gay. Yay!" And she laughs at me. Yes, I am a dork. But, as Michael said, I'm a dork for a good cause.

6. Finding a frog magnet. Looking at it. Looking at my frog collection on my desk.

7. The picture of Ethan Erickson I have which is autographed. He is quite attractive. Look for yourself. For you Buffy fans, he played Percy. I received the picture from a friend, she knows him and mentioned it when I brought up Buffy. It was very exciting. People scream at me, I look at him. I smile.

8. Finding a new post from Beth. Or Firebear. Or DeAnn. Or Dooce. Or anyone that I have blogrolled (but these 4 are listed because they are the ones that I was able to read before I had to start taking calls this morning).

9. Data is growing a beard. For the winter. Because otherwise his skin gets too dry from shaving. Right now he's in that scruffy stage. So now I'm concerned because my head just automatically swivels when he walks by. And it's starting to fill in really nice. I was not aware of the fact that I like men with beards. I knew I liked the scruffy look but now I'm imagining what he's going to look like with the beard. And I am afraid I am going to tackle him and start running my fingers through his beard. I think he's been upgraded from "I may or may not want to lick him" to "Ooh." Which is not good. Not good at all.

10. Powerful voices. Beth & I listened to Janis Joplin sing "Take A Little Piece of My Heart" & Queen Latifah's version of "California Dreaming." If it was possible for music to give you an orgasm, I would be the world's happiest woman. Absolutely beautiful.

11. Listening to the harmony on Closer to Fine by the Indigo Girls. I know you know that I love music and I love to sing but I cannot harmonize. Unless it's a capella. Otherwise the music distracts me and I end up singing exactly what the other person is singing. I have been known, when singing with a choir, to stop paying attention and then be called on the fact that I was singing with the bass section.

Anyway, for you to share the joy, here is the lyrics to the song. I know you can't hear them but maybe the words will intrigue you to explore their music.

Closer To Fine

I'm trying to tell you something about my life
Maybe give me insight between black and white
The best thing you've ever done for me
Is to help me take my life less seriously, it's only life after all
Well darkness has a hunger that's insatiable
And lightness has a call that's hard to hear
I wrap my fear around me like a blanket
I sailed my ship of safety till I sank it, I'm crawling on your shore.

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountain
There's more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in crooked line
The less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine.

I went to see the doctor of philosophy
With a poster of Rasputin and a beard down to his knee
He never did marry or see a B-grade movie
He graded my performance, he said he could see through me
I spent four years prostrate to the higher mind, got my paper
And I was free.

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountain
There's more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in crooked line
The less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine.

I stopped by the bar at 3 a.m.
To seek solace in a bottle or possibly a friend
I woke up with a headache like my head against a board
Twice as cloudy as I'd been the night before
I went in seeking clarity.

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountain
There's more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in crooked line
The less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine.

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountain
There's more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in crooked line
The less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine.

We go to the bible, we go through the workout
We read up on revival and we stand up for the lookout
There's more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in a crooked line
The less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine
The closer I am to fine
The closer I am to fine

Previous Comments:

At 8:33 PM, Rev said...
"If it was possible for music to give you an orgasm"Not only did this make me laugh (quite hard in fact) I think that it IS possible!I hope this is the start of many comments so you can check off #4 for today.By the way, thank you. For what? One word: dooce. You were right when you wrote: "Just go there. You'll thank me later." Thank you, thank you, thank you!
At 10:38 PM, The Lioness said...
I want me some Ethan. I hope the list is enough to stave it off a bit. Till Spring. And this song reminds me so much of israel I am homesicker now. Back to work now. My life is a bloody horror right now. If list fails come round and we can be depressed together. How abt that?
At 1:33 AM, brooksba said...
Dana,I love you. You are wonderful. I like your list of things that fill you with joy. It's a good list to hold onto. You know anytime you need me, I'm here for you. And hopefully I'll be able to drive and pick you up if you want to do something. Keep thinking good thoughts, they help you fly. (Okay, really dorky Peter Pan reference.)Does anyone have some fairy dust?Beth
At 9:56 AM, The Lioness said...
Alright, I'm a bit puzzled. I don't know how to phrase this so it doesn't sound weird or offending. So here goes: why are you happy to meet gay people or that some people are gay? A bit confused, I am. I'm not sleeping again so that could be it
At 12:41 PM, CarpeDM said...
It's a valid question, Lioness. I'm a big supporter of gay rights, a lot of it has to do with the way I was raised, to treat people the same - no matter what race, religion, gender, sexual preference they are. I'm not sure if it's so much that I'm happy that he's gay or if it's that I'm happy that I work for a company where someone can openly admit that he's gay, without fear of repercussions. There are companies where glbt people do run into problems, which is sad.It could also have something to do with the fact that I'm a dork. And that it really doesn't take a lot to make me happy, it just takes more time to look for reasons to be happy. Does this help?
At 2:14 PM, The Lioness said...
"I'm happy that I work for a company where someone can openly admit that he's gay" Ok, this makes more sense in terms of what i've seen of you so far. It just had that slight ring of "Oh you're gay??? That's SO GREAT, congrats!" and that i have a hard time understanding bcs i don't think it'd cross anyone's mind to congratulate me on my heterosexuality. And I couldn't picture you as a member of reverse racism (technical word for that) bcs I do know you don't care what people are as long as they're good. Anyway, why did i even bother asking? it's rather obvious who you are so the answer is implicit so i suppose it all boils down to being atthe end of my tether bcs of this proofing job which needs to be finished tomorrow and i didn't sleep much and didn't go to classes and still. I'll stop yapping now bcs I'm so sure i'm not making any sense.Anyway, my offer still stands. We're even having the sort of weather you enjoy.
At 6:49 PM, The Lioness said...
LOVE the new signature and comments! I hear and obey.
At 3:35 PM, annebrev said...
Wonderful list. And great choice of song lyrics. They're a good reminder. Thank you for a wonderfully written site that I enjoy on a (mostly) daily basis - you are funny and humane and I wish I knew you "in real life."
At 4:10 PM, Firebear said...
Now I have to be loyal to someone else! damn I don't handle commentment well!
At 5:43 PM, The Lioness said...
Alright, I've JUST finished the proof-editing thingy, YEY!!!, and hereby promise NOT to ask any more inane questions. Or at least try to. (SAY YOU'RE NOT PISSED OFF!)