The Happy Post

Ha, cool. James Riley, yes? Do you have season tickets or something? Major envy if so.

 

yeah, him he's my favorite player

we don't have season tickets (sadly...) but we got some awesome seats from a friend who does for the last couple of games and I was able to get Riley's autograph today

I've built up quite the collection, though i haven't actually gotten all of them myself

 

Ah! Such joy!

 

Ah! Finally got my ePSXe emulator configured right. Things are finally playable and the music and everything is a normal speed. Yay, me!

 

Pretty sweet, man. I don't follow sports...except UFC...so when I first saw that post, I was like "Riley from Eclipse?" Silly me.

 

I was like 'Riley from National Treasure?'
Even more silly me.

 

Hahaha awesome, Lydia!

I worked ludicrously early this morning, and I attempted to get coffee beforehand, but nooooo...they didn't open for another 15 minutes. Now, however, I have coffee.

 

It's no secret I havent been of high spirits lately. For a while I tried to pretend that I wasnt frustrated and angry and unhappy and confused; it's interesting to see how horrible of a faker I actually am. (Perhaps it's a good thing.) But eventually I just kind of stopped; what's the point of pretending? In addition to some other things, generally what gets me down is my inability to be perfect and the best at everything I wish to be perfect and the best at. Sometimes that actually drives people away; I guess it can come across as insulting.

Anyway, it isnt much, but by random chance I came across this commencement speech called "This Is Water," written and given by writer David Foster Wallace to the graduating class of 2005 at Kenyon College. It will make a lot more sense if you read the whole speech, here (transcribed by the Wall Street Journal), but there was a passage that really stuck out to me.

In the next section (and indeed the theme of the speech), Wallace elaborates and explains that while we cant always change it, we have to recognize that thinking in somewhat of a negative way is a default setting is unconcious --and we have a choice to view a situation or a predicament in a new light. And...

It really hit the nail on the head for me. As much as I dislike it about myself, I kind of do worship beauty and intellect and material things --and as such I see myself as ugly and stupid and unhappy with not having the latest gadget or enough money in savings. But I need to remember that I am a lot prettier than some people and a lot smarter than some people and have acquired more things by the age of eighteen than some families will in their lifetimes --and I need to be grateful, not dismissive of that.

I dont know. It was just what I needed to hear, and it didnt necessarily make me happier, but it made me a lot more aware and impacted me in a way that I havent been in quite some time.

 

Today I found an AMAZING mashup of "Mama Said Knock You Out" and "Come On Eileen".

Made my freaking day.

 

I'm happy because I've finally found a friend of mine who shares my desire to one day soon ride the trans-siberian railway, and be a vagrant in mainland Europe. And generally travel the hell out of the world!

Because I've realised recently that all I want to do with my life, stripping down all the little things I'd like to do on the way - is write, and travel.

 

He was epic I love him haha he made those movies watchable.

 

I'm watching 27 Dresses, and as I sit here watching Katherine Heigl hold two brides dresses so they can go to the bathroom, I suddenly find myself incredibly grateful that I never had to pee while wearing my wedding dress...that would have been a nightmare.

Also, Joel is on his way home.

 

lol, yeah the Twilight Saga doesn't even compare with the sounders

well that Riley is pretty cool and i do love that movie...

but he's not as cool as this Riley

 

I have mixed emotions right now. I came across some stuff emotionally that's been there my entire life without me fully seeing it. I feel relieved/happy to have found what it was. On the other hand I also feel very drained. I'm so glad that I'm in this thing at church though. I really feel like the more I keep doing this the better things will get and I'm hopeful that I can put things back together and move on.

 

I passed!

I got a 2:1! I can go into hibernation until September

 

in what?

 

I'm happy because of my happiness. I mean, I've just been so positive about everything lately. I mean usually I'd be unhappy when I haven't had much sleep, and, well theres a few things in my life that I'm usually not happy about. But I just feel like skipping for joy.
I'm really loving all this happiness. Hopefully it'll last

 

The 2:1 was in the second year of my Law undergraduate degree.

The hibernation will probably be in some form of cryostasis pod

 

Big congrats!

 

Danke

 

The pressure of exam results off, I'm now settling to knock out a story involving a dystopian Britain, necromancy, and Margaret Thatcher

 

I just found out I got a 2:1 in the first year of my English course.

 

I think I know where this is going...

I'm happy because I jammed with a band that I'm trying out for for the first time last night. Met all the guys and, luckily, they're not freaks.
They're all laid back, nice, and reasonable guys.
And the music is complete badassery.

They had this blues song that can go on and on if you want it to. They already had lyrics to it, but told me I could just mess around so I did.
That song went on for probably 30 minutes. I was just sort of free-styling it. Singing gibberish in some places and words in others. In any case it was nowhere close to what they already had vocally but they LOVED it.
The bass player said "That's awesome, man- you sound like f***ing Robert Plant!"
After we went through a few of their songs (And I liked every single one, btw- which is something special), they wanted to learn a few of the ones that I wrote.
I taught them Troubled Child, Mr. Sadman (they really like that), another unfinished one that has no title, and Eastern Winds. I've always wanted to get Eastern Winds in full band format so I don't have to just hear the other parts in my head. After I taught them all the parts and sang and played hearing everyone together and pretty much hearing what the song sounds like for the first time I was grinning so wide that my cheeks could have split.
I soloed a bit on that middle eastern sounding scale and it rocked.
It was seriously cool. I can't tell you how nice it is finding people with no personality issues that just want to play and sound good, but aren't all up tight like I've had in the past.

 

Huzzah! It seems to be going around, today

 

Heh, I suppose there is something in the air.