My Snoop Bloggy Blogg has been wavering quite a bit lately. There’s been too much… blahhh. I don’t want a blahhhg. I want a BLOG!

I think it’s good to sometimes think about things that make us really happy. For people like me who are prone to the sads, the anxiety, and the OCD, making physical lists of positive things sometimes becomes a necessity. I have a whole notebook in which, when it becomes necessary, I make a column where I allow myself to spew out all the bad stuff that happened that day. But in the column right next to it, I make myself write about the good stuff too, no matter how small (that’s how I got to really appreciate the small things people do). It’s a little habit I picked up to help me get out of 2009. Now I go back to it when I get overwhelmed.

So without further ado, and in no particular order, here are five things that make me really happy. I also challenge you to think of your own list. We could all stand to have a little more positive energy today, right?

Butch Walker: Surprise! I first encountered Butch Walker in the fall of 1998 when I was 15 years old and he was fronting a band called The Marvelous 3. I was instantly in love with his music. I bought that album — The Hey! Album — at the Virgin Megastore in Times Square in 10th grade. I’ve since collected all of the M3 albums, as well as all of his solo albums (he’s been solo since M3 broke up in 2001). I have the EPs and the side projects. I just… really love him. I feel a connection with the music to the point where it’s become the soundtrack to different parts of my life that I can look back on.

And seriously, fewer things in life make me happier than a live Butch Walker show. I’ve seen him nine times so far, and I never get tired of it. He’s got an amazing stage presence. So much energy. Bonus points for when I can take friends with me and they come away as fans (which has happened with 4 of the 5 friends who weren’t already fans that I’ve taken with me, so 4 out of 5 Frank Friends approve).

Fun Fact: The first time I met Butch (in 2000), I got really nervous and all I could think of to say was, “I named a trombone after you!” Nerdiest. Person. Ever. (It was very “I carried a watermelon?”)

My friend Amy’s children: Does that sound creepy? I hope not. My bad if it does because I don’t mean it to be. Her kids are awesome (okay, to be fair, one is a baby, but he’s awesome anyway). Her oldest son, Aiden, always makes me laugh. It’s hard to be in a bad mood when a five year old crawls up on your lap and passes out. Or when he says crazy, ridiculous things and you wonder how in the world he came up with them. Not long ago, he picked up my hand and started staring intently at my fingernails, which were painted red with black “cracks.”

“I painted them to look like Darth Maul,” I said.
“Yeah, I know,” he replied, as though he’d been totally expecting that because, really, what other explanation could there be?

Longevity in my friendships: By far, I have known most of my friends for at least a decade (or thereabouts). I don’t like to lose track of my friends, and once I’ve been close friends with someone for any significant period of time, I’m not likely to just let them go. I hate that, actually. We’ve had our share of tough times, but I’m a big fan of working it out. I have a few friends that I still talk to quite a bit whom I’ve know for longer than that. My friend Laura comes over for lunch almost every week day. We’ve been friends for about 19 years. I hang out with my friend Amy (the one with the awesome kids) at least once a week. We’ve been friends for 20 or 21 years. I keep in touch with my friends Kim and Stephanie and try to see them when they’re home. Kim and I have been friends since we were three (25 years), and Stephanie and I met in the pre-school classroom at Sunday school (26 years). I have lots of great friends. I like to keep them around. While I haven’t known my friends in VA for a decade yet, they’re among my closest friends. I miss them a lot.

The bad news? I’m sometimes a little too overprotective. My heart is in the right place.
The good news? I’m fiercely loyal.

Susquehanna University: The campus has changed quite a bit since I graduated in 2005, but I always feel like I’m at home when I’m there. I’m the girl who will probably always miss college, mostly because I miss my friends. The SU campus is beautiful and full of memories. I made great friends there, grew up there, and learned so much during those four years. I still make an effort to return at least once a year. It makes me feel nostalgic and calm at the same time.

Road Trips: For the most part, I love driving. It gives me time to think and clear my head. It gives me time to listen to music. It gives me time to have hypothetical conversations with myself. When I have a big fight with someone, I get in my car and drive to calm down (don’t worry, I’m not one of those angry aggressive drivers. I drive safely). It’s great, though, when I have a specific destination in mind (usually one that involves going to visit friends). The absolute best case scenario is sharing the road trip with someone. It gives you time to just talk and hang out, listen to music together, and, when spontaneity strikes, get out of the car and explore. This is how my old college roommate and I discovered Foamhenge in Virginia (I’d love to tell you where in VA, but I have no clue. The western part. We parked the car, walked up a grassy hill and there it was: Stonehenge recreated with industrial styrofoam). I love road trips with friends the most. There’s always a story.

I read On the Road for the first time when I was 16 or 17, and since then, my dream vacation has been to make the cross-country drive. It’s pretty high up on my bucket list. There are so many places I’ve never been and so many things I’d like to see. What better way to do it?

Okay. So there are five things that make me happy. Actually, writing this list has put me in a really good mood. How therapeutic!

What are some things that make you happy?