You know what makes me happy?
Movies -- Star Wars IV-VI, The Matrix, Serenity, The Incredibles, Pirates of the Caribbean... Give me action, fantasy, sci-fi. Give me a Chosen One, someone coming into his own, someone with special powers. Love interest? If you must. But don't overshadow the rebellion/rescue/vengeance with unnecessary kissing.- Anime -- Cowboy Bebop, Evangelion, Escaflowne, Steamboy, Naruto, and of course Miyazaki (Laputa, Nausicaa, Mononoke)... It's not the animation style I love, it's the culture behind it. It's the worlds that are so different from the fantasy worlds the West is used to. The airships, giant fighting robots, and ninjas certainly don't hurt.
Board Games -- I'm talking about real strategy games. Settlers, Ticket to Ride, Puerto Rico, Alhambra, Carcassonne... I think it's my German blood.- Food -- I'm blessed to be in a foreign city that has so many Westerners in it. Though it costs 5-10 times more than Thai food, I have access to pizza, pasta, hamburgers, KFC, and (praise the Lord!) Mexican food when I'm feeling down. I love Chiang Mai.
- You! -- Every time one of you leaves a comment or sends me a note, I smile. Especially when you make jokes, laugh at mine, or tell me you enjoyed a post. You guys are awesome.
My Kids -- I have awesome kids, guys. Right now we've got 4. There's the boys, Isaac and Nathan, both 2, who make me laugh everyday; if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you probably know that. There's Lutiya (10), willing to learn any game I'll teach her, even though she's just learning English. And Pan (17), who is the most respectful, helpful teenager I've ever met; I just wish I could take credit for it.- My Wife -- Cindy is the pinnacle of what makes me happy. She quotes Star Wars to me, asks me why Shikamaru is my favorite Naruto character, tries out 2-player variants for Settlers, brings me pizza, and laughs at my jokes (usually). She's the mother of my kids and my favorite alpha reader. She's just the most awesomest thing that's ever happened to me.
Phew. I feel better already.
This is a great idea. I don't know if you follow Scarlet-Blue but she could do with some of your positive vibes this week.
ReplyDeleteI often go to LOLcats for positive vibes. Walking in the sunshine cheers me up too.
I usually feel better after going to PeopleofWalMart.com. For some reason, looking at the panoply of people the U.S. produces always makes me laugh. Whether it's derisive or not, I'll never say ;).
ReplyDeleteOh, and Adam, I consider my writing "slightly raw" until my crit group goes through it with their red pens. Self-edited stuff still qualifies for the tag. And thanks for the kind words.
I'm sorry you've been feeling attacked by negative waves lately! I'm kind of in the same boat, but it's mostly coming from inside. So thanks for all that awesome stuff—I needed the pick me up.
ReplyDeleteAlso, can I be your wife's friend? She sounds awesome.
You have Mexican food there? No way! Thanks for the positive wave.
ReplyDeleteYou know what makes me happy? My child's laughter, a clean house, and a finished first draft. I am enjoying one right now. Another I hope to enjoy before the day is over. But the third eludes me.
Two out of three isn't bad at all.
fairyhedgehog: My friend once sent me a LOLcats with the robot from Laputa, but I can't find it now. If I can find it again, I'll send it to you :-)
ReplyDeleteMattDel: Thanks for the link. That's funny! And no prob on the words. Like I said, I liked it :-)
Natalie: Sorry to hear you're going through stuff too, but consquently glad for the timing of the post. And I think you and Cindy would get along just fine :-)
It must be Positive Waves Week. I put a smiley on every one of those responses!
:-)
JenE: Yes we do. The joys of sharing a town with expatriated Southern Californians who have money and culinary experience!
ReplyDeleteAlthough a finished first draft makes me extremely happy, I try not to pin my hopes on them as they come only once every couple of years. I try to keep myself happy with "X words today" or "Got to the end of Chapter N".
A lovely family you have! We quote Star Wars all the time at my house!
ReplyDelete=)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this blog Adam. Not just this post, the entire blog. Its in my google reader queue & its 1 of the 1st that I look for. I'm not a writer/novelist. Probably never will be, but I like seeing your process & love the "extras" you throw in for us.
Personal Happiness : my hockey team won last night.
J & I miss you & Cindy. Give her a hug from us & tell her to give you one back (see how I'm angling for 2 bonus hugs for you from you're wife, if that doesn't put a smile on your face then I can't help you).
=)
Andy
Matt, that ain't right, cuz :)
ReplyDeleteAdam, great movie list (poor Serenity -- never got the love it deserved).
So, I've played Settlers (and various expansions), but not the others. Of all the ones you've played, which would you recommend most?
And glad your wife quotes SW -- whenever I do, my wife just rolls her eyes :)
Bane --
ReplyDeleteThank one of my coworkers for that link. :)
Ah "Serenity" ... one of my favorite movies (and my wife's too). I also convinced my other half that Doctor Who and Torchwood are good television. Which makes me double happy.
Gotta check out Torchwood... I'm waiting for HBO's Song of Ice and Fire... knowing HBO, it'll be epic :)
ReplyDeleteLove the double-hug angle, Andy. Thx!
ReplyDeleteBane, "all the ones I've played" is a pretty large sampling (and I've got friends in the States with more!). I guess it depends what you're looking for, but we go to Ticket to Ride a lot. It's easy to learn and explain (5 minutes for a newbie, no joke), but has a lot of depth and, hey! Plastic trains!
Maybe one day I'll do a post on board games :-)
Love the positivity.
ReplyDeletehttp://reneepinner.blogspot.com/2009/10/positive-waves.html