Moments

Whenever I’m feeling a little Scrooge-like, I try to fake myself into a good mood.  Does that sound horrible?  Wouldn’t it be better to be, I don’t know, an emotionally intelligent person and just actually change my mood, genuinely, on the spot? 

Prob to the lee.  

Alas, that’s not (usually) in store for me, so I stick with my tried and mostly true motto of fake it til you make it.  If I’m in a shit mood I’ll go watch funny Youtube videos or read one of the happier blog posts I’ve written or eat pizza rolls and watch Gilmore Girls while sending messages to Liz to tell her I’m eating pizza rolls and watching Gilmore Girls.  

And sometimes, it’s enough to trick me into a good mood.  Like magic.  Hermione Granger ain’t got nothing on me. 

(Okay fine, Hermione Granger could probably take me if not for her fictionality.)  

Back to the topic, Char. 

One of these tricks is thinking of some of my favorite moments.  

“Oh, won’t you please write down your favorite moments?!  We want to read all about your favorite moments!”
– None of my blog readers. 

But my word of the year was “persevere” so let’s do this thang: 

1. Olivia and I went out to eat a few months ago.  We were sitting at our table and could overhear the conversation at the next table.  Sadly (but beautifully), someone’s family member had died.  But being a horrible person, I suppose I thought it was okay to joke about.  They said, “Yeah, well, 101 years old, you can’t beat that!”  I texted Liv and said, “WATCH ME.”  And she kind of gave a stifled laugh (make the joke, yeah, but don’t be outwardly rude) and said, “102!  102!”  

This is all nice and good but what I remember most is O’s face when she got the text and then responded.  Liv and I are essentially family, and I don’t know.  Remembering her stupid sparkling eyes and genuine happy face makes me happy.  

I just called her eyes stupid because I felt like I was treading into the waters of “Too Sentimental for Emotionally Unintelligent People.”

2. I guess because I've known her forever, Olivia's going to go ahead and take another spot up here. 

Her family has this awesome blue house with an awesome porch and a big yard (at least for the area) and have had more parties than I can remember.  Her family is a big Irish family and some of them are ridiculous.  In the best way!  I vividly remember sitting there eating something during a bbq and cracking up because her dad and uncle were talking in absurd voices to each other.  And because they're the kind of jokers that find themselves funny AND each other funny, they couldn't keep straight faces.  So it's just two massive guys cracking up and making everyone else crack up.  This happens at basically all of their family gatherings, but every time I picture it again it makes me smile.

3. Olivia is here yet again.  What a greedy B. 

We were camping and it was her turn to do the dishes.  A guy who was at the spot next to us and had talked to us before said something like, "Hey, you're already done with dinner?  I haven't even started yet!  I'm envious."  

My main B replied, "...I'm Olivia."  

Then she asked me if "envious" was a word or a name and I'm dying laughing just thinking about it. 

4. In high school my friend Dana and I were a doubles team in tennis.  We were so good.  Our trick was eating Taco Bell before each match.  Our coach didn't know this, so the one day he walks by and sees us sitting on the sidewalk, each of us with two tacos and a Coke, he gave us the most surprised/angry look.  We explained that we always did this, and that we always won.  He was in disbelief. 

We won the match that day. 

5. When I went to have surgery, my asshole friend Lizette was there.  I was super paranoid about an air bubble in my IV so my much nicer friend, Alison, went to get a nurse.  Before they came back, Liz looks at me, looks at the air bubble, and starts saying, "tick tock tick tock" as it gets closer to entering my body.  IT WAS SO MEAN. 

But thinking about it cracks me up and usually puts me in a better mood.  

There are so, so, so many more of these!  But it just occurred to me that I can bunch them in groups of five, that way I can write a post like this whenever I need a little non-alcoholic pick-me-up.  (Also I'm getting lazy and don't feel like writing anymore.)

Cheers for years. 

__

Charlotte