Day 74: Diary diving for “Things that make me happy”

My journal from Summer of 1999

I have been wanting to dig into one particular box in the attic for some time now. Even though I felt like crap tonight and didn’t want to do much beyond curl up under warm blankets, I took a deep breath and went for it. It was fun to open this time capsule full of my former journals and page through, reading snippets.

My first diary entry is July 22nd 1987. I have off and on writings, filling 8 or so books, spanning periods of my life from age 11 to now. It’s pretty monumental when I stop think about it. I should figure out some sort of diagram to show the writings on a timeline – an infographic showing intense periods of journaling as well as the gaps. That idea is going into Evernote right now.

The specific journal section I was looking for was something I started in the Summer after my freshman year at NYU – 1999. It was probably when 1000 things books first started hitting the shelves. It was not a prioritized list. It’s simply in the order that they popped into my head. You may not believe it, but yes, I am going to list them here. Really. If you get bored you can stop reading and close the window at any time. I promise not to write a profound closing. I will, however, provide snarky commentary as I think of it and strike through items that no longer make me happy.  Enjoy.

1. Blank books
2. The end of a long beach day
3. Chunky chicken stew with garlic, carrots and potatoes.
4. Down pillows
5. Little white Christmas lights all year long
6. Basil plants
7. Chamomile tea with honey and lemon
8. Down comforters
9. Angels the cover of this journal has angels on it
10. The Jitters
11. Air conditioners it was my first sweltering summer in NYC
12. Pilot precise rolling ball pens .05 DK BlackI prefer ball points now, but still black
13. Enlargers (Photography)
14. Cutting up a credit card in a creative shape
15. Lava Lamps
16. Chevy Blazers playing reggae music parked near a golf course
17. Meteor showers at 3Am in cow pastures the second super specific childhood memory
18. Sucking the nectar from ginger blossoms and wearing them in your hair  this one still works for me
19. Diving into piles of stuffed animals at FAO Swartz I never could spell. Especially East Coast last names
20. Sunrooves In fact, I can’t spell anything!
21. Painted toenails at slumber parties
22. Feather beds I really do like bedding don’t I.
23. Sunrise at Haleakala on New Years morning
24. Possibilities
25. The Future Not only am I getting philosophical, I am getting redundant
26. Linen clothingick!
27. Late night Ice cream boyages
28. Bubble dropping and catching ceremonies  no memory of this whatsoever but it sounds nice
29. The sand between my toes except when I am not at the beach anymore
30. Seeing my breath on a not-so-cold morning
31. Lying in a field decorating oneself with daisies
32. Aerobeesover it
33. Popping your toes
34. Finding out out that you are psychic is this hypothetical?
35. Sleeping in your car in the middle of nowhere this could be a not-happy thing too, I think it was for fun…
36. Q-Tips ok…
37. Purple sand and green-blue water
38. Warentees I meant Warranties, and who isn’t overjoyed when they get to call it in.
39. Playing catch in the front yard
40. Red cardigan sweaters w/white buttons
41. Monopoly
42. The smell of Northern California air in the fall or winter
43. LEGOs
44. Chipmunks
45. Backflips into the waves
46. Tiki Torches
47. Autumn leaves pressed onto the pages of a fat book  I found a few when I was flipping pages tonight.
48. Sand Dollars
49. Blue eyes
50. Finding a dollar in an old pair of jeans  Any denomination will do really.
51. Watching Nancy inhale her Marlboros and speak spanish She was my roommate at the time, but I think this still would make me happy.
52. Toasted Sesame bagel with cream cheese or butter I’d also take an everything bagel, but it has to be a NY bagel.
53. Big calculators
54. Grandma’s closet in your mom or dad’s old bedroom
55. Porcelin MineaturesAck! Clutter!
56. Beeker from Sesame Street and the muppet movies
57. James Taylor when you least expect itDouble Ack!
58. Annie As in the movie. This has found a renewed life, now that I watch it with Melody.
59. Listening and accompanying Paula’s singing in the stairwell Other roommate
60. Diaries
61. The writing/graffiti under the top bunks at camp
62. Ramen Noodles
63. Big…No…Giant tree stumps
64. The Grand Canyon by moonlight
65. Toilet papering a car when the owner is home
66. Fat Fuzzy Cats Allright, I’ll admit it, I don’t entirely despise my cats
67. Red Wine duh.
68. Cool lettering Except now I would call it typography. Allthough, looking at the photo above I might leave it at “lettering.“
69. Stained wood floors
70. The cool pattern the sunlight makes when it hits a swimming pool
71. 4 leaf clovers When did I get one of these?
72. Hand massages
73. Femo clayAlso, over it.
74. Broiler trays & pans (cooking supplies)
75. Bare feet I think I meant having them, not seeing other peoples
76. Sidewalk chalk and art
77. Deposit slips Now that the ATM takes checks directly this kind of loses its meaning
78. Marsha Edmonds and her dog My grandmother’s best friend down the block
79. Messy artists pallets
80. Fresh college-ruled notebooks Just about any school supply will do
81. Stores that sell housewares
82. Using a mouse (computer)That strike through was in pen, I guess I edited this at some previous point.
83. Reggae concerts in Rodeo Arena
84. A fat double plumeria lei
85. Musibu Rampant Maui references
86. Hand sewn pillows
87. Bonfires
88. The button for the penthouse in elevators
89. Velvet red cushions and brass bars
90. Ballet sheer wrap-around skirts
91. Warm milk with honey and cinnamon Gotta try this again soon
92. Soccer fields with a view
93. To Do lists
94. Zip, The catHe’s long dead
95. Hands covered with oil pastels Again: MY hands.
96. Barnes and Nobles Cafe This was when it first opening in Union Square NY, but I still like them.
97. Cheese slicers So hard to find a good one of these
98. White horses
99. A Haku Lei
100. Shaved Ice on Front Street with Red, Yellow and Blue
101. Cartoons in the middle of the night
102. Outdoor restaurants
103. Cab rides down 5th Avenue at night Remember: 5th Ave NY. The Seattle one sucks.
104. Aprons with funny slogans or pictures
105. Mozzerella with fresh tomato and basil
106. Baby pigs
107. Standing on the roof of your car picking flowers from a tree and putten them in LG. paper bags
108. Times Square after dark
109. Van Gough’s Starry Night Seeing the original at Moma, not prints of it.
110. Clear nail polish
111. Fish Chasing (scuba diving)
112. Miracle Thaw I bet this was toxic, because I never found one of these in the store.
113. Bent up barbed wire fences
114. Trampolines
115. Madarin orange slices
116. pictures or paintings of the ocean
117. collages
118. thick fragrant lotion
119. daisy chains
120. tripped out candles
121. epcot center
122. rose vines
123. Rachel playing the harmonica Yep, another roommate
124. Hearing my name in a song
125. Adapting  Oooh deep.
126. Jumping off a small cliff or rise into a natural pool
127. Nigh blooming cirrus in the moonlight
128. Pool crashing at resorts
129. Baby pictures
130. Underground bands
131. Dancing on picnic tables
132. Back walkovers
133. watching a word written in sand be erased by the lapping ocean foam
134. Long distance phone calls
135. Being ready for a test
136. Pinia Coladas (virgin or regular)
137. Sundresses with spaghetti straps
138. Avapuhi near fresh water
139. Late night hot tubbing under the stars
140. Old baby t-shirts and shoes
141. Pirate radio stations
142. Pen pals
143. Lunch breaks
144. Giant Japanese beetles crawling across the porch
145. Homemade Halloween costumes
146. Avocado tress
147. Bowtie noodles
148. The smell of recycled Christmas trees  I was referring to the smell of them being run through a chipper
149. Riding your bike down a steep hill
150. Rubber, $1.29 slippers I now call them flip-flops (shame!) and they cost more than that even at Longs Drugs
151. Key Lime pie
152. Avocado on french bread with garlic salt
153. Water slides
154. Locks of baby hair
155. Cartwheels in the sand Doing cartwheels, not the wheels of a cart – that would be terrible
156. Passing notes in class Now referred to as “texting”
157. Mango slices in Lahaina
158. Wrapping Christmas presents
159. Roller coasters
160. The hike at Hosmer’s Grove
161. Gummy bears & worms Gummy Worms.
162. Freshly ironed clothes
163. Popcorn and home movies
164. Terraces
165. Ivy on brick (red) walls
166. The J-crew catalog
167. Monet’s Waterlillies Also only the real thing
168. Purring
169. Bugles (the snack food)
170. Sunglasses
171. Macaroni neclaces original spelling
172. Fireworks shows on the beach
173. Hot wet hand towels (scented) on airplanes
174. The “mad about you” sitcom theme song
175. Touristy keychains
176. Mudbogging in the back of a 4 x 4
177. Shortcuts
178. Cucumber slices with soy sauce
179. Towels straight from the dryer
180. A new bathing suit
181. Doodles on napkins
182. Puppy dog eyes
183. “Where the Wild Things Are”
184. Suburbia from the airplane view
185. Coconut milk straight from the coconut  I love that I can buy coconut water now
186. Silhouettes against a sunset
187. The sounds of crashing waves mixed with the hum of a ceiling fan
188. Jelly Belly bean combinations
189. Husband pillows What!?!
190. Cottage cheese
191. Tao Sandles
192. Drinking games
193. the smell of cocobutter
194. Rollerblading
195. Waking up early in a panic realizing it’s Saturday This could use a few more words to make it sound right
196. Street Musicians
197. Palm tree shadows
198. Kiwis
199. Bright white table cloths with white stiff napkins
200. Presto logs
201. Afternoon naps
202. Getting things done Talk about contradictory.
203. Popsicle sticksRegina ruined this one for me.
204. Beach glass
205. Puka shells
206. Sunlight at the right angle to show dust clouds in an empty room
207. Tree houses
208. Piano bars
209. Black and white post cards
210. Not getting carded
211. People weaving hats out of Palm fronds and coconut leaves
212. Old European Fountains
213. Humming birds
214. Thunderstorms
215. Concert ticket stubsAck! More clutter!
216. Brie cheese and Carrs crackers
217. Roadside fruit stand honor boxes
218. Bamboo forests
219. Reggios Cafe at 1 Am
220. Skylights
221. Elija Wood in “The War”  I have no memory of this performance
222. Rope swings
223. Black Jazz musicians in smokey rooms
224. Class organized coffee houses
225. Room service
226. A baked potato on a rainy day
227. Tan skin with freckles
228. Steel Drums  Tom HATES them, ruined it for me.
     
229. Big lawns mowed by other people
230. Florence, Italy
231. Guitar music I could be more specific here
232. Playing hopscotch Tried this recently and yep, still works.
233. Lincoln logs
234. Riding in shopping carts Haven’t tried this one in a while
235. Skimboarders
236. Indigo Girls Concerts
237. Laughing so hard you can’t breathe
238. Unexpected waterfalls I would say any waterfall will do
239. Candlelight dinners
240. Soft breezes
241. Tapes and CDs of nature sounds
242. Christmas songs
243. Golf cart joy rides
244. Ani Difranco when someone has pissed me off
245. Lots & Lots & Lots of Flowers
246. Dropping hints
247. Coincidence I think I meant Serendipity
248. Having your wallet returned with all your money in it
249. Sand toys
250. Night Air
251. Soft worn out jeans
252. the Tasmanian devil
253. Commercials with babies
254. The ripples in calm pools
255. The doorbell
256. Miracles
257. Roof gardens
258. Office supplies
259. Brunch
260. Being very very clean
261. Funky hairclips
262. Coffee mugs
263. Bear hugs
264. Not having to do anything
265. Dreaming and remembering them
266. Seeing famous people
267. Zippos
268. Overalls
269. New underwear
270. Playing pool and laughing at how badly you are doing
271. Cuddling
272. Watching “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” Insert 1% joke here
273. A full moon
274. Long floral dresses with combat boots
275. The Milky Way
276. Cliffs over the ocean
277. Driving through tunnels and the superstitions that go with them
278. Nostalgia
279. Silver rings
280. When – saying it.  Saying”when” when somebody is pouring a drink and says “Say When”
281. Pigtails
282. Red from Fraggle Rock
283. “Hakuna Matata”
284. Antiques
285. A Charlie Brown Christmas
286. Winne the Pooh and Tigger Too
287. The Great Pumpkin
288. Werthers candies
289. “The Neverending Story”
290. White Tigers
291. Mama’s Fish House
292. The sounds that Gekos make
293. Moonbows
294. Skinny dipping
295. Really soft comfortable couches and arm chairs
296. Jumbo shrimp
297. 8 hour conversations
298. Playing in the rain and splashing in puddles How cute.
299. Familiar faces  Except when I forget their names
300. Men in uniform
301. Piano Music
302. Learning to Ski with cute instructors
303. Bedtime stories
304. Bubble Baths by candle light
305. A full tummy (comfortably full that is)
306. Archery
307. Cuddling fat fuzzy cats REPEAT!
308. Guava fights
309. Soft voices over late night phone calls
310. Footsteps in the snow
311. Riding a galloping horse down a dirt road
312. Drink umbrellas
313. Pointsettas
314. Flannel plaid pajamas
315. Steel DrumsREPEAT!
316. Pumpkin Pie
317. Teaching yourself something new
318. A lazy day in my overalls
319. Pesto pasta
320. Boat rides
321. Street Fairs
322. Tickle fights
323. Pillow fights
324. Food Fights
325. Large sunken tubs
326. Pillow Fights Wow, really. That soon?
327. Thunder Storms Ok this is getting rediculous
328. Making a snowman
329. Birthday cakes with my name on them
330. Snow Fights  Apparently I like throwing things at people.
331. Friendly bartenders Take note Seattle.
332. When everything around me is brilliant green
333. Being weightless in water
334. White birds
335. Homemade quilts
336. Tobi’s
337. Really good Tiramisu
338. Suspenders
339. Theme restaurants
340. A good deal
341. Conversations with strange cab drivers
342. When I remember to bring my umbrella
343. Apple pie ala mode
344. Islands in the distance
345. Dirty dancing
346. Silence
347. The wind through iron wood trees
348. Coral reefs
349. John Fluvog shoes
350. Christmas ideas
351. Carrie’s mom
352. Good advice
353. Mocachino
354. Telling stories about Hawaii
355. Opening night
356. Dancing in the dark
357. The view from my window
358. Banana pancakes
359. A good serve (tennis)
360. New shoes
361. Crafts
362. Travel plans
363. Good horoscopes
364. Drawing for hours at a time
365. Free Time
366. Newstands
367. Care packages
368. Castles
369. Mango tea
370. Vitamins really?
371. Power Bars
372. Raspberry or Passion Fruit Snapple
373.  The Staten Island ferry on a summer night
374. Tulips
375. Killians Red beer in a pint glass
376. The Brooklyn Bridge in the rain
377. Double Beds I am on to Queen sized now.
378. Having someone make you breakfast
379. Funny emails and now posts or tweets
380. “Homeward Bound” the song
381. Songs about Angels What’s with the angels?
382. A job well done
383. Standing up for myself
384. A good sweat Now we are really getting somewhere
385. Dance class
386. Teaching someone the basics of hula
387. A long run on the esplanade at dusk
388. Long walks arm in arm
389. eating outdoors
390. hiking with mom
391. Smoking a cigar with a beer
392. Getting in free
393. Black and white photography
394. Bringing a friend an unexpected treat I need to do this one more often
395. Getting paged. Mwuahhahaha.
396. Ending it gracefully
397. “SALE! 50-70% off!”
398. Cherries – fresh picked
399. Speeding up around the corners (driving)
400. Little hamsters in those clear rolling balls
401. Bonding with my little brother
402. Sharing a Lazy Boy recliner that is
403. Using a tree trunk as a back rest
404. Tostones
405. Creatively painted chairs and tables
406. Black strappy sandles
407. That centered peaceful feeling  Like after yoga!
     
408. Falling asleep in the sun
409. Clove cigarettes
410. Russian stacking dolls
411. Dancing at the Tunnel It’s in NYC. What a nightmare!
412. Happy couples
413. “Starry Starry Night” – the song
414. Looking good first thing in the morning
415. Thai Iced Tea
416. Fresh spring rolls
417. Giant blackberries
418. Pachelbel’s Canon emanating from the rooftops
419. Lunar eclipses
420. The moment when the Yankees won the world series in 1993 and people flooded into the streets
421. A new friend
422. Brunch in the West Village
423. The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
424. Fat free sour cream
425. Big plush bathrobes
426. Fort Tryon Park on a sunny day
427. Illuminated manuscripts
428. The Unicorn Tapestries  I think this was after a visit to the Cloisters
429. Good deeds
430. Long piers
431. The Manhattan skyline
432. My reading area
433. Setting the clocks back
434. Having my hair played with
435. Movies about artists
436. Inspirational speeches
437. Feed seagulls Rats with wings
438. The feel of fine fabrics
439. Me time
440. Sideburns And this is what I end with?

I have so many more things now that make me happy. Things that include stuff in Seattle, things my daughter does, the miracles of technology. Maybe I will keep this aside in another doc and keep it as a live document.