"You know why super villains are so unhappy, Arthur? They don't treasure the little things."

There is an Oscar Levant quote that goes, "Happiness isn't something you experience; it's something you remember." I guess I'm an oddity then, because I am often well aware that I am experiencing happiness. As in, I will be walking down the street, or eating a meal, and thinking to myself, "Damn, this is making me happy right now!" And then I'll say something to that effect to whoever happens to be with me, and it's generally greeted with the old Smile&Nod (tm) treatment. And occasionally a pat on the head.

Today is one of those positively asstastic fall days. It's been gloomy and overcast all day....damp and chilly...the wind is picking up and apparently bringing rain and/or snow with it over the next 48 hrs or so...basically, a typical November day in Toronto. The kind that makes it easy for me to forget that fall is supposed to be my favorite season. So, in an attempt to brighten my own spirits (and avoid getting back to work on that AutoCAD drawing I'm supposed to be working on), I decided while I was walking back from lunch to make a list of things that have made me happy today.

(Regular readers of this blog should be well aware that it really takes very little. So I hope you're not expecting much.)

1. Wearing my new hat. It's goofy, and a wee bit ridiculous, but I do love it so and happen to find myself most adorable in it. Secretly, I'm a little bit happy about the chill and rain, because it allows me to walk around and have strangers look at me and think, "she looks sullen, yet I have this strange feeling she knows the way to the nearest haberdashery."

1 1/2. Using the word "haberdashery."

2. Dogs that walk themselves. As I left for lunch, I saw a guy walking a little white shaggy terrier kind of dog, and sort of teasing it with the leash. The dog caught the leash in his mouth, and happily trotted along, walking himself. I've known other dogs that do this, and no matter how many times I see it, it never gets any less adorable. It's sort of the canine equivalent of holding your hand.

3. A Parking Enforcement officer....parking poorly. I mean, REALLY poorly. Seems like those responsible for enforcing good parking practices ought to lead by example.

4. There is nothing happy about the number 4. Or rather, there wouldn't be, if it existed.

5. Making "there is no #4" jokes.

6. Halloween in the Gay Village. Okay, now I'm cheating, and telling you about things that made me happy last week. All in all, it was a low-key evening on our end - we just wandered down to check out some of the costumes and take some pictures. My favorites: two guys dressed as the Yip Yips from Sesame Street. For those of you who weren't lucky enough to grow up with Sesame Street:

Totally made my whole night. Close second: a group of 5 or 6 guys dressed as sperm. White turtlenecks, white tights, bathing caps and goggles, and little curly white tails. The reason I enjoyed them so much was that they really committed to the character - they were SO EXCITED to have their pictures taken that they could barely stop milling around each other long enough to pose. Until, of course, another group of 5 or 6 guys came along dressed as Hooters girls. One of the sperm kept butting his head up against one of the "girls." Seriously adorable.
BTW, my friends and I have decided to do it properly next year by going in costume ourselves. Again, those who know me well know that I have, on occasion, taken up to a full year to plan a Halloween costume. So I am officially opening the floor for suggestions for next year's costume. Previous costumes have included Mr. Hat (the hand puppet from South Park), Thing (from the Addams Family), Smurfette, and a pimp. I told you Halloween makes me happy.

7. Ah hell, since I'm already cheating...Wine, cheese, and the Pontiac Quarterly, which also happened last week. Oh, and wearing my LOUD PANTS. The evening ran more than a little bit late by the time it was over, but I wholeheartedly enjoyed myself. One guy did an entirely deadpan lesson on the history and development of meat maps. I shit you not. I must thank Ian for allowing me to drag him to it, even though I was REALLY late for dinner. The LOUD PANTS really needed an evening out.

8. Steve Wilson. He is a local artist/illustrator whose work #1 and I discovered about a year ago when he had a piece on display at the Steam Whistle brewery. About a month or so ago I happened to run across one of his pieces again, figure out who he was, and find that he had just started a blog. He and another guy illustrate the Pontiac, live, and that's how I found out about it in the first place. Now I just need to get a loft with huge walls so I can buy one of the illustrations sometime.

So suck on it, Mr. Levant.