We took a quick trip to New Orleans about two months ago. We had beignets, which made me happy.

They taste like zeppoles, right down to the powdered sugar, except they’re just a different shape. The first beignet place we went to was Cafe Du Monde, which okay, but I didn’t like how you had to go up to a window to order. Most of the seating was outdoors and the servers just sat around not doing anything until they saw someone sit down at a table. Then the server would go over to take the customer’s order. It reminded me of those taxi stands where the drivers just sit and wait until someone needs a cab.

The Husband checked Yelp and found another place that we tried on our second day in NOLA, Cafe Beignet. The place was adorable. The place was indoors with little cafe tables and there was a small garden area for nice weather. That’s where I got the beignets in the photo. I also saw him:

LIttle birds get into the cafe and flit around. They seem to enjoy pecking at the powdered sugar that falls from the beignets onto the floor. They were so cute that I couldn’t stop watching them. So that was actually two things that made me happy that day. 🙂

Day 15 – This made me happy. This bad boy is so adorable, I could watch him all day.

Day 16 – Adventure Time makes me happy. I was flipping through channels one day and this was playing on the Cartoon Network:

The story takes place in the futuristic Kingdom of Ooo, and I thought the main characters, Finn the Human and Jake the Dog, were pretty entertaining. It’s usually the phrases they say, like “Oh my glob!” and “Holy schram!” that get to me, because you know it’s the writers’ version of censoring themselves. The Husband tried to watch one episode with me, but he couldn’t understand the weirdness of the storyline. He said he doesn’t want me watching anymore because he’s afraid it’s going to turn me into a degenerate. (His exact words.) Unfortunately for him, if Pendleton Ward asked me to write for Adventure Time, I would be like, “Does a bear schram in the woods??”

I know I’m behind on posting. I thought it would be easy to write something almost every day, but it takes a lot of effort to come up with ideas. Since I’m so far behind, I’m going to post a few days of happiness at a time until I catch up.

Day 13 – This makes me happy:

It’s the switches in my bathroom for the light, fan, and heater. The previous owners renovated the house a few years before we bought it, and the second floor bathroom had been a new addition. For some reason, they didn’t install any type of heating system in the bathroom and the only means of ventilation was a skylight. That’s fine for late spring, summer, and early fall, but when the Husband and I spent our first winter in the house, we found out the bathroom gets cold. Of course, we can use the one on the first floor, but it’s not as convenient since our bedroom is on the second floor. We spent a lot of that winter going up and down the stairs. This past fall, we got smart and hired an electrician to install a ceiling heater/fan. I think most people use the timer for the fan, but we both agreed that it would be more useful for the heater since it would shut off by itself if we accidentally forget about it. The fan means we don’t have to open the skylight in the cold weather. I was especially grateful for the heater since the polar vortex came around and temps in our area went down to the single digits.

Day 14 – Good food makes me happy. So, so happy.

This is a cinnamon and sugar crepe from Cafe Triskell in Astoria. Every time I get one, I practically inhale that thing. I can honestly say I’ve never had a bad meal there.

We’ve been going there on a semi-regular basis for almost six years. Although the servers and the chef don’t know our names, they always recognize us and give us warm welcomes. Although the menu is limited, the food always tastes amazing. Cafe Triskell was voted #1 in New York for their onion soup (which I can testify is outstanding) and they’re known for their crepes. More and more people seem to find out about it. Every time we go, it’s packed. I once asked Phillipe, the owner, why he doesn’t expand since they’re doing so well. He said that if he did that, then he knows the quality of his food will change because they would have to cut corners to efficiently serve more people. That made me realize he does it for his love of cooking and not for the money. I respect that.

Day 11 – Exercise makes me happy. I don’t go to the gym as much as I should, but when I do, I feel like I was productive. I’m sure it’s the endorphins doing their thing, but it’s nice to know I’m doing something that not only makes me feel good, but is good for me. As Elle Woods would say:

Day 12 – Stupid jokes make me happy. My cousin posted on Facebook earlier today that he was feeling down. I commented with one of my favorite jokes:

Two muffins are baking in an oven. The first one turns to the other and says, “It sure is getting hot in here.”

The second muffin says, “Oh, crap, a talking muffin!”

The first time I heard that, I couldn’t stop laughing. 😀