August Happiness Challenge: Days 1-5

I found this over at NurseExec's, who found it over at One Gal's Musings.

The following explanation of the challenge is taken from One Gal's Musings:

"Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world."

I've been away for the last few days and haven't had the opportunity to blog, but here's what I have come up with so far:

August 1st: The most gorgeous, sunny day in a very long time. It wasn't humid at all, and it wasn't too hot. It was, in the words of Goldilocks, "just right!" And I unintentionally engaged in one of my favorite activities: driving therapy. I got lost trying to find the street that led to a lake here in the M-Town--a lake to which, in six years of living here, I had never been. I wanted to take a walk around it, but couldn't find the signs for the life of me. Still, it felt so good to spend an hour in the car, driving around, windows down, and great tunes blasting from the radio.

August 2nd: Left for my conference. On the way there, I stopped by Borders, since I had some Borders Bucks to spend. It turns out I had more Borders Bucks than I had anticipated, and the book that I purchased was FREE. That's right, FREE. And y'all know what happens when I experience moments of pure joy: I do the Bookkitten Cry of Joy. All together now: "SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!"

August 3rd: First day of the conference. During the day I participated in a Tai Chi workshop. Tai Chi is absolutely amazing. I don't know exactly how it did this, but all of a sudden, after my workout, all of my funk, stresses, and negative energy were gone. I mean, completely, totally, gone. It was the best I had felt in days. I felt sooooooo good.

Later my roommate at the hotel watched some TV and bonded. We spoke in British accents for the rest of the night and stayed up till 1 AM. It was great!

August 4th: I went to a Zumba class. Again, it was amazing. Zumba is different from regular aerobics in several ways: One, it doesn't use verbal cues. This is especially nice, since I've experienced instructors who talk way too much when giving instructions. Secondly, it uses real, modern music, and not Muzak. Third, it incorporates real dance moves, and not just ones that are designed for the traditional aerobics class.

Later that night I went out for a martini with my roomie, then we went back to our room and watched America's Got Talent. Are any of you darling kittens watching that show? Who are you cheering for? My faves are Arcadian Broad (the teen dancer), Drew Thomas Magic, and Kevin Skinner (the chicken wrangler-turned-country singer).

August 5th: I came home feeling happy, relaxed, and satisfied. I had such a good time. Going away for a few days, even if it was a professional opportunity, was the best medicine. My kitties were ecstatic to see me.

Oh--by the way--I finished another book during my conference! I'll have the review posted by the end of the week.

So August has started off very well, with good, happy thoughts and good, happy times. Thanks, everyone, for your support and kindness over the past week as I've dealt with my latest episode. I know now that I'm well on the healing path, and I couldn't have done it without your help and thoughtfulness.

I hope to have a little present for you all soon...it all depends on how strong my graphic design skills are. And that's all I'm sayin' 'bout that for now. :)

Now I've gotta unpack and do laundry! Ciao for now!