Things That Don't Piss Me Off, Vol 1.

As an antidote to the cynical, gen-Y saractic rants of mine that are ever so popular, it is nice to sit back and think about things that don't in fact, get one's goat. I had a rare 1o mins to myself today in which I did the following things that make up points 1 & 2:

1). Flip through your cd collection and bring out an oldie that you suddenly go "omg! like, i totally haven't listened to that for ages, man!" and pop it on at full volume. It's easy to sing along because you never forgot the words in the first place and you still get that tingly, inspiring feeling from the first few chords....it doesn't matter if it's a high school compilation (100% Hits 1996 was a winner, if I remember correctly) or something you found in your parent's record collection, just play it damn you! Today's record is what my brother and I affectionately refer to as "the tits", which not only sounds wonderfully weird when other people hear part of our conversation, but because this album, quite simply, is THE tits (fyi, this is a good thing. like the way my cleanser is the dogs bollocks of cleansers, if something is the tits, well I guess it's mildly anti-feminist but you know, it's good). It's better now than it was in 1997 because the whole Britpop thing died in it's Doc Martens about the same week Be Here Now was released, but in hindsight it's a rollickingly, in yer face, we're-doing-this-because-we-can epic that is so refreshingly positive (even if it is in a white-powder-induced kind of way). Doc Martens are back, and thus so is my teen years record collection. Madferit.

2). People watching, provided it doesn't turn into stalking, is a brilliant and mostly free past time. I always seem to do it when my notebook is sitting in a most un-useful place, such as on my desk, but it's still interesting to watch people and wonder about them. What have they done today? Where are they going? Where in all hell did they get those fugly fug excuses for shoes (sorry)? Admittedly it's more interesting sitting in the window of a cafe in London or in a piazza in Venice, but sometimes we must make do with what we have. Today I noticed alot of people wearing their ipods on their sleeves in their best attempt to get mugged by gangs of shool kids.

3). Mashed potatoes are not the healthiest thing one could eat, nor are they great for thighs/waistlines or probably arteries, but after a chilly day they are the best thing ever to dig into at dinner. Especially with lots of butter, garlic salt and/or a dollop sour cream mixed in. Mmmmm.

4). Ugg boots. OMG I SAID IT. Around the house only (I take them off to answer the door ffs, such is my cringing love for my oversized fleece lined boots), my toes and ankles are toasty warm and feel loved. I bet they are sitting in there with cups of tea and a buttered piece of banana bread with a good book. Bliss.

Should positive things be a weekly list, a little slice (mmm, slice) of affirmation? Is it too much Dr-Phil-self-help wanky OTT mumbo jumbo? Let's face it, being sarcastic is more fun...but indulgence even more so.