The Friday Five
Another stressful week has ended, the military called off the search for my former colleague who was declared "missing" while on a rock-climbing holiday in northern Labrador, and suddenly, shockingly, John Ritter has died of a massive heart attack. As well, a pal at work has quit his two-pack a day cigarette habit after 15 years, and is reportedly puking in the bathroom. So let's keep it light, today.

1) What was the happiest time in your life that you can remember?
"Life as a little girl on Vancouver Island" is tied with "Right now" as the happiest time in my life. "Right now" may be a weak front-runner, because looking back, I never thought I'd have it this good.

2) What would make "right now" a little happier for you?
More money would make me happier. Money to pay a handyman to do everything that we're too lazy to do. But doesn't everybody want more money?

3) Are you generally surrounded by happy people, or miserable little shits?
Shiny, happy people. My co-workers are happy, my neighbours are happy, my friends and family are for the most part happy, I hope. At my last job, everybody was so full of piss and vinegar that it became the norm. Over here, at "new job", it feels like the first sunny, warm day of spring after a long hard winter.

4) What excites you most - anticipation of the moment, or the actual moment itself?
Anticipation causes me anxiety. I enjoy the moment most of all.

5) What parts of your life bring you the most pleasure?
It's not easy to isolate which bits make me most happy. Some days, catching a streetcar right away makes me feel like I've won the lottery. Other days, cooking up something fab in my kitchen while my cats play with their mice-toys beside me is enough to keep a smile on my face. Last night, Mr. Crabby and I had a forever-long walk along the lake, and he was being very funny and cute, and we held hands and laughed a lot. All of that makes everything else tolerable. Tonight, I will get a great deal of pleasure from that Pinot Noir from the Pacific northwest that I've looked forward to all week, and I'm also excited about walking Chi Chi again this weekend.

So maybe anticipation isn't so bad afterall.