My daughter just turned a year old and is a real hoot. She's always happy and playful, though she does have her flaws (like when she stuck her finger under my eyelid the other day).
I like when I feel just a touch of congestion in my nostrils and I plug one up and blast the other clean shooting out a raw egg of snot that leaves me dizzy for a few seconds after but ultimately feeling really clear headed.
Drinking and music keep me sane. There is nothing better than being comfortably in the middle of a beautiful day when nobody else is or knows that you are. Except perhaps listening to some happy music before you go outside. Life is underrated.
This made me laugh so hard. My nieces are a riot. My newest niece Zoey could be my favorite person in the whole world. I could easily spend the whole day (and have spent whole days) just looking at her. She just makes the best faces. Her older sister is also fun but, in a totally different way. She's fun to talk to. We play a "guess the family member's real name" game. The exclamations and the faces she makes when I tell her her grandfather's name is not actually Abuelo (grandfather in Spanish for you non-Spanish speakers) could be my favorite thing to see in the whole wide world. It cracks my sister and I up every time. My nieces and nephews crack me up.
Those rare moments in which I am perfectly relaxed and decide to pick up my guitar. I usually don't play for very long (maybe 15 minutes). Just sitting out on my balcony, slowly lulling myself into an even deeper state of calm, is quite wonderful. Putting on some music and dancing by myself in the living room, usually, with my eyes closed. Sometimes I feel that dancing is the closest I'll ever get to true bliss. People watching. More specifically, watching people who are clearly in love or very happy. It just always puts a contemplative smile on my face.
Being out on the river is my church. There's really nothing quite like sitting there in silence, enjoying a cheap beer and soaking it in. Good Stuff. Also, napping in my basement with football on. It's sublime.
Very few feelings beat the absolute euphoric bliss that comes after a hard workout. Completely spent, lying on the ground not able to feel my arms/legs in a puddle of my own sweat is almost as good as sex. Better than sex with some of the women I've been with...
Skylines that are lit up at night. Doesn't matter where I am, what city I am in, the sight of a lit up skyline, especially if there is some water near is one of the few things that makes me just take a minute, and see that our species is capable of great beauty. My all time favorite is LA. When I was commuting from Lancaster to Long Beach(100 miles one way), sometimes, I'd take the 110 just so as to drive through downtown LA and look at the cityscape. Other favorites: Seattle Portland Boston New York San Francisco from the East Bay Seoul There is a certain satisfaction in seeing that glance that women give you from across the room, that barest hint of a smile. I am not approaching them at the moment, simply because I am an emotional wreck at the moment, but it's still nice to know.
For me the single greatest get away from the world and it's problems is to get out in the woods. Being all alone in the forest is a great way to collect your thoughts. Either that, or some evenings I just hop in my truck, go out in a field, build a huge bonfire, and sit on my tailgate playing a guitar. For whatever reason, many times that I play I end up lost in my own little world and can end up playing 8-10 hours. And finally, there's Percy (My parrot.) Every time I walk in the door of my house he starts dancing and yelling "Hello dad!" He's genuinely excited to see me, that's why I put up with the mess he creates on a daily basis, his occasional screaming outbursts, and (The now very rare) bites.
Quite a few for me; -Walking at night around 3 am, when the streets are empty and silent, and even the neon lights have dimmed. I feel like one of the few human beings on the planet, completely distant from everyone else, and contemplate my life and existence up until that point. My emotions in that moment are unlike anything I normally experience; a bizarre mixture of pride, loneliness, and ridiculous ambition. -Light workouts. Doing an intense one hour workout with weights is great but exhausting. Submission grappling is also wonderful but takes a lot out of me. However, after doing some push-ups, sit-ups, shadow boxing, and some running, and I feel more energetic and rejuvenated than ever, and I get a huge rush of endorphins to my brain. -Stretching my legs. I'm 6' 5", and the majority of that is in the legs. Whether it's sitting in the lotus position while working on my laptop, fully extending one leg on a high tabletop counter and touching it, or even something simpler, it can feel almost as good as sex, depending on the situation.
As with everyone, it has to be coming home to the dog. Yeah, he can be a real shithead most of the time, but when I sit down when I get home and he comes and puts his head on my lap, it makes my day seem trivial. But to add one that has not been mentioned, I love having the ability to pack up my scuba gear, grab a friend and go hit up the lakes around the area. Once I hit the water, and the world is drowned out and replaced with the rhythmic sound of my breathing. Nothing seems to mater at that time. Not to mention, being able to explore the lake, and see what people have planted on the bottom.
Finding my surf spot deserted. Being left alone at home for longer than 1/2 hour. A good night's sleep. That first swig of coffee in the morning. My dog and cat. Wife. Daughter.
I look to forward to three things in life. 1)Being drunk and not working. 2)Working. 3)Finishing work and starting all over again. I love working evening/nights, it makes sure I see absolutely no day light. I am not a weirdo for buying cider at 7am you're the monster for not drinking at that time.
This might sound weird, but I really enjoy working on my school projects with my friends in class. It makes homework much more enjoyable and it feels great to share your ideas / help each other. I'll second the notion about the dogs. I love my dog and one of my favorite ways to spend downtime is to go to the beach and have him running around and romping with the other dogs. It's the same feeling you get when you feel happy for someone because they're having a great time. It rubs off on you. Fixing a great meal with friends, especially if its bbq. And driving. I love just driving. I'm a simple dude.
There is nothing better than walking in the door after a day at work and hearing, "MOMMY! Hi Mommy, hi Mommy!!!" and hearing his little feet pounding across the floor to give me a hug. I also love kicking back, reading/having a beer after the house is finally, totally clean and all chores are done and knowing that the rest of the day/night/weekend is free.
Fresh powder in a beautiful backcountry bowl that I just hiked a hour to ride. Sometimes I think it can be as good as sex.