the happiness, excitement, and general contentedness thread

[aedes]

[Disarm D'arcy]

I'm engaged!! I've been seeing this lady since 2021. We started dating the same year I got divorced. She's so different from the women I've dated in the past, because this was initially supposed to just be a fling. But we slowly fell in love, and doing the long distance thing has just made it clear that we want to be together.

So, we're getting married this winter, and having ceremonies in both Korea and the US (eventually). If everything goes to plan, in six-ish months we'll be living together!

Congratulations, bud!

[coldbrightsunlight]

Such great news!

[PanicProne]

Moved into our new rehearsal space a few days ago. Haven't been able to play yet, as we have way too much stuff for only three people and took the first non-moving day to just arrange everything. But yeah, feels really good!

[PanicProne]

What makes you guys happy these days? With the world going to shit in multiple ways, what do you do to cope and what works best for you?

[moid]

Get out into nature - see the cycles that exist outside of the crazy world we live in and you can see that there is something greater than the chaos we make for ourselves. I like to go for walks - today I visited a river that I haven't been to for two years because the last time we visited it, it was mostly dried up and very depressing - today it was full of clear fast running water and is the healthiest I've ever seen it. Oh and discovering that I have a species of aquatic caterpillar living in my pond was astonishing (I had no idea some moths live underwater in their larval forms). But to get back to more ILF territory, I try to record strange noises and mix them together, so finally had some time this weekend to do that. I think the worst thing to do is to stare at social media for hours; that just makes you miserable. Go and do something constructive instead and you'll feel like you've achieved something. Oh and my other big achievement today was fixing a leaking tap (faucet) - managed to dismantle and clean all the limescale out of it, re assemble the cartidge and put it back in place and it actually worked (I'd never done that before). So currently feeling kind of smug

[dubkitty]

my cat and my girlfriend’s dogs always make me smile. when i was really sick mentally and physically in 2021 the only thing that got through to me was my cat.

i also find worth in getting stuff accomplished…whether it’s fixing something around the house or doing guitar project stuff, when i do something that works well i feel better about myself.

[Chankgeez]

been listenin' to this a lot lately and it's making me relatively happy?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=498LZARXzN0

[01010111]

It's a little basic, but I've been pretty happy in the evenings after work hanging out by my lava lamp, playing video games, and listening to music. The lava lamp is key

[Kacey Y]

I put 6 pedals and a table saw up for sale last week and as of today they're all sold. Which is a relief, the last thing I tried to sell online took 6 months or so to sell. It certainly takes a little pressure off financially at the end of the month and I'm grateful for that

[BitchPudding]

I'm the lead funeral assistant at the funeral home I work at. Lots of pain everyday. I've really had to reign in myself to force some growth and make some newer healthier habits to help cope with how crazy the world is. Heres some of that in no particular order.

As others have said, getting outside into nature is key to breaking this doom cycle our society has pushed us into. I like to go out to my backyard on a sunny day and just feel the sun on my skin, chill with my dog and listen to music over tea. I love parks, theres a few near me with really beautiful trails that wind through the mountains. I love going for walks up there when the weather is good.

I have a really strong support system at home. Mrs. Pudding and I have been together since we were teenagers, she gets me more than anyone else. It hasn't been easy at times, and pretty much every difficulty we've had has been from my own lack of maturity and self awareness. But she's been patient with me through all of it, and I really have myself dialed in to this positive mental headspace thanks to her support and the grace shes given me to grow. I'm so thankful I didn't push her away. I love her so much.

Same with the baby Puddings. My son is 13 now, and I see a lot of myself and Mrs. Pudding in him. Hes pretty reserved, but he comes out of his shell once you talk to him. Hes really into football, so I've learned a lot about the game really fast because of him. Chopping it up with him about developments in the meta of the game is one of my favorite things to do. Kid talks just as much shit as I do.

My daughter is totally opposite to my son. 3 years old and already speaking full sentences, super friendly with everyone. She really has no fear and came into this world ready to engage with all of it. She shines so brightly in a world that feels so dark. She also really loves heavy music and playing her little Loog guitar. Definitely a daddy's girl to a T.

I love both of my kids so so much. They're bring more joy into my life than I ever thought I would be capable of experiencing. Thank god for them. <3

Making music has always been a big release for me, even more so these days. I find if I take whatever's bothering me and focus it into my art, the art is better and I feel better. Brutal honestly in the music makes for good music. And so far its really paid off! More and more people have been showing up when my band plays shows, and the validation feels nice. Shows are always like instant serotonin for me, both attending and playing. I just love music, listening to music, and playing music. Its my life and I'm very fortunate to have any sort of momentum in such a volatile industry.

I really enjoy cinema. Horror is probably my favorite genre of film, Nosferatu ended up being one of my favorite gothic horror movies and my favorite vampire movie right next to Bram Stoker's Dracula. But I like all forms of cinema. Whether its thought provoking or sad or scary or just pretty to look at, theres so much out there to see and so much being made. I recently got into the films of Wong Kar-Wai, and I'm so in love with how dreamlike his films are. Its like having someone tell you a story of something that they experienced, then going home and dreaming about that story. So far I've only seen Fallen Angels but I can't wait to dig into the rest of his work. God damn I love movies. Its an endless well of inspiration and comfort for both me and my wife.

I really value a good meal. I love to cook, for me its a real zen activity. Throw on some music, get your ingredients together, and get cooking. Baking sweets and making hot drinks might be my favorite thing to do. I just learned bone broth hot chocolate is a thing and I really want to try making it to see how it tastes. I love making new meals that I haven't had the chance to make. Going to a really nice restaurant is also the shit, especially when somewhere new surprises you. Me and the Mrs. went on vacation to Joshua Tree last year, and we went to this chef owned place called Kitchen in the Desert. Amazzzzzzing food. I got a slam burger and I swear to god it was the best burger I've ever had in my whole damn life. I also got Rhubarb pie with Vanilla Ice Cream as my dessert and I still think about how good that tasted. I really believe good food can heal your soul, and that meal really made an impact on me and still makes me happy to this day.

So I guess really, the world is a scary place. But there's a lot of beauty in it as well. I refuse to let a few sad, lonely, angry people take that beauty away from me. It takes work to build an ecosystem of joy in your life, but once its there you'll never run out of reasons to smile. Its never too late to choose happiness.

Anyways, that's all. Sorry for the ramble. The bitch abides.

[Kacey Y]

I've been listening to a youtube video deep dive about the history and current industry of "mushroom coffee" while alternating between working on my laptop and tidying up my dining room. The youtuber hasn't gotten to the taste testing of different brands yet and was reading various reviews of a popular products. People are addressing subscription models, price, customer service, and taste, and one of them said it "tastes like dog poo" and she pauses and comments "Well that's not promising, because I don't like that flavor" and the wording and delivery hit me so hard I had to stop and cackle for a minute. That was a fun moment in an otherwise kinda stressful morning, thanks internet.

[BitchPudding]

Antidepressants and therapy rock. Talk to yo gp or psych if u sad.

Have an appointment with a psychiatrist next week

Hopefully I can finally get a diagnosis for whats up with my brain (all signs point to ADHD).

[Kacey Y]

Sequel to my spite/hate/rage post, I got a wildly expensive estimate for vehicle repairs to pass state inspection this past weekend. I was able to do some of the work myself (just replacing bulbs, but saved me hundreds), and I found a tire shop really close to my house that was affordable, really fast, and very nice people. I got to give their dog some treats.

[dubkitty]

i have to ask: how did the person in the video know what dog poop tastes like? though that might be way more information than i'm ready for.