just a list of 75 good things

so, uh, how’s everyone doing? last week was a lot for many, myself included, to handle. as a distraction, i decided to make a big ol’ list of things i love in life, inspired by this substack called the pleasure lists that curates, well, lists of little pleasures from various folks. i did one of these a couple years ago on here, but i feel it’s always important to revisit stuff that brings you joy — both to re-up serotonin and see what themes continually come up and could be worth exploring. what would be on your pleasure list? i’d love to know!

1. frothing the milk for my morning coffee to make it a little fancier

2. when an item of clothing at a thrift store calls to me from the rack

3. a restaurant with a fireplace

   

4. an emotionally evocative guitar solo

5. an ice-cold bourbon cocktail in a classy, dark bar

6. the very specific pre-fall breeze in august and september

7. lighting a new candle (also: lighting multiple candles at once)

8. craftsman bungalows

   

9. dancing at weddings

10. a summer thunderstorm

11. the smell that emanates from a pizza parlor

12. synchronicities that remind me that the universe is always listening

13. licking the beaters after i bake something

14. wearing a fragrance that’s so good i can't stop sniffing myself

15. completing a crossword puzzle 

16. texas roadhouse rolls with honey cinnamon butter

    

17. real-life meet-cute stories

18. the electric energy of a rock show in an intimate club

19. picking up a lucky penny from the sidewalk

20. the “high five” prank in jackass 3 (and jackass in general)

21. a smile from a cute stranger

22. BLTs on sourdough in late summer

23. tiki bars

24. a new favorite song on repeat

25. an old favorite song that brings me riiight back to a particular time

26. dipping thin mints in milk

27. walking out of the theater after a feel-good movie or musical that gave me a new lease on life

28. the delicious, creeping high of an edible

29. falling asleep when it's raining outside

30. jason segel’s vibes

31. pulling apart a freshly-baked croissant

32. the first really nice spring day of the year in new england

33. twinkle lights

34. sautéing garlic

35. early morning walks when everything is quiet and still

36. meatballs or ground beef as a pizza topping

37. maximalism

38. nonstop flights

39. root beer floats

40. anthony bourdain’s wit (RIP)

41. canceled plans when i wasn’t in the mood to go

42. choreography videos where i’m making the stank face and saying “ayyyy!” and “let’s go!” aloud the entire time i’m watching

43. candlelit sunday night baths

44. chain restaurant desserts

45. finding a note in a used book

46. walls painted in jewel tones

47. crop tops

48. plant-filled spaces

49. when i’ve seen a movie so many times that i can quote it line for line (can’t hardly wait, dazed and confused, sister act 2, the princess diaries, don’t tell mom the babysitter’s dead, the breakfast club, sixteen candles, she’s the man, etc.)

50. seeing a ladybug

51. wandering around a mall

52. rediscovering old, fun internet trends (lipdub videos, the mannequin challenge, pharrell’s “happy around the world” dance) that showcase humanity at its finest

53. checkered floors

54. dive bar jukeboxes

55. pulling a positive tarot card (my faves: 9 of cups, the sun, the star, 9 of pentacles, the wheel of fortune)

56. a medium dunkin’ iced with oat milk and one sugar

57. sinbad’s 1993 stand-up comedy special, “afros and bellbottoms”

58. lanky men with long hair and good cheekbones

59. tilt-a-whirls

60. american eskimo dogs

    

61. chocolate-covered gummy bears

62. the way james spader's character says "you're a bitch" with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth in pretty in pink

63. having an unexpected, cool experience or stumbling into an amazing place i didn’t know about while i’m traveling

64. garfield t-shirts

65. sunken living rooms

    

66. orange trees

67. those clear ‘90s phones where you can see all of the innards

    

68. fangirling unapologetically

69. when a store has a resident cat

70. $3.99 bouquets from trader joe’s

71. funny tattoos

72. taking a ridiculously long solo walk while listening to music (and sometimes, imagining what moment or scene a song would soundtrack if i were in a movie)

73. a cup of coffee after dinner

74. fridge doors covered with pictures and kitschy magnets

75. going to open houses for fun