All that desperate, administrative need.

The rules are easy, just post 10 things that recently made you happy! Then tag 10 people and force them to post this meme on their LJs. insert an obscure House quote at the end. Because it is good. Everyone needs a little happiness once in a while.

In no particular order or designation of happiness:

1. cincoflex's "1775" series (in four parts): One, Two, Three, Four. Because it's House fanfiction. House REVOLUTIONARY WAR fanfiction. ("Major Gregory Phillip House, esq., Doctor and barber-surgeon attached to the 21st Regiment of Foot of His Majesty King George the Third’s Army looked out over the rolling hills of New Jersey and bit back a sigh of annoyance.") Very few things can actually make me excited about American history. National Treasure did it (for about five minutes). The Rock did it (can you believe what we were wearing in 1996! I had an internet account through Prodigy and the only thing I used it for was Mad Libs). Put a book about the Plantagenet dynasty in front of me, or ask me to tell you about the union of Buda and Pest, and I'm all over it. But American history? I doze. I snooze. I get someone to copy the lecture notes. But this? This is both educational and smutty. It's only four chapters, but I'm pulling for a fifth.

2. Blue Diamond Almonds, Roasted Salted. Todd bought a can of these for the drive to Indianapolis last weekend and I found them while I was cleaning out my car last night (they had wedged under the seat next to a book of medical terminology and a box of Giant Pocky). These are amazing. Crunchy and salty, just perfect for grabbing a handful before I head into meetings.

3. Todd. We're saving pennies for the trip in July (I'm literally picking small change up off the sidewalk; I've got a whopping extra $.56 that's aaall for the Big Boat, baby!) so we're trying to plan Friday night events that don't dig too deeply into our wallets. Tonight? We're making French toast together and watching The Proposition. I love being able to spend time with him.

4. Finding my copy of Hannibal in a stack of books I'd completely forgotten about. I got the hardback version as a birthday present when it came out (quite a way to mark a 16th birthday, huh?) and I'm enjoying going back through it again. I love that book. I've always been a fan of Thomas Harris' works (he's almost as reclusive and nebulous a personality as his central antagonist), but I think Hannibal is his most poetic effort. After he finished The Silence of the Lambs, he spent several years traveling throughout Europe doing research for the sequel (because, honestly, the way that book ended begged for a sequel.) After a long, painstaking process of writing and refining (almost seven years between books), he produced Hannibal. Lines like this still have the power to blow me away: "We are elaborations of carbon, Clarice."

5. gleam, for being a creative counterpart (and for listening to me even when I consider myself unlisten...able.)

6. "Once and Again". I admit, I've had my fair share of goes at Sela Ward's starchy, pushpin face (it never moves; it's like one of those wall-based waterfalls installed in dentists offices to make you feel more comfortable) but I really actually fell in love with the character she played on House. I'd heard a lot of people on my friends list talking about "Once and Again" and, on a whim, I got hold of the first three episodes of the first season. I'm not even going to try and lie to you and say that I didn't devolve into a girly, weepy Lifetime Movie Of The Week archetype when I was finished. Yeah, it's campy and yeah, Lily Manning is probably only a fraction of a percentage of the way that a real, semi-divorced mother of two would be. But somehow? It works. Lily and Rick work. See? There I go again: I get all verklempt just thinking about it.

7. Robbie Williams. I read recently that he's not touring again until 2009, but that's after he puts out a new swing CD. His last one -- "Swing When You're Winning" -- has been in constant rotation in my car the last couple of days. "Escapology" is probably the most-played album on my iPod.

8. New episodes of House this week. For, uh, obvious reasons.

9. J.K. O'Donnell's. The Pub of pubs. The Bar of bars. Todd and I have decided that this bar is "our Cheers". The beer and wine list is expansive and a challenge. Whenever any of you out-of-towners come visit me, I'm taking you here.

10. Lunchtime! I've got a little money left on one of my Starbucks gift cards and I think I'm going to treat myself to a Caramel Apple Spice. AND A MUFFIN. GAH.


Patient #3: I can't get my contact lenses out--
House: Out of what? They're not in your eyes.
Patient #3: But they're red.
House: That's because you're trying to remove your corneas.