The Good Place

I think The Good Place is ridiculously funny. Season one is on Netflix and season two is on NBC/Hulu. That being said, the show is not the reason for the title. I’ve been talking to an old friend about what’s happened with me over the last few years, and it’s been really hard to let those events resurface. So, this entry is going to be all the good stuff that has happened or makes me happy, for which I am eternally grateful:

When I went to Houston for the anniversary of my mother’s death, I got to hold “Hannah Solo” while she still has that new baby smell.
I am weirdly enjoying being without a car because I notice more, my endorphins are higher, and I have more energy.
One of the waiters I worked with at Tapalaya, Shane Torres, has a new comedy album out called Established 1981, and it made me laugh until my sides ached. Richard gonna be all right!
- As an aside, if you can’t afford the album, you can listen to it on Spotify. But if you can spare the cash, buy it outright. Artists don’t make much money from streaming media.
My mother’s grave site is gorgeous, and I love the peace that comes over me when I visit. It’s a calm I can’t even measure- there are no words that match up to something so profound.
I’ve laughed until I’ve cried when people see my t-shirt from the Spy Museum and yell Argo @#%& Yourself in my direction.
News from Dan that I can’t wait to reveal after she does.
Getting to see Annise Parker again. I wish she was President of All Time and Space. Why shouldn’t she be? She already controls the weather.
Thinking extensively about the Doctor Who Christmas special.
The Martin Sheen episode of The West Wing Weekly.
Finding Monday night trivia at McGinty’s.
Knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that I could live in DC until the day I died and still not see everything it has to offer.
Excited anticipation for the Obamas’ portrait reveal.
Excited anticipation because I haven’t seen the African American History Museum and not only do I want to go to every exhibit, I want to eat soul food at the café until my stomach explodes.
- This comedy routine that talks about African American History Museums. Fair warning- don’t drink anything while it’s on.
Laughing and joking with my dad over video calls and Facebook Messenger.
I see Lindsay all the time because of her job, so it was over the top to spend time with my brother-in-law, Mathew. You won’t hear me say this again out loud, but he’s funnier than me.
People donating to Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders for my birthday. The end total was $280…………. just mind-blowing generosity that made my birthday all the more special, especially since I was so down about it being my first birthday without my mom. It was really hard to celebrate a day “about me” when she did all the work.
Finding pictures of myself at my sister’s house that I hadn’t even thought of in years.
This song, which I first heard at the Ben Folds: Declassified concert at the KenCen, and haven’t been able to get out of my brain since. #staywoke
Officiating Bryn and Cory Nelson’s wedding and simultaneously facing my fears about going back to Portland.
Readers connecting with me in person and online.
Freebooksy, because my Kindle is always full and I haven’t had to pay a dime. The tsundoku is strong in this one…. but I’ll eventually get around to all of them, or at least that’s what I tell myself.
Fat Vampire, one of my favorite books I’ve gotten for zero dollars.
The Davids, Halberstam and Sedaris.
Munch ice cream at The Block in Annandale, Virginia…. you DO want the ice cream and doughnut panini.
The lifeblood that comes from deep roots and good friends.
IBC root beer on tap in Texas.
Learning how to use Instagram and Snapchat so I stop feeling less, well, 40.
Walking out of a liquor store chugging on a brown bottle ironically. It was ginger ale hot enough to burn my esophagus. Worth it.
The new sweater I got at Target because fall has arrived. Pretty sure it’s from the “Visiting Professor Collection.”
Prayer, from long and involved discussions with myself on discernment and clarity to the simple, end of the frayed rope “shit, God.” Anne Lamott says there are only three prayers…. “help, thanks, wow.” I feel I have covered “help” in detail………………. #prayingonthespaces

I’m sure there are hundreds more, but it was important to me to focus on all that’s gone right in the face of all that’s gone wrong. The past few years, but particularly this year, have been the most trying of my life, and focusing on the positive is the only thing that keeps me resilient and malleable regarding change. The top three stress inducers have all happened in my life within the last two years and change…. divorce, move, loss of a parent. I’d like to think that I’ve had dark moments, but overall have faced them with enormous humor, even if no one else laughed.

What’s important is that I did.