Things that Make You Happy/Things that Make You Sad

Imagine my surprise this morning when I woke up to a squirrel sitting in the tree outside my window sending out its “chrring” call just two branches below the one where a pair of doves sat quietly. I’m not saying that I’m Dr. Doolittle or anything, but the squirrel was so loud I asked him to please stop so that I could snooze just a little longer. He cocked his head, positioned his body to the side and promptly shut his piehole. That made me happy. I’ve also been told that you’re supposed to talk to doves when they park themselves outside your window, so I did. They just ignored me, but that’s okay. They still made me happy. Apparently, squirrels think I am more dynamic!
Recently, I had to meet a couple of friends on the Lower East Side, and as I walked down Houston Street towards 2nd Avenue, I was taken aback by the fact that there is now a highrise luxury apartment building next to the world-famous landmark Katz Deli. It was so weird to see the home of the best keilbassa and jojo potatoes in the world dwarfed by this symbol of the demise of the Lower East Side as we have always known it. I think they have also built another luxury building next door to the Tenement Museum, another one of my favorite places. That makes me sad. I did, however, see this colorful, old building that made me smile. I love the contrast of the color against the overcast New York Sky.

The economy sucks, and Sarah Palin, indeed is scary, but nothing cheers me up like good sushi. My friend Kate came over last night to make art with me. (I made this funky, new mask called “Rainbow Cyclops.”)
The sushi was delicious at my local Korean-owned Flushing sushi establishment. The tempura chicken and spicy salmon rolls are DELICIOUS! The atmosphere was so relaxed, and in spite of the fact that there was a gross bar of white soap in the restroom (much to my dismay), I was still in sushi bliss. Imagine how much more joy it gave me to discover that my wasabi was in the shape of a jack-o-lantern! Apparently, the chef there makes something different with the wasabi every time. How could THAT not make you happy?