Weekly list 10 things that made me happy, proud, or grateful, or that generally made life worth living

- Harry Potter, finally got around to and had so much fun
- B. is back from vacation – that’s very nice (and to see that she’s well, too)
- Sunday morning nookie, Sunday noon…
- apps
- the meal we cooked on Sunday (linguine with prawns)
- help by my colleague M. in E.
- lower numbers on scale
- to be this immersed in a book again (The Road)
- coming home
- something’s happening with my brother (Sweden etc) – not sure if it’s a good thing, but.

- Die Anwälte, the film, the people, all the thoughts it triggered
- nice chat with the girl who’s in my class
- the abs/back class – was very funny, and muscles didn’t hurt so much this week
- fun with apps
- enough sleep
- relative peace at the office (I write this in retrospect)
- therapy – not much happening now, but always interesting
- WILCO webcast from the Paradiso in Amsterdam
- simple, tasty, comfort food (Quark mit Streuseln)
- think I forgot to record this earlier: that s.o. lent me her student i.d.! what a sweet gesture

- reading (not fully immersed in anything right now but hopping from book to book (Susan Sonntag, DeLillo again, and still Obama), but look forward to dare-I-mention-Christmas-coming-up and curling up on couch with book)
- looking forward Christmas at my mum’s home – a big tree, real candles, self-baked cookies, classical music, the couch, the books… (yes. I have to mention Christmas again even though everyone sighs when they think about it (only weeks to go!), but really it was T. who started it and spoke about my mum’s house)
- time in cafés (Zimt & Zucker this weekend) and bars (BöseBubenBar)
- Deutsches Theater Berlin. love. Heart of Darkness & Der Einsame Weg (Schnitzler)
- brother’s back to occasional emailing
- ha! ha! I only just now thought of my new phone! doesn’t that attest to my healthy relationship with this new toy
- how the sun came out on Sunday and danced over the walls and doors in our apartment and the roofs and trees
- skype session with B. in Rio (she was wearing a tank top, in Berlin we had something resembling snow)
- quiet moments outside, esp. early mornings
- getting used to using my online coach and seeing some progress on scale (71,7) (it always bounces up and down, up and down)

Things that make me happy?
- the House approved of the health care plan!

And else:
- therapy session this week – not happy but curious
- snuggling, kissing, sitting on someone’s lap (and generally and specifically: T.)
- looking forward to my new phone! (exlamation mark because it’s just crazy to buy something so expensive)
- one shortish email by brother, at least something
- TAPAS. (and white wine… Marques de Riscal sauvignon @ YoSoy)
- work was okay this week
- I went to my class on Tuesday which I ordinarily (my younger self) would have skipped
- T.’s colleague’s flat wasn’t all that clean and tidy either, which means we can invite him ;-))
- just as much socializing as I can stand (is this even right?), but enjoyed myself (and others) most of the time this week

During the week,
- the fun scavenger hunt and other 43things moments
- sleep, always
A regenerative weekend.
- closeness (many moments over the weekend)
- sex
- hot cocoa in a café with friends/people
- the Nan Goldin exhibition
- home
- cooking
- Away We Go! (love. the screenplay should’ve been improved, but A.O. Scott better stay out of my way!)
- apropos laughter… fits of laughter. in bed. during sex. not the best moment, usually, to find something funny, but this… was a perfect moment.

- friendship in unexpected places (Friday night)
- bantering, with different people, fits of laughter, and chuckling to myself when reading newspaper and other stuff
- moments of inner PEACE (and still ever so fleeting)
- friend is over bad boyfriend, at least finally shows some anger?
- Maxïmo Park concert
- to dance and forget that people may be watching
- perhaps, that we didn’t run into J. (fine with me)
- couchsurfers did leave nice little surprise
- lovemaking
- the look and smell of Berlin in the wee hours of Thursday morning

- my brother
- café-a-thon with B., on Sunday
- getting credits for my Schein from Hannover university – yes yes yes!
- a non-scary encounter with professor H.
- a no-foot-in-mouth encounter with Dr. F.
- the happiness of others, as witnessed by: MMS with photo of clouds and a toast to “being perfectly happy”
- the wellbeing of others… (B. expressed interest in different job)
- overall more confidence
- every day I make it home safe after cycling through Berlin (and big thanks to those car drivers who look out for bicyclists)
- it has stopped raining

- new things to look forward to (Vienna!)
- boyfriend will probably get extension of deadline for doctoral work
- Gigante, Berlinale film
- an glimpse of what no-library-Saturdays could look like: successful hunt for theater tickets, Museum of Natural History, changing cubicle-fun, dinner at a new place, caught a film with friends
- the pros of gentrification: Turkish men’s cafe replaced by new pizzeria, open to all
- apparently not being tarred and feathered (in absence) at big meeting
- mum enjoying her autumn vacation (plans, people, out and about, I’m relieved)
- hunting for objects to photograph
- positive email reply by professor
- TOUCH (esp. with that special someone)

- finished the last paper
- Bauhaus exhibit, esp. furniture/product design
- coffee with J. and A.
- figs (on pizza, in this case)
- snuggling against boyfriend on couch
- friends from Hamburg here for the weekend (chance/reason to tidy apartment, lots of giggling, etc)
- photography
- words and stories
- cycling and speed
- ins Ausland

- makin’ whoopee (boyfriend’s back from France)
- great food (a macaroon brought from Paris, B’s dinner, on Saturday dates with gorgonzola and walnuts, manchego with quince, halibut, ...)
- the great new workout mixtape
- pressure off this week (but gotta get back on track)
- apple fresh from the tree (man, do I have an obsession with those apple trees or more specifically the people who swarm the campus on Sundays)
- enjoying etsy, design*sponge, apartment therapy
- about 2% more for the Green party in today’s election… AT LEAST that is something
- work: making the right kind of decisions/that my one boss said about re: my work that he’s very content; C + G were nice, also (positive thinking, positive thinking)
- glimmer of hope that I might catch up at office some day
- T’s Paris photos – a festival of color