|
Janine
|
I
have to say that my happy dance tends to be just that - boogieing
around the kitchen to a happy tune playing on my iPod ( I have also been known to do the same in the staff
room at school - much to the amusement/bemusement of my collegues) Failing that if I ever need cheering up
it is straight down the beach for me, rain or shine there is something
peaceful and uplifting about being by the water. |
|
Lyn
|
We
don't actually go out much, so my happy place is usually an inner
place, when I'm meditating at yoga or at spinning. That's my happy
place. |
|
Laurie
|
What
do I do as a happy dance? It would probably have to be opening
up a fun (or great) bottle of wine from the wine cellar. Something
I've been looking forward to drinking, or something that I've had
for a while so that
it would age appropriately. Then the happydance
moment arrives. And the bottle is opened! |
|
Dave
|
My
favourite happy dancing is going to a local pub where they
have wonderfully cold beer and the BEST fish & chips I have
ever eaten. And it's only two blocks away so I can more than
one beer. |
|
Mandy
|
My
ultimate happy dance is to eat sushi and drink a martini at Taki in my hometown with my girlfriend, and then to return
home to cuddle on the couch and play with our cats! |
|
Shelly
|
For
my husband and I it would have to be Houstons (Winter Park, FL). It’s on a lake. The
best thing is to sit on the “back porch” in Adirondack chairs with their fabulous artichoke
dip (served in a pumpernickel bread bowl) with the beverage of your
choosing (usually Coke for dh and Sprite for me-with a cherry or 2). You can sit
and watch water skiers and the sunset. Doesn’t get much happier
than that! Makes me smile to think of it! |
|
Katherine
|
At
our house, we get happy by going down to the quiet, cool, basement
couch. We all snuggle together under a blanket ('we' consists
of 4yo Alexander, 6yo Matthew, Mom, and Dad) and play
DVDs of the old Looney Tunes cartoons especially Bugs Bunny.
("Of course you realize this means WAR...") We always
end with "The Rabbit of Seville" and sing it for days
afterward. ("Therrrre, you're nice and cleeeeean,
although your face looks like it might have gone through a machine.")
|
|
Helena
|
My
personal happy dance is gathering up all of my closest friends and
going to our local bowling alley for drinks and karaoke. The
best part of the night is when my best guy friend and I get up there
at the end and sing "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi. That song has special meaning to us and has
come to be known as our song. Sounds cheesy I know, but just
having everyone all together, laughing, being silly and having a
good time is one of the best feelings in the world for me.
|
|
Lisa
|
Our version of the happy dance is to grab dinner and complimentary
margaritas at our local AUTHENTIC Mexican Restaurant here in PA.
(north of philly)........THE BEST
Mexican food I've ever had (we've even been to the southwest --and
NOTHING beats it!) |
|
Ann
|
The best happy dance involves cheesy pop music turned way up, with girlfriends,
giggles and fruity drinks.
|
|
Jenipurr
|
The
first - the dinner part - involves going to our favorite Indian
restaurant, a little place called Katmandu, where we split an order of salmon
tandoori with extra onions, a huge basket of naan, and a bowl of gulab jaman (and I am pretty darn sure I mangled the spelling
on all of those).
The second, where
it's just me, is when I get out my Abba Gold CD, turn it on to top
volume, and then sing along at the top of my lungs. Because it is
impossible to be anything but happy when you're bopping along to
Dancing Queen. |
|
Stacy
|
My
happy place is (this will sound mushy and pathetic) in the arms
of my hubby - when I hear something to be happy about, or feel happy
about something, that is the first place I run for a big hug!!!
|
|
Rae
|
My
preferred way of celebrating is a bit more literally a happy dance than
most. I skip. I skip for days, with a big goofy grin on my face!
However if it's a pick me up that's needed, then I go where everybody knows
my name... my old job. I used to work for a bunch of free spirited
hippies building stuff. If I ever need to feel better they know
just what to say, plus their break room is stuffed with mismatched,
but super comfortable, ugly chairs. |
|
Stacey
|
When
something good happens, or I just feel like a pick-me-up, the place
I run to is called "Ronnies". They do ice cream (homemade) and fried foods
- perfect for feeling happy!!! |
|
Erin
|
Sushi ! We head out for sushi
or buy a new Arabic dance CD (a real treat for a belly dancer)!
|
|
Erin
|
My
happy dance is a vanilla beer and cream cheese pretzel at the local
brewery Carlyle Brewery, rockford, IL
|
|
Julie
|
Somehow when we have survived some particularly stressful ordeal,
my husband and I wind up at our favorite sushi restaurant and we
just order whatever we want, without each secretly worrying that
the other will think we're being too extravagant. We've never discussed
it, but I think that's what's going on. It is even better because
it is often in the middle of the day, so we're blowing off work
as well. |
|
Carole
|
So,
when I’m feeling happy, I dance to “Moon River” with my husband. When I’m
feeling sad and need to cheer up, I also dance to “Moon River” with my husband. It was our
song from the beginning of our romance. We danced to it at
our wedding and we danced to it on every anniversary. And
a lot of times throughout the year, too. That’s my happy dance
– it really is a DANCE. |
|
Tam
|
I have no class so feel free to laugh, it won't hurt my feelings. The
ultimate food to me is CRAB LEGS, but being in the Midwest,
the quality of seafood varies wildly and it does NOT adhere to
the "you get what you pay for" addage.
Since they seem to be the ones in the Midwest who get it right, the standard celebratory
event around our house is a trip to Red Lobster. At least
in my town, their food is 100% consistently good. Their
iced tea is good (hey I'm a midwesterner,
tea is vital) and their service is the best in town. Even
the very few "ritzy" (i.e. expensive as heck) places
we have around here do not have good service. There is nothing
that puts a damper on a celebration like going to a restaurant
and paying a lot of money and getting so-so food and lackluster
service. I go where I know I'll get exactly what I like,
exactly how I like it. I know it will be cheerfully served
and my glass will never go empty. I've even got the kids
hooked on it. Every birthday, congratulations, going-away,
Mother's Day, Valentine's Day party is at Red Lobster. For
hubby's events (father's day, birthday) we go somewhere else because
he's usually sick of Red Lobster by then.
Red Lobster has defined "happy dance" to me since I was a kid.
I grew up in a very small town and my parents had a modest income.
To go "into town" to a "fancy" place like
Red Lobster was A BIG DEAL. It still feels like a big deal
to me now even though I can afford to do it more often and I know
it is not the swank place I used to think it was.
They also have this amazing white chocolate cheesecake. MMMMMMMMMMMMM.
|
|
Ashley
|
I
have a happy dance specifically reserved for yarn-in-the-mail
days. I scoop everything up out of its packaging and dance (like
a drunken flamingo) around my kitchen, (it has awesome floors
for dancing) singing at the top of my lungs (usually
showtunes).
This always gets my dog's attention, so he will bound up and huff
and holler and jump, and just generally do a little dance himself.
I guess it's all in the spirit of thanking the yarn and postal
service gods who bring me smiles.
|
|
Hillary
|
I'd love to be able to say that my happy dance is something really
fabulous but it's not. Most of our happy dancing involves my daughter's
achievements and they require Outback as celebration. The best I
can do is to have a Margarita or a glass of White Zin with dinner. |
|
Jan
|
Well, sometimes I actually dance around (my husband thinks that is hilarious!).
But usually, I celebrate by getting ice cream -- lately, peach shakes -- yum!
If it is between December and April (the best ice cream place is closed then),
dinner out is always good!
|
|
Eleanor
|
My happy dance-- as in what brightens my day; what I do when I really need
to feel happy-- is a bowl of my homemade pasta alfredo, a cold grapefruit Izze
(fruit juice/sparkling water soda), and a big chocolate bar with
toffee and almonds. (Calories and other things bedamned!)
And maybe a good movie or TV show.
|
|
Deb
|
Well, you know I'm pretty low-key about this kind of thing, so my favorite
means of celebrating is pretty simple. A good meal,
with something sweet and gooey for dessert. (Or, heck, skip the
meal and go right to the dessert!)
With, of course, my family--and Chappy!
|
|
Lisa
|
Well am I ever glad we don't have to submit a video to enter. Now that would
be embarassing. My happy dancing is
downright mortifying. I usually do the ooh ooh ooh with the one armed fist movement.
Yell woo hoo a few times. I might be
know to do a mini "Twist" manuever, but I won't fess up to it ever again. I also use
random dumb words like, Yippee Skipee,
Rock On, Zip-a-dee-do-da, Oh, yeah,
it's your birthday, Yahooie, oh I could go on and on.
And just in case you wondered, I REALLY can't dance. Oh well,
thankfully only my family sees my happy dances, and I am POSITIVE
they aren't telling anyone!
|
|
Devorah
|
If the happy dance is due to one of the kids "doing good,"
the kid in question gets to choose dinner for either that night
or a coming
night. Sometimes Ben and Jerrys
is involved.
The adults tend to "treat" themselves to something,
like yarn for me and computer or bike stuff for Mike.
|
|
Rachel
|
so my husband and I live aboard our 50 foot boat in
Seattle. much of the time we live very similarly to everyone else,
getting up too early and going to work, coming home later than
we would like, puttering about on home improvements or hobbies,
cooking and cleaning, etc. but
when we want or need a happy dance, we fire up the old engines,
unplug, untie and head out onto the lake. just
cruising by ourselves is enough to make a happy dance- I
love being able to get away to fresh perspectives and the unmatched
feeling of being separate from the mundane world on land.
not to mention being able to go anywhere
with the espresso machine, bar, pets, fiber room, and dvd
collection still at my fingers. really
the only way for me to turn up the joy in this happy dance is
to take friends along. I love hostessing,
especially if I can share the distinct mentality of the happy
dance. watching folks oooh
and ahhh when they pass under drawbridges
or see a bald eagle dive for a fish (which still happens even
if they have seen these things before) while offering them a fresh
drink or nosh is the ultimate sharing! we
most often do this kind of hosting for dinner cruises, but if
we can stretch it out to include swimming in the lake (our lakes
union and washington reach the mid-70s water temp in the high summer)
or anchoring overnight that is even better. if
we go through the locks to the saltwater there are even more wild
things to see, like the phosphorescing algae in the water.
at night every movement in the fecund salt water is lit up with
ghostly green tracers- the fish feeding at the surface, the hull
rolling through a wake, everything.
I could go on and on, but it is the happy dance, and I do it as often as I
can and daydream about it the rest of the time.
|
|
Kris
|
At one time, my own happy dancing occurred pretty much only at time of project
completion. Recently I was able to happy dance again after
receiving good news from the doc: that my biopsies from the colposcopy
(cervical) were BENIGN! (I had cervical cancer 14 years
ago, and this was the first bad pap since then, so quite nerve
racking.)
My happy dance resembles the Johnny Bravo dance, from the cartoon of the same
name, with arms outstretched in front, pumping up and down, with
rear end wiggling A LOT and head thrown back, screaming WAHOO!!!!
|
|
Christina
|
My
happy dance is actually dancing. Dancing a lot. Like an
idiot. Singing at the top of my lungs. There’s probably some bootyshaking
involved.
And
then I have a drink or two.
|
|
Kimberly
|
My
happy place, oddly enough, is called Taco Temple, and it's
right around the corner from where I live in Morro Bay, CA.
It looks like a terrible dive, in the parking lot of a grocery store
no less. But the food is "California fusion", as in if
you order a premium fish taco (giant sea scallops, wild king salmon,
etc.) for $9, you get a plate with a beautiful field greens salad,
tomatoes, cheese, heaped on some corn tortillas, topped with the
fish which is grilled blackened, with a side of some lightly steamed
vegetables (tiny green beans or asparagus, baby potatoes) and a
side of their signature mango salsa. They have premium wines but
my favorite is to get Piraat Belgian ale, which they have on tap. It's golden
and very alcoholic. Now that it's summer there's quite a wait, but off-season we can walk in on a Saturday
night. No reservations and cash only, as it seems all good places
are.
The other celebration
place is the Madonna Inn, in San Luis Obispo
(the next town over), CA, which is just... undescribable. But their Gold Rush Steak House is a great
place to celebrate any occasion (this is the only place I've called
to make reservations where they always ask if you are celebrating
a special occasion, and if it's a birthday or anniversary, they
tie a balloon to your table with the appropriate message). |
|
Kristie
|
My
Happy Dance is at Disneyland.
When I was a small child growing up in Southern Idaho (YUK), every
year for family vacation, me, my 4 siblings & parents, would all pile into our station wagon & drive
to Disneyland for our family vacation. Since
my dad was a policeman supporting a large family (mom stayed at
home to raise us), he had to take on a lot of extra jobs to keep
us all clothed, fed, etc. Obviously with so many extra jobs,
we hardly ever saw him... except for when we went to Disneyland. We got an entire 5 days with
dad & he loved the rides as much as we did.
Now that I live close to Disneyland & I married someone like dad, whenever we need to Happy
Dance, it's at Disneyland. I know it seems silly &
childish, but Disneyland holds so many wonderful memories
from my childhood, that it seems like a normal place for me to celebrate.
|
|
LJ
|
For
some reason it tickles me to make a dinner entirely comprised of
hors d'oeuvres. It seems so decadant and celebratory. So an evening of hors d'oeuvres
eaten on the couch while watching a DVD and knitting makes me about
as happy as a person can be. ;-) |
|
Linda
|
My
everyday happy is to go for a walk through my neighborhood at sunrise
for a natural high, or at sunset when the families with kids are
out taking the air.
My special event happy place is Sunday brunch at Chez Pierre restaurant
in Tallahassee, an in-town southern estate house
converted into a wonderful french restaurant. Dinners are too expensive for a
grad student budget but Sunday Brunch is wonderful. |
|
Beth
|
My
happy-dance spot is Dali Restaurant in Somerville, MA. Any time we ahve
somethign to celebrate (birthday, anniversary, promotion,
visit from an old friend...) we go there for garlic shrimp and sangria.
Can't be beat. |
|
Anne
|
My
happy dance these days is having a really good giggle-fest with
my three-year-old, who has this amazingly infectious giggle!
And it's easy to get him going, too! |
|
Suzy
|
my favorite way to happy dance is to 'wag my tail' usually wile hugging
my grandma.
cabby, my boy beagle's favorite way to happy dance is to lay down
(usually while waiting for dinner) and stomp his front feet and
scoot backwards at the same time, it's really cute when he hits
the wall and turns around like somebody poked him 'cause he's surprised
it's there |
|
Jannett
|
Well, I don't have any particular place that I go but I do have
a "happy dance". I call it my snoopy happy dance. Do you
remember that silly little dance Snoopy did every time he was happy?
Y'know the one where his feet would rock up and down very quickly and he would spin around
and around?
Yep, that would be me. My snoopy dance involves me "hopping"
from foot to foot and bobbing my arms up and down while I say "it's
time to Snoopy dance!".
Fortunately, everyone that knows me has become quite accustomed
to this. Anyone else would probably call the men in the white suits
on me, but, I try to keep a friend around at moments like this!
|
|
Adrianna
|
My
favourite way to celebrate something is actually to dance!
Dancing has always been a huge part of my life, I've been taking
lessons since I was a kid, and anytime I hear music it just makes
me drop everything (even knitting) and start to dance. My favourite thing to do when I am in an especially good mood
is to put on the Strictly Ballroom soundtrack and dance around my
living room. I know all the words and I
even have some set choreography for certain parts of it. My boyfriend
loves to watch me dance which makes me feel even better!
|
|
Kristen
|
I
definitely agree that a really good meal at a nice restaurant is
a great happy dance. But I'd have to add a post-meal walk
along the coast - I moved to the Massachusetts North Shore last year, and I love being close
to the water. Even in winter! |
|
Kristi
|
I
put on one of my upbeat CDs and dance around the kitchen, sometimes
with total silly abandon, LOL! |
|
Stacie
|
I haven't been teaching freshman composition/writing courses for awhile, but
I used to do this all the timel, esp. right after finishing up grading the last paper,
final revisions, and calculating final grades for 40 students
for the fall semester--that means grading 80+ papers while writing
my own seminar papers in course of 2-3 weeks in December.
Before leaving to turn in grades, I'd cue up Handel's Halleluiah
Chorus on my CD player at full volume, leaving it on pause so
I could just hit the remote when I walked in the apartment on
my return!
|
|
Heatherly
|
|
|
Carolyn
|
My happy dance is drinking a Budweiser, or 6, and blasting good rock and roll
on the stereo and sing on the top of my lungs and dance, dance,
dance. good songs are crazy train by
Ozzy, party all night long, Kiss, or any other sort of good
stuff, or, possibly I saw her standing there by...the Beatles....good
stuff...
|
|
Nina
|
I may raise my glass in acknowledgement or ask my middle son, the originator
of the broccoli dance, for a few steps. He began this when
he was quite small and we continue to remind him of it since it
is so cute.
|
|
Deanne
|
caesar salad, a carona and a margharita pizza
at Spin! — my husband and my favorite
happy hang out spot.
|
|
Claudia
|
Squealing and jumping up and down --- alone, only.
|
|
Maria
|
When we have something to celebrate, DH, our son and I go out to one of our
favorite restaurants - usually for lobster.
My "personal" happy dance is usually much simpler. An iced coffee
and a trip to my LYS
or Barnes & Noble, or a little window shopping at the mall.
With all the day-to-day stuff, it's sometimes nice to have a little
"alone time."
|
|
Christine
|
Usually when something good happens to my boyfriend and I
it can be immediately celebrated by a high 5. Other
happy dancing in college included facials and dancing around (sometimes
on furniture). And it never hurts the celebration to have
a chocolate martini by your side :). There are so many varities
of happy dancing in my life I just included a few.
|
|
Susan
|
In college (southern Maryland - St. Mary's College) my happy dance involved
driving myself, some french bread, a
tub of hummus, a wedge of brie, some grapes, and a friend to
the most incredible state park - Point Lookout - to sit with our
doors flung open (or our windows rolled down) our seats pushed
as far back as they could be, and munch. Feet up on the
dashboard, stories exchanged, the sound of the waves and the salt
snap of the air never failed to either make us happy or increase
our happiness.......
Now that I've left southern Maryland and have instead moved across the water to the Eastern
Shore of Maryland it's a bit of a drive to the beach - and the
closest beach is unfortunately populated w/ frat boys and flip-flops
and far too many empty beer cans. So now my happy dance
is (believe it or not) Panera Bread.
The day I first dropped my son off at daycare and could barely
see to drive through the tears? Paneras.
The luxurious mornings I get to myself with a HUGE cup of coffee
and some incredible new sock yarn? Paneras.
If I'm sad about something I tend to walk away feeling at least
calm and peaceful, if not cheerful - - and if I'm already happy
then it just amps up the joy and I walk out feeling absolutely
weightless.
(which is hysterical, considering that I've probably put on a good 10 pounds
since they came to town thanks to their unending cups of
coffee - which I doctor w/ loads of half and half! - and orange
scones.....)
|
|
Devri
|
Like you, my happy celebrations are tied up in food - either a superb prime
steak dinner, or an evening cooking my favorite dessert at home.
Accompanied by a bottle of good red wine! Currently
I'm living in Seattle (though I've ranged across the US from east coast to west in the last 7 years) and
so I've got good steak (at the Waterfront Grill) and fantastic
places to shop for food/cooking supplies (City Kitchens, Pike
Place Market) right at hand.
|
|
Gabrielle
|
These days I'm bedridden as often as not, due to lupus. My happiest times
are when the whole family piles into bed with me for snuggles,
giggles, stories, and lots of love. Bonus points for when the
cats brave my DH's glowering looks to join us. I can't go out
into the sun anymore without making myself sick, but my family
brings it to me in their smiles.
|
|
Lee-Fay
|
...
when happy (and it doesn't take much) I jump up and down
in glee and add a bit of flat hand clapping. Not cupped hands held
at an angle to each other like when you applaud at a concert, but
palms and fingers straight clapped parallel, the way small children
clap. Turning in a circle while jumping indicates extra happiness.
This habit breaks out not just at home, but in the office (if some
statistical analysis goes particularly well), at the shops (e.g.
when I think of something I'm going to cook) or in the street (just
about anything can set it off). The happy dance is easily shared
by grabbing the hand of the nearest person - they usually feel compelled
to at least jiggle up and down to keep in eye contact. And dancing
multiplies the happiness. |
|
Karen
|
My
favorite way of happy dancing is calling my friend Monika
and rehashing the whole thing with her. Sharing makes good things double and bad things half. |
|
Abi
|
My celebrations seem to involve going out for a meal (or staying in for a
special one, I suppose) or going to the cinema if I am a bit stressed
out.
When I was in a previous, unhappy job, we went through a phase of going to
a nepalese restaurant every sunday
night so I had something to look forward to, rather than spending
sunday evening worrying about the working
week.
|
|
Carla
|
When we lived in Madison WI our happy dance was always a trip to Ella's Deli
(http://www.ellas-deli.com/). Even before
we had children (this place is heaven for kids between the animatronic displays, table toys, and carousel) Since we
moved to NY we have yet to find a good happy dance destination
(how sad is that!) It could be that since we've been in NY, there
hasn't been much happy dancing. Though I'm literally dying for
something worthy to happen, so that I can take Richard to The
Moosewood in Ithaca (http://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com/).
I've been there with friends before (how exciting after using
their cookbooks all these years).
|
|
Loredena
|
My favorite ‘happy dance’ is to go with my husband and friends to a local
Thai Restaurant. Currently it is Lovely Thai in Grayslake.
Some chicken satay, rama chicken, and a few thai iced
teas accompanied by lots of friendly chatter is a perfect day
brightener for me I was first
hooked on thai food while working my first coop job in college about
20 years ago and it’s been a favorite ever since!
|
|
Teresa
|
Two pump vanilla low-fat Starbucks latte - even better if I can sit at
the Starbucks and knit for at least 1 hour.
What can I say? I'm low maintenance and low budget...these days
this
is the ultimate treat!
|
|
Meleah
|
My favorite place for happy dancing is Chino Latino in Minneapolis. We
like to go there for happy hour- lots of happiness then, because
I can
rationalize drinking an expensive happy drink, like a well-done
to my
tastes blackberry mojito martini, or
a mojito, with poblano queso
fundido, and spicy tuna sushi. Yum!
The food is available in 1,2,3,4,
dollar amounts, depending on your choices.
We had a happy dance time last week, and unexpectedly saw Wicked!
after happy hour, and celebrated my passing
of a big licensing test,
the Marriage and Family therapy regulatory boards national exam.
Yay!
|
|
Imaginary Daughter
|
the steam room after exercising, followed by a cool shower.
works every time.
|
|
Kristin
|
I just moved to Boston, so I don't have a happy dance here yet. My
favorite one is still in Hawaii - there was this beach on O'ahu
that wasn't well known at all, fairly obscure entrance in a residential
area. A friend of mine took me there when my parents were
getting divorced, and I continued to go there when I was sad and
needed cheering up, or when I was happy and wanted to enjoy it.
Just sitting there and watching the waves could keep me occupied
for hours, and had such a calming effect. My husband ended
up proposing there.
|
|
Tar gzip
|
When I am happy, my favourite way of happy dancing
is singing out loud in the street. Really! When people have already
left their jobs and went home to have dinner (from 21.00 to 23.00,
more or less) the streets in my city are not yet dangerous but
are almost deserted. Then it is a great time to go walking on
the street and singing out loud. A lot of times I do it!
|
|
Jennifer
|
I like to jump up and down and holler when I happy dance! My husband
shakes his butt when he happy dances. LOL
|
|
Shirley
|
I love to literally dance. I put a jazz CD on and dance around the
living room. Sometimes I grab a bit of chocolate
to share (enhance) the happy feeling,
and sometimes I pick up my little white dog and dance around
with him in my arms. Music and movement add to my joy.
|
|
Leanne
|
Around here, all victories are shared. When my husband, myself or our
3 year old son succeed in any way ("Look! A new Doctor Who
DVD to rent!") I call out for the "woohoo". "Kieran, can I get a woohoo?" "Woohoo!"
he replies without hesitation. It sounds more liek
"wuh-Hoo!" with the sound
ascending on the second syllable. It never fails to fill
my heart with happiness.
That's our little happy dance.
You can watch a video of it here:
http://momcast.blogspot.com/2006/07/happy-dancing.html
|
|
Ginny
|
As for my happy dance… well, my very most favourite thing to do to celebrate is first head to the
LCBO (our liquor and wine store) and pick up a bottle of anything
sweet and sparkling. A bright Chardonnay if they have one,
but if not, a vodka cooler works well too :-) I then proceed
to the Chinese restaurant here in town, order up some General
Tao's chicken and haul the goodies home. Once there, I pop
in "Moulin Rouge", tear into the Chinese and sip away
at my choice beverage. As soon as I'm done eating (and the
tears from the movie are flowing well) I whip out a knitting project
that's made with luxurious fibres, like
silk or cashmere, and I knit and weep till the end of the film.
|
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Amanda
|
I've spent over a week trying to figure out what our happy dance is, or to
come up with a new one. We have moved around so much lately
that just one place wouldn't work and that's when it hit me...
When we celebrate we do something new each time. That's
our celebration. We think of something we haven't done before,
someplace we haven't been, all four of us, and we do it.
|
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Danielle
|
There
are many things that I do as my "happy dance", depending
on the situation.
One reliable happy dance venue is our local Indian restaurant. Yum!
And, the staff is friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable. A thoroughly
enjoyable experience all around.
Another treat, when I have the time, is to sleep in late on a weekend
morning. I love to wake up to the bright sunshine slipping through
the cracks around the blinds, and laze about in bed for several
extra minutes.
One of my favorite
happy moments -- and my husband knows this and uses it to his advantage!
-- is to spend a warm day in town (i.e. Boston)
and see people out walking with their babies, little children, and
dogs, and to dream about the future. |
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Stacy
|
My
favorite way to happy dance is to go to the beach at Birch Bay...It is only about 20 minutes from where we live
and you can find rocks or sand depending on how far north you go.
The rocky part is great for looking for agates, and of course, the
sandy part is perfect for building sand castles with the girls.
It makes me want tohappy dance just thinking how fortunate I am living here!
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Sandra
|
when I'm really happy, I jump around and laugh and sing - any
song that goes around in my head right at that moment. When
someone I like is around, I hug them. Or I hug my cat, which he
doesn't like too much, unfortunately. |
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Sarah
|
Anyway, my happy dance...I'm so thrilled that you even used that
expression. Growing up my little brother would sometimes do this
uncoordinated flaying of arms and legs when the family was walking
down the street together, we called it his happy dance, and still joke about it to this day. Thought it was
just a geeky family expression, now that he is a grown man of 6'4"
he grumbles when we remind him of it.
Okay now for real
my happy dance: any beach, anywhere. Simple, to make up for my yammering
on before! |
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Melissa
|
'Round
here we have Tony's Meats and Deli (not to mention their Wine Shop)
so while there are some great steakhouses in the metro area I also
have a husband who is an excellent grillmaster--I am in charge of sides and dessert.
Our happy dances occur at home with family and possibly friends
accompanied by candlelight (citronella if we're outside) and music.
In this way the evening doesn't need to end for the trip home or
to allow someone else a chance at the table, the company and the
food are great, and doing the dishes just reminds you of what a
great time was had. Various friends have introduced us to
different aspects of dining well (or vices if you will) and we celebrate/remember
them also. It doesn't take much--Friday, Sunday, a break in
the heat of summer, a half-birthday, a full birthday, solstice,
return from camping, first/last day of school . . . you
name it. |
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Susanne
|
Nothing
makes me happier than new yarn and who doesn’t need a reason to
buy new yarn. I celebrate by going to my favourite LYS and taking a nice leisurely browse through the store and
chatting with the owner. Imagining all sorts of projects,
(like I need a new one) I then purchase enough yarn for something
particular! It just prolongs my “happy dance” for hours and hours.
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Ania
|
It
has been a while, but my happy dance includes piling up pillows
in bed, making a cup of exquisite coffee, and reading a book from
start to finish, preferably something funny or wonderfully written
such as Anne Tyler, Elizabeth Berg, or Laurie Colwin. Oh, and some dark chocolate. |
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Kendall
|
My
happy dance is best done with margaritas in a yarn shop and
a few good friends. Can't think of anything better as a celebration!
|
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Freyalynn
|
And
when I feel the need for a happy dance, it involves lots of legs!
The nine-month old Labrador cross puppy bounces up and down and
squeaks loudly at me, the ancient GSD unbalances and sits down suddenly,
waving her ears at me, the two young cats stand up on their back
legs and try and reach my clapping hands with their mits (claws *usually* in), and the senior cat sits back
and observes with an air of scientific interest. In the middle
of all this I am hopping from foot to foot and clapping my hands
in the air, going "wheeeeee!" loudly. The husband tends not to be
demonstrative enough to join in, but there's more than enough legs without him. |
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Adrienne
|
my hubby and i like to happy dance at a french-tahitian restaurant named papillon.
beautiful orchids decorate the rooms year round. the ambience is great, the service is wonderful, and the
food (especially the desserts) is the best! |
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Tasha
|
My
older daughter and I have 2 happy dances we love to do. One
is "the barbarellie" from Play with Me Sesame. Grover says
"Arms out, arms out, shake your little belly. Arms up,
arms up, dance around like jelly. Spin like Cinderelly. Dooooo the barbarellie!" This induces hysterics in a two
year old. The best one we do is what I call the maniac.
We do the foot motion to "Maniac" from "Flashdance," that really fast right/left/stomping/running
in place motion. The arms usually end up looking like we're
jogging. The only caveat is to make sure you don't get too
dizzy because maniac-ing must be done in circles. |
|
Megan
|
Silly
as it may look, it feels great to hoist whatever you're happy about
either literally (i.e. a FO) or figuratively (by just throwing arms
in the air) and hop from foot to foot while chanting "Yay!" in a most undignified manner. |
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Lisa
|
When
DH and I need a happy fix, we order pizza delivery from the local
pizza house, Charlies Pizza. They've been open for at least 25 years
and still make their pies just the same as they did back then. Since
we both work and he's gone from home about 14 hours a day, just
curling up on the couch together with our puppy and watching TV
with our pizza makes the rest of the world and it's problems drift
away. It's like going on a date, but much more comfortable, and
we can do it on the spur of the moment. That's our happy dance.
|
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Brenda
|
Theresa, my favourite way of celebrating is to spend a weekend at our
beach house - it's an hour's drive north of the city and a lovely
spot. |
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Yenju
|
Once
upon a time, during the Ph.D., before the husband, before the two
kids, I'd say my happy place would be a restaurant in Eugene Oregon
called Hilda's. This place was the great. With our stipend of $12K,
we'd always try to go there if we invited a speaker -- or just as
a special treat. They've now closed and I no longer live in Oregon, but hey, that was my happy place.
I guess I've got to pick a new happy dance...probably the local
ice cream shop Tuckers -- and well, their slogan is 'eat dessert first'. |
|
Pat
|
My
favorite kind of happy dance is to walk on our favorite beach (Higgins
Beach, Scarborough, ME, which is 300 miles away) and then go for
a really nice dinner at a local (to the beach) restaurant with a
nice bottle of wine. It might not be the most exciting thing
to do but it really makes me feel good and is so inspiring for ideas
of color combinations and projects. It is our Happy Place (Safe Place). |
