1. Beating the high score on a game.
There is an immense amount of pleasure to be derived from beating your own high score at a game, but beating someone else's? Off the SCALE amazing. The nerves, the skill, the heart in mouth moment as your score approaches the current record, the terror you're going to fail, then...JUBILATION. Speaking as someone who has stayed up until 3:00am playing Brick Breaker on my BlackBerry, I can assure you that I am just as manic about this as I sound. This. This is my Olympics.
2. Not getting a hangover when you totally deserve one.
You wake up (or, more accurately, come to) after a heavy night. Terrified to move and unleash the nausea, you try to assess your condition using only minuscule jerks and stretches. You cautiously sit up and...nothing. NOTHING. You feel fine!!! Moments like this are so rare in life that we must celebrate them whenever they occur. The only possible improvement on this would be if you had also had the foresight to purchase a can or a jeggy of Irn Bru on your way home, to cure the drouth situation. Truly the perfect storm of hangover avoidance.
3. Becoming totally obsessed with an amazing song.
You know what I mean; you hear a song on the radio, on TV, or wherever and it piques your interest. You download it or YouTube it (or buy the ALBUM if you're an old school purist) and spin that bad boy until it becomes an integral part of your day. You listen to it SO MUCH that you know everything about and even have a favourite wee bit. I listened to 'Titanium' at least five times a day for the whole of February, so I know what I'm talking about.
4. Getting engrossed in an incredible book.
I honestly don't think there is any better feeling than becoming totally enthralled by a good book. You know the feeling; where you HAVE to turn the page to find out what's going to happen next. You keep thinking 'just until the end of this chapter' then before you know it, it's 2:00am and you've finished the entire thing. If your reading gets interrupted, all you can think about is getting back to your book. For me, it's really all I can think about. Funnily enough, this quality in books doesn't always mean that they're actually that good (step forward, Twilight), which makes this all the more fascinating to me.
5. Laughing so hard you could cry/pee/vomit.
I used to laugh like this all the time when I was younger, but these instances seem much more few and far between as I age. That said, when this does happen, it's one of the best feelings ever. It normally happens after a couple of glasses of your chosen poison while talking crap with your best friends, generally having a brilliant time. It also tends to happen when it's completely inappropriate for you to be creasing with laughter, but half the fun is trying to hold it in.
6. Watching a full DVD boxset in one day.
The ultimate favourite use of my spare time. Curtains drawn, snacks available, six pack of Diet Coke in the fridge, knowing you have nothing else to do, and one shiny new DVD boxset. Perfection. WARNING - you may take on some slightly intense and short lived habits after doing this; for example, thinking you're maybe a witch or a potential Slayer after watching too much Buffy.
7. Receiving a well deserved compliment.
'I like your outfit.' - who cares, I didn't make it myself (unless you did in which case totally SNAPS TO YOU). 'Your hair is nice.' - it's just hair. 'Your boobs look so big in that dress.' - FACTS ARE NOT COMPLIMENTS. Don't get me wrong, it's lovely to be told these kinds of things, but the gratification in no way matches a truly well deserved piece of praise. If you've worked super hard on something and someone notices, it feels like the effort was worth it.
8. Getting paid.
YOU'RE RICH!!! For one weekend until you're poor again, but still, YOU'RE RICH!!! Unless you're one of those sensible people who 'saves'. Then you're always rich but you don't spend it and I hate you.
9. Doing things that make you feel like a proper grown up.
Paying bills. Arranging appointments. Hosting conference calls. Doing presentations at meetings. Managing a project. Being the designated driver. No longer always choosing the cheapest option. Doing the BIG SHOP. These are all totally menial things that mean we're proper adults now, but you feel a thrill when doing them because you're not an adult, you're an IMPOSTER. Ice cream is still a reasonable breakfast choice, you're still fairly confident that you're going to be famous, and you can't master the concept of a 'civilised drink'. People think we're adults but we're TOTALLY NOT WE WILL BE YOUNG FOREVER. But shh. Don't tell anyone.
10. The Magic Mike trailer.
