Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 5.

• Hot pizza. Any kind. Just as long as it's hot.
• Chilled Irn-Bru. Lord knows what they put in it. It could be radioactive arse-scrape from Chernobyl for all I care, it's delicious.
• The Specials doing any of their songs. But if I'm being fussy, then make it Ghost Town.

And the very first reason to be cheerful from a reader! Woohoo!

• Chocolate. It needs no explanation. Cheers Cailliath!

Email me your reasons at reasonsblog@googlemail.com

Ash, xxx

Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 4

• Quitting a job you hate.
  
• A sleeping cat on your chest, purring away like there's nothing wrong.
• Hot toast, with butter and a little bit of honey.
• Uploading photos to Flickr, and finding out that people actually look at them!
• Seeing someone you love with a new haircut that they really like. Their self-esteen boost is great.
• Sleeping in. Always.

Email me your reasons to be cheerful at reasonsblog@googlemail.com

Ash, xxx

Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3

• Having lunch at Where The Monkey Sleeps. Thar She Blows and an Oreo Speedwagon are just super.
• Taking the bus past your office when you have the day off, knowing that everyone inside is hard at work. AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
• Pumpkin ravioli with goats cheese. Words cannot describe the toe-tingling pleasure.
• Snuggling up on the sofa with someone special to watch The X-Files.
• Having the cat also snuggle up to watch The X-Files.
• Trying on a jacket you haven't worn for ages, and finding out if still fits really well, and dammit if you don't look foxy to boot.

Adios, and email your reasons to reasonsblog@googlemail.com

Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 2

• Coming in from the cold, sitting on the sofa and having the cat greet me by nuzzling my cheek.
• A 'Stars & Stripes' bagel from the Bagel Factory- bacon, cream cheese, tomato and guacamole.
• 'Raspberry Beret' by Prince
• New socks
• A clean shirt.
• A cinammon latte on a cold morning.
• Giving great news to someone you love. This is one of the best things ever, in the entire world.

Take it easy, and email your reasons to reasonsblog@googlemail.com.

Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 1

Right now, pay attention scum.

In a bid to combat the overwhelming tide of negativity and cynicism that infects our daily lives, this is a blog dedicated to the small (and not so small) pleasures that make things that little more bearable. I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours, if you will. Email all your reasons to be cheerful to me, your supreme overlord at reasonsblog@googlemail.com

The original reasons to be cheerful were laid out as follows by the lovely Ian Dury accompanied by his smashing beat combo The Blockheads.


Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3
(Dury, Jankel & Payne)

Summer, Buddy Holly, the working folly
Good golly Miss Molly and boats
Hammersmith Palais, the Bolshoi Ballet
Jump back in the alley and nanny goats

18-wheeler Scammels, Domenecker camels
All other mammals plus equal votes
Seeing Piccadilly, Fanny Smith and Willy
Being rather silly, and porridge oats

A bit of grin and bear it, a bit of come and share it
You're welcome, we can spare it - yellow socks
Too short to be haughty, too nutty to be naughty
Going on 40 - no electric shocks

The juice of the carrot, the smile of the parrot
A little drop of claret - anything that rocks
Elvis and Scotty, days when I ain't spotty,
Sitting on the potty - curing smallpox

Health service glasses
Gigolos and brasses
Round or skinny bottoms

Take your Mum to Paris
Lighting up the chalice
Wee Willy Harris

Bantu Stephen Biko, listening to Rico
Harpo, Groucho, Chico

Cheddar cheese and pickle, the Vincent motorsickle
Slap and tickle
Woody Allen, Dali, Dimitri and Pasquale
balabalabala and Volare

Something nice to study, phoning up a buddy
Being in my nuddy
Saying hokey-dokey, singalonga Smokey
Coming out of chokey

John Coltrane's soprano, Adi Celentano
Bonar Colleano