Happiness: What do you do to acquire it?

I recently asked someone what kind of things made them happy. Of course, I should have been prepared for the question to be thrown back at me. But I wasn't.

Here are some things that came to my mind.
1. The ocean and beach - the pounding of the waves across the sand. The rhythmic sound that comes and goes, taking away all the cares and worries that weigh down your body.

2. Playing baseball - Something that I miss wholeheartedly. Taking the steps on the infield when the pitch is thrown, cocking your hands back with the timing of the pitcher, the slide into a base, beating the throw by an inch. Sure, it's not easy. But man do I love it.

3. The "aha" moment of when I get a concept that was previously unknown, thus becoming clear in my mind and I can understand the principle and how it works.

4. Sitting at home with family. Whether at home in California, or with the Sagers, or even in my apartment when my family comes to visit me. There's always that feeling of peace.

5. Swim. I know I didn't swim enough at home, but man, did it make me happy when I did. I miss that pool so much. And the torpedo. Totally the torpedo.

6. Sunshine after a cloudy day - The clouds bring my mood down, but when the sunshine pokes through, it just brings a smile to my face.

7. Messing around in video games - sure I take them seriously every now and then (some would argue more now's than then's but that's for another time) but messing around on them and just having fun? That's awesome.

8. Puns and cheesy jokes. What's not to love?

Those are just some off of the top of my head. Others could include cuddling with Carmody while watching a movie or reading a book or taking a nap. I sure do miss that. But as I sat and thought about it, I came to realize that not all of my happiness revolved around her. There are other activities and things I can do to be happy - to draw me out from my sorrows and to help me reconnect with life. This might not be a revelatory blog post for most of you. It really isn't for me. But it does help me to see outside of the box, outside of the norm, the rut, the whatever-you-want-to-call-it.

So... What makes you happy?