6/8 Time Signature Is The Happiest Time Signature

I do so love a challenge. And the thing I love most about a challenge is when it's stupendously easy. So, for example, I challenged myself to write a 50,000 word novel in a month, but because I'm a particularly canny operator, I wrote a microscopic proviso into the dot above the i in "write" which said I would get to, oh, say, the 20th, and have only have got a fifth of the way through, and that would also count as a success. And you will never guess how far I've got! No, go on, guess! That's right. 300 words.

I do, of course, kid. 10,000 words of pure, solid, gold-effect Elizabeth Duke jewellery. Send it to reallywe'lldefinitelysendyoumoneyifyousendusyourvaluables

andnoofcoursewe'renotlaughingupoursleeve.com and you'd get paper money! Literal worthless paper money.

Digressing, as per usual... I have been tagged by the peerless I Should Be Working and politely asked to come up with a song that makes me smile, and then pass the tag on to some other blogging wonderfuls who also make me smile, and ask them to carry it on. I was 20% through the mind-sentence "Ooh, crikey. That might be quite difficult..." before I had come up with my answer. So in fact the mind-sentence went "Ooh, crik...oh yeah, Grandaddy!"

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure why this song makes me smile more than any other. I'm not an enormous Grandaddy fan, just because I don't know many of their songs. The pleasure is not related to 28 Days Later, or Screenwipe; it's not connected to any particular memory. In fact, I can't even remember when I heard this song first, but it was inevitably all Nic's fault, as most of my musical heritage is. In a way, I don't want to examine it too closely in case I overthink it. But the instant feeling of soaring joy I feel whenever it pops its little head onto my iPod is...well, it's an instant feeling of soaring joy. I have to ration it. I never play it intentionally, because I have a silly notion that I will use up its power, and I love being surprised by it in mundane situations. I'm struggling to think of anything else that can give that you that visceral jolt, which makes you stop in your tracks and close your eyes and raise your face to the skies and just beam.

Of course, those actions made in public make me look like an actual lunatic, which all helps, you know.

Now for the second, more arduous part of the challenge. I fear I may have to break the rules somewhat here, as no other blogs really make me smile to the extent that the ones I'm about to mention do, and I can't tag them, really, for various reasons. Honorable non-mention to the blog I can't mention because I said I wouldn't. But the two people I want to point to are first, my tagger, I Should Be Working. (Second link alert!) The best-written and most life-affirming blog you'll ever want to read, her wry, hilarious observations and general intelligent insight into the world make me smile every time, and she's a continual inspiration. She's already done this though, so can't tag her. Gah!

Second: the stupendously talented Ms Laura Barnard, who if she wrote a blog would write a blog of rapier wit and faultless charm. But instead she has the gaul and audacity to be a bloody fabulous artist, and her blog is a treasure trove of her work, every bit of which is infused with rapier wit and faultless charm. And she does brilliant monsters as well. Lau, I know your blog is for your proper work etc, but if you want to play and pick a song and some people you like reading, please do so in the comments, my brutha!

Sorry I broke the chain, ISBW. I used to throw away chain letters as well. God knows how I have any loved ones left who haven't died in mysterious and gruesome circumstances.

Anyhow, gush gush gush! There's a lot of love in the room. I'm going to go away and get really tetchy about something, and blast the love out with my next post. Ooh, is Children In Need still on? Perfect...