Published: March 13, 2008 11:14 am      

DZIKIY: The simple joys of life

Forget the weather. In fact, forget all your troubles post haste. I’m trying to ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive today.

I’m in a thankful mood, on a smaller scale. By that, I mean I’m not interested in talking about the major pillars of your life right now. If you’re not thankful for those things, well, shame on you.

I want to shine some light on the simple joys of life. Give some merit to the minor moments. Like when you take a look in the refrigerator and find there’s not even enough milk to fill a reasonable mug. But wait. There’s another fresh gallon in the back.

I want to talk about the first “real” day of spring, which has nothing to do with the calendar. It’s that first day of the year when the ground is dry, the air is warm and people are out biking and jogging.

How about finding the perfect seat at the movie theater? Especially when you’re running a bit late and don’t expect to find any good seats.

You know what’s great? When you wake up in the middle of the night, take a look at the clock, and discover you have more sleeping time than you thought you did. “It’s only 3 a.m.? I thought it was at least five.”

Right on red. You don’t really appreciate it until you come upon a “no turn on red” sign, especially when it doesn’t appear to be necessary.

These high gas prices certainly aren’t positive, but it’s always nice to take a look down at the dashboard and notice that you’ve got a full tank of gas.

Finding unexpected afternoon sporting events on TV is always a simple pleasure. Turn on the tube, and hey, afternoon baseball. Nothing wrong with that.

Burger King crowns. I don’t even eat at Burger King, but just the fact that they’re still making those cardboard crowns is enough to warm my heart.

Punch buggy. You all know the drill. God bless the Volkswagen Beetle, my first car, and the only auto that can cause otherwise reasonable people to punch each other upon sight. My mom outlawed punch buggy when my brothers and I were younger. I was throwing some mean hooks.

Pets that wait for you at the door when you come home. In most cases, it’s likely a dog. But my cat does the same thing.

A clean, empty public restroom when you need one. Enough said.

Having exact change is always nice. The finality of the transaction is a thing of beauty.

Three cheers for seasonal foods. And that includes foods which are eaten year-round, but always taste better in a certain season. I’m looking at you, ice cream.

Hearing a song you like while you’re shopping. Most of the time you’ll hear some soft rock or Muzak, but every now and then, a good tune will catch you off guard.

I realize I’m missing thousands, nay, millions of simple joys. Hopefully, you readers can offer some more suggestions.

Phil Dzikiy is a staff reporter for the Tonawanda News. His column appears every Thursday. Contact him at 693-1000,

ext. 114 or by e-mail at dzikiyp@gnnewspaper.com.