Oooooh...I hear laughter in the rain...

Early this morning I was dreaming. I was dreaming that I was sleeping and there was this incredible storm with a lot of thunder and lightning. Oh. Wait.

That wasn't a dream. That WAS my early morning.

The thunder woke me up first. Then the lightning. I lay there in bed...listening to the storm...and began to almost subconsciously count "one one thousand....two one thousand" as soon as the lightning struck...and then stop when I heard the thunder. So I could tell how many miles away the storm was from me. Do you do that? I'm not even sure when I began to count miles...but I've been doing it for like, forever.

Why I count is something that also baffles me. I think I like the reassurance of 'counting' the storm away after it hits. 'Four miles away....now five...now seven.' It calms me down.

Wasn't calming the dog down, however. I felt this pawing at the bed in the middle of the storm and realized that Nina (my mom's dog who lives with us now) was very frightened. So I got up with her, and let Steve sleep...and she and I made the coffee, visited the 'little girl's room' and sat down to watch some early morning tv. Which consisted of weather updates...and paid programming ads.

As I'm flipping thru our thirteen channels (yeah, we don't have cable tv...we still think it's 1970 here in Seymour!!) to find something to watch-I land on a portion of the Carol Burnett Show.

"EXCELLENT!" I say...scaring the dog and some sparrows from a tree. I LOVE THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW! Funny Stuff.

Well, it was an ad for this DVD collection for the show. I sat there and watched the snippets...and laughed...and seriously considered actually buying something from a tv ad for the first...er, third....um (don't forget the Ronco Pocket Fisherman!) seventh time in my life.

I love to laugh. I mean, who doesn't, right? But lately....I haven't felt much like laughing.

So I sat there and smiled as I watched. And it occurred to me that I would make up a list of Twenty Five Things Guaranteed to Make Carrie Laugh.

Here they are. For your amusement. In no particular order:

25. Dogs eating peanut butter.

24. John Candy.

23. John Candy eating peanut butter. (okay...I'm sorry. I couldn't resist. Actually, I don't believe I've seen him do that. Although I'd bet the farm that he could make me laugh doing it.)

22. Old people dancing.

21. Little kids dancing.

20. Dogs dancing. (well, let's face it. Dogs doing anything 'human' is pretty funny.)

19. Daffy Duck cartoons. (when his bill falls off....heeheehee...hysteria ensues....hahaha!)

18. A well told joke.

17. A badly told joke. (Badly told? Is that right? It sounds weird.)

16. Clown cannibals. (I myself have never cared for clowns. They taste funny. *crickets chirping* sigh....well...it makes me laugh!)

15. Good impersonators. (where'd Rich Little go? When did that humor stop? I know Fred Travelina did some too....but man, I love it when someone can impersonate someone else....cracks me up. Johnny D and Drew rule in that area!!! :) )

14. John Cleese. (Anything that man does makes me laugh. I adore him.)

13. Danny Kaye. (same thing. I love his work. He's so funny!!)

12. Calvin and Hobbes.

11. Baby Blues.

10. Any of the funnies, really. (Except Prince Valiant and the Phantom. Oddly enough, I rarely smile at those when I read them. OH! And I've never cared for Frank and Earnest. They frustrate me...but that's an entirely different list....!)

9. Jacob's giggle. (I'd bottle it and sell it if I could. Again, another laugh guarantee. It's infective. You can't NOT laugh when Jacob laughs. Seriously.)

8. Hannah's stories. (it's actually not the stories that are funny, necessarily...but the WAY that Hannah tells a story is soooo comedic. I wonder where she gets that from??? Certainly not from me...I still have mine!)

7. Monkeys. (monkeys are funny. And I don't. know. why.)

6. The Monkees. (are also funny. And I do. know. why. Mickey Dolenz. Plain and simple. The guy had it going on!!!)

5. Blooper and outtake reels. (when actors crack up and can't get through the line...I laugh. Every time.)

4. Humor from people I don't 'expect' it from. (nothing makes me laugh harder than 'traditionally unfunny people' saying or doing something hysterical or witty.)

3. Real Men of Genius commercials. (beer is sooooo funny. Until, that is....someone gets hurt. Or drunk dialed. Which, actually, is sometimes pretty humorous...)

2. The Carol Burnett Show. (well, I'd feel stupid if I left it off the list!)

1. Making faces at myself in a mirror. (it's therapeutic. Really!)

So there you go. 25 things. That make Carrie Laugh. Good to remember. Now go make up your own list. I'd love to hear about it...