Tier 1? Tier 2? Tier 3? Tier 4? I don't know what's going on anymore to be honest.
November seemed to be a strange month, from what I can tell. Everyone's been on lockdown once again, which has meant that I haven't had a moment's peace to myself - there's always someone in my house these days, disturbing my naps.
But despite all the things we can't do right now, there's still lots to be grateful and happy about. There's plenty of good things happening in the world - not least of which being that the funny orange man seems to finally be moving on from the big white house, even though he seems to say otherwise. Human beings are strange if you ask me.
Life's better when everyone's happy, so each month I take a look on the bright side, sniff out the positives and yap about things that make me smile. I hope they cheer you up too.
Here's November's #YappyNews - your monthly round-up of inspiring, happy and heartwarming news stories from around the world ...
#1: boy sparks chain of kindness at mcdonald's
Six-year-old Blake Durham told his mum that he wanted to "do something kind" earlier this month when ordering breakfast at a McDonald's drive-thru, and told the server he would buy food for the man in the car behind.
He said that he wanted the driver to be "happy" and "have a good day".
What happened next is wonderful. The kindness of the young lad quickly spread down the line, with car after car paying for the meal of the next person in line. That's just smashing.
His mum, Amy Durham, said her son's "main focus is making other people happy, that's all he ever wants to do", adding that "it's amazing ... just a little boy's positivity like that can just cause a reaction like that."
It just goes to show: kindness can go an awfully long way.
Read the full story here: BBC News, 11 November 2020
#2: DOLLY PARTON HELPS SAVE 2020?
The days of "working 9-5" may seem like a distant memory to many now, after the weird year that 2020 has been.
But thanks to country singer Dolly Parton, synonymous with that famous tune, it could be that the world is back to 'normal' sooner rather than later.
A New England Journal of Medicine article revealed this month that Parton contributed £1m of her own money to aid research into a coronavirus vaccine. The 'Dolly Parton COVID-19 Research Fund' is going towards research at the Vanderbilt University Medical Centre, which was involved in the creation of Moderna's new vaccine, reported to be almost 95 per cent effective against the virus.
Dolly, I wag my tail to you. And I'll be watching 'Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square' in celebration of both your generosity and because I blooming love Christmas.
Read the full story here: Indy100, 17 November 2020
#3: NEW YORK WORKER DISCOVERS TINY HOLIDAY SURPRISE
It's not often that I come across animals smaller than yours truly.
A worker in New York City, helping to set up the famous and iconic Rockeller Centre Christmas Tree, stumbled across a festive suprise, when a tiny owl was discovered among the branches.
The miniature bird was discovered in mid-November, dehydrated and hungry, and taken to the Ravensbeard Wildlife Centre in Sugerties, New York and later given a clean bill of health.
The bird is an adult male Saw-whet owl, one of the tiniest owls, and was named Rockefeller before being released back into the wild.
“He’s had a buffet of all-you-can-eat mice, so he’s ready to go,” said Ellen Kalish, Ravensbeard Wildlife Center's director and founder.
What a hoot.
Read the full story here: Associated Press, 19 November 2020
See? There's plenty of good news still out there, if you look for it. I'll be keeping my flappy ears peeled and will remain close to the ground in my hunt for more #YappyNews to make you smile. If you spot a good one, throw me a bone: I'm @YappyAlfie!
