HappyUP!!! Day 368....Salad Daze

HappyUP!!! - another salad for lunch (see HappyUP!!! Day 361 for an updated photo).

Why it happened - I went for salad at my meeting I was at

Why it makes me happy - it would have been easy to have a delicious sandwich and fries. This was a better choice. How good does this thing look? A nice helping on top of a bunch of lettuce and fruit......delicious.

It almost made up for the 3 cookies I had in the afternoon!


HappyUP!!! - driving home
Why it happened - I had to get back from Bakersfield
Why it makes me happy - I ditched my rental car and got a ride back.......4.5 hrs of drive time goes by much faster with company.

HappyUP!!! - fed cut
Why it happened - the fed did what it needed to do
Why it makes me happy - who knows where our economy goes from here? The important thing is the Fed is now caught up (almost).......they are in the zip code. It won't cure all of our ills but this move was needed.

HappyUP!!! Day 367

HappyUP!!! - my salad
Why it happened - lunch was served
Why it made me happy - I'll have the picture up soon and you will know why. It was a beautiful presentation. Plus, the crab/shrimp salad at lunch with the mangoes was FABULOUS

HappyUP!!! - a conference call
Why it happened - I was at a meeting
Why it made me happy - corporate revealed numbers that back up what I have been trying to say all along. Finally, somebody may listen

HappyUP!!! - a visit to the TV store
Why it happened - we were having dinner there (don't ask why I had dinner at an appliance store....it was fun and delicious)
Why it made me happy - I found a knowledgeable guy who found me a swing arm for a project I am doing. I thought I would need it fabricated. This will save me some dough.....and allow me to go bigger on the TV!

HappyUP!!! Day 366

HappyUP!!! - a stagecoach

Why it happened - I had a meeting downtown where there was a museum in the lobby

Why it makes me happy - c'mon....take a peek at the picture. Even if you have seen this a million times, doesn't this just put a smile on your face? If for no other reason, YOU don't have to ride in one of these to get where you need to go!

HappyUP!!! - GPS

Why it happened - I packed my Garmin

Why it makes me happy - I got into the rental car at 10:30pm last night in Bakersfield. My eyesight for night driving is not that sharp. Mix in no confidence for where I am at and you end up with no confidence driving. That little Garmin took me right to my hotel....and I was in the middle of nowhere for awhile.

HappyUP!!! - Love in the Time of Cholera

Why it happened - I bought it

Why it makes me happy - this is the second book I have read from Gabriel Garcia Marquez. My plane was delayed so I got to read a lot yesterday. The words that this man uses are pure poetry. Perhaps this has something to do with this being a Nobel Prize winner. Perdition, plebiean, pestilential stench, perverse lucidity, frofundity, insolence, insipid (one of my favorites), imperious, propitious (another favorite), profligate, etc. Yet, amidst these words, the story is enhanced and never lost. It is an incredible story.

HappyUP!!! Day 365

HappyUP!!! - started a new book
Why it happened - I bought it
Why it makes me happy - it's a little different than my normal reading. It was a nice thing to do on a kickback Sunday morning. The book also has some excellent lines in it that will work their way into my vocabulary

HappyUP!!! - grocery store
Why it happened - it needed to happen
Why it makes me happy - I finally remembered to get some critical things that I have been missing. Trader Joes makes a cleaner that has a cedarwood smell...it's awesome. My kitchen is smelling clean again. Maybe the HappyUP!!! is the smell of the kitchen

HappyUP!!! - weight
Why it happened - it's Sunday
Why it makes me happy - I held 168 for the third straight week.....and I have not been trying that hard. I am probably off to a bad start for next week based on a little garbage eating today. The important thing is that 7 pounds are gone and have been for three weeks. A little re-motivation is in order so I can make a push at 160.

HappyUP!!! Day 364

HappyUP!!! - President's Breakfast
Why it happened - I'm President
Why it makes me happy - it's good to go sit amongst my Toastmaster's peers. I enjoyed the person that spoke. He had a few practical ideas on leadership. I also became acquainted with some new people.

HappyUP!!! - finding someone's checkbook
Why it happened - I was at the bank before hours making a deposit
Why it makes me happy - NO.....it's not because I started writing checks! Knock that off. I put the checkbook in a deposit envelope and placed it in the night drop. I am sure the customer will get a call and be relieved.

HappyUP!!! - my GPS
Why it happened - I used it rather than mapquest
Why it makes me happy - I kind of knew where to go. This little gadget took me right there. I am also looking forward to throwing it in the suitcase for my upcoming trip to Bakersfield. Trust me....that's a town you don't want to be lost in!

ONE DAY TO GO...

....and I have save a surprise! - you all know that tomorrow will be 365 days of HappyUP!!!'s.

I knew this day would happen - well.....365 days ago! I have partnered with the NFL to arrange for a special Pre-Posting extravaganza!

In honor of 1 year of HappyUP!!!'s - the NFL will hold it's marquee Super Bowl game right before my 365th consecutive posting.

I know...I know - you are going, "Nutster, how did you pull that off?" Hey, it wasn't as hard as you think. In no sport is it more important to HappyUP!!! than pro football.

Sure, you may think the guys are intense - and you would be right. Who says that you can't be happier in that intensity. As a matter of fact, wouldn't you perform better in you were happier?

Of course you would - so, here is my prediction. Tomorrow's winner between the Patriots and the Giants will not necessarily be the favorites. The winner is going to be the team that seems the happiest at kickoff....and at halftime.

Speaking of halftime - I also arranged for Tom Petty to provide those festivities as another celebration for the Super HappyUP!!! that will be tomorrow. I pulled out all of the stops.

So, grab your chips - and a soda.....right after the game and wait for that final posting of the HappyUP!!! year. The Patriots went 18-0....big deal! They had an off season and 7 days between most games. HappyUP!!! is an everyday season.

HappyUP!!! Day 363

HappyUP!!! - breakfast
Why it happened - I do this with a subordinate once in awhile
Why it makes me happy - we covered some serious business stuff today.

HappyUP!!! - two cancelled meetings....and great meeting material
Why it happened - who knows....the people in power realized that there were better things to do than these two meetings?
Why it makes me happy - TIME back to me! There is nothing better than time from a cancelled meeting. It is like you are given LIFE back to you that you had written off.

HappyUP!!! - great news on recruiting front
Why it happend - I made a call
Why it makes me happy - I would love to land this one. This person is just what we need!

HappyUP!!! Day 362

HappyUP!!! - coffee with a pal
Why it happened - I called him
Why it makes me happy - this guy is in the industry. An old friend. We just got to compare some notes for an hour and reconnect.

HappyUP!!! - great recruiting appointment
Why it happened - I made a call
Why it makes me happy - he's a quality guy....and excited to talk to me.

HappyUP!!! - took a difficult conversation
Why it happened - had a situation at work
Why it makes me happy - I didn't want to have this conversation but I moved on it. It's done and not hanging over my head for tomorrow.

HappyUP!!! Day 361

HappyUP!!! - one of the best compliments I have ever received
Why it happened - I forecasted a most unlikely event....that is becoming likely
Why it makes me happy - it was the person that I received it from. This person said, "I have been telling people you might be the smartest person in the world." While he didn't mean that literally, it was high praise.... especially from this person.

HappyUP!!! - a recruiting appointment
Why it happened - I kept leaning on my people
Why it makes me happy - we'll have an offer letter out tomorrow and add a GREAT person to our team.

HappyUP!!! - the stock market was up
Why it happened - for today, we believe that we might have hit a bottom
Why it makes me happy - you try not to worry about the stock market. It can't rule your life. The immediate past period couldn't help but get your attention.....attention that you would rather not use.

JollyJottings

Coffee with my friend
Drop in visitor at coffee
Finding a stock split
Figuring out a financial quirk
Discovering an error in anothers piece of work....and helping my employee
A recruiting appointment
A recruiting appointment set
An e-mail from an acquaintenance
One of the best compliments I have EVER received

HappyUP!!! Day 360

HappyUP!!! - a particular stock was up
Why it happened - the Fed's rate cut
Why it makes me happy - I got my 401k over-invested in this one. I caught up in a sector being slammed. While tomorrow is another day, it was cool that their was an increase today. Nice change of scenery.

HappyUP!!! - meeting with an internal partner
Why it happened - he was out here from the upper mid-west for a meeting tomorrow
Why it makes me happy - I think my managers got some benefit from the face time. This guy can help us.

HappyUP!!! - a strange phone call
Why it happened - I don't really know...it is why it was strange
Why it makes me happy - it was good to connect with this person for a couple of different reasons.

HappyUP!!! Day 359

HappyUP!!! - an impactful presentation
Why it happened - I was asked
Why it makes me happy - I was called on to do something by someone. I went and did it. The word got back to this person just HOW well I did. It's not about me doing good....I gave the people a feeling of empowerment which is critical to what they are undertaking.

HappyUP!!! - another great presentation
Why it happened - I am called on every Monday to do this
Why it makes me happy - I gave understanding and education. I assisted people another thing to think about.

HappyUP!!! - a great e-mail
Why it happened - I sent a great e-mail
Why it makes me happy - I got a little piece of endorsement that I was looking for. I didn't get it all but I got enough to move forward.

HappyUP!!! Day 358

HappyUP!!! - busting out an old friend

Why it happened - I was watching football

Why it makes me happy - my lil Marshall lead 10 amp was something I gave myself over 10 yrs ago. It's a versatile little amp with a lot of throat. I thought that it was busted. Today I said, "perhaps it was all the electronics that I was trying to run through it." I brought it down by the TV, dusted it off, and fired it up. PERFECT! My Fender Amp is just too big. I can't crank it up enough to drive the amp without driving the neighbors out of the neighborhood. The lil Marshall can get plenty dirty without the volume. I hadn't used this for so long that I had given it up for dead. It's like I got a free amp today.

HappyUP!!! - scooping up the bro and sis-in-law
Why it happened - they needed to get back from the airport
Why it makes me happy - it's always nice to be picked up at the airport. I am sure they appreciated it. It's always a HappyUP!!! when you do someone a good turn.

HappyUP!!! - weight
Why it happened - duh.....it's Sunday
Why it makes me happy - I held out another week at my post cleanse weight. While I have been trying to be good "post-cleanse", a couple of Dairy Queen Blizzards have found their way back into my diet.

HappyUP!!! Day 357

HappyUP!!! - got a great e-mail
Why it happened - I tossed out an invitation
Why it made me happy - good times ahead

HappyUP!!! - Springsteen tickets!
Why it happened - I took a chance on line when they went on sale
Why it made me happy - c'mon....the boss! I'll be seeing him in April. It's something to look forward to.

HappyUP!!! - guitar "fixed"
Why it happened - I made the drive to store
Why it makes me happy - first, I found the problem this morning. It was just in time to take my axe with
me when I was heading downtown for another reason. Downtown is where the music store is. The guy there
fixed the problem in an instant......he wrapped the batteries for the pickup with a post it note. No shipping my axe off to who knows where.

HappyUP!!! Day 356

Only 16 days left - have you booked your room in Paris?....will you be celebrating in a villa in Tuscany? It's probably too late to make a reservation.

When 1 year of HappyUP!!!'s are upon us - the people who have been planning will already have taken up all of the places in the streets for dancing.

That's OK - you can celebrate in the comfort of your own living room.

HappyUP!!! - all reviews practically done
Why it happened - I am grinding them out
Why it makes me happy - it is just a relief every time I get one done. If you are a supervisor, you know what I mean. If you aren't, there is no way you could get it.

HappyUP!!! - grinding out the annual trainings
Why it happened - it was Friday afternoon. I had a few minutes. I turned it into an hour and I am well on my way to having this annual chore done.
Why it makes me happy - we have to take the compliance refresher courses every year. It's a good thing. It's a wonderful reminder to all of us to do the right thing. It's just a great feeling when you finish them. Though I have a few to go, I knocked some pesky ones off today. Relief.

HappyUP!!! - sitting with the auditor
Why it happened - the auditor was doing one of my branches today
Why it makes me happy - I like our auditor. I learn things about the company so I always make sure that I do a debrief when the audits are done.

HappyUP!!! Day 355

HappyUP!!! - the Dow Jones drops 300 poi.........ooops! Not a HappyUP!!! but it is a testimony to the HappyUP!!! process. If all I was focused on was the stock market, it would be a bad ending to the day.

HappyUP!!! - call from a colleague
Why it happened - he said he would call
Why it makes me happy - he has some good ideas to help get through this market

HappyUP!!! - call from a friend
Why it happened - he returned my e-mail with a phone call
Why it makes me happy - I got caught up with this person. We hadn't talked in forever. He is doing great. He said he would do me a favor. He also is going to make a custom item for me when I need it.

HappyUP!!! - budgeting should be easy to do
Why it happened - I have no idea
Why it makes me happy - it is going to be a tough year. "Making budget" should be one less thing to worry about and have to manage......there are enough other things to work on.

HappyUP!!! Day 354

HappyUP!!! - interview
Why it happened - we are always looking for people
Why it makes me happy - I think we found a solid "doubles" hitter today. We just keep building the team.

HappyUP!!! - knocked out some reviews
Why it happened - I forced myself to sit down to that computer
Why it makes me happy - my HR "In Box" is close to empty. I would really like one more push tomorrow and empty it. It will quickly refill but I now can see that an empty in box would feel great.

HappyUP!!! - indoor kitty
Why it happened - I heard a scratch at the door
Why it makes me happy - it's a little nippy out there. I don't usually let the outdoor cats in. I had Shadow in tonight.....and then back in....hey, I think she is still in. Even though she is not used to it, my bet is she is going to pop up and snuggle down next to me to sleep tonight. I could do an entire posting on the therapeutic qualities of a cat purring.

HappyUP!!! Day 353

HappyUP!!! - Toastmasters
Why it happened - it's Tuesday
Why it STILL makes me happy - after 20 yrs. I wrote and gave a great talk. I heard another great talk. We had a very interested guest. The list goes on and on

HappyUP!!! - part two of my physical
Why it happened - I go and get an annual
Why it makes me happy - blood work, blood pressure, cholesterol were all in good shape. So was that "other" part.....hey, the world makes you think that every other guy has a prostate issue. You can't worry about that or you would go crazy. You can celebrate when, at least this time around, you aren't the other guy.

HappyUP!!! - home decorating solution
Why it happened - I had the TV setup guy come out
Why it makes me happy - we came up with an innovative solution that is going to work perfectly!....should save me some dough, too!

HappyUP!!! Day 352

HappyUP!!! - calling people about compensation
Why it happened - it's bonus time
Why it makes me happy - they were both getting more than they expected. I could hear the joy in their voices. That joy was precious to me.

HappyUP!!! - having my idea presented to my peers
Why it happened - my boss thought it was a timely suggestion
Why it makes me happy - I felt like I had been crying wolf for a few months about a problem. Finally, we are on the road to getting the issue solved.

HappyUP!!! - finding out about a subordinates comp
Why it happened - the comp came out right....the first time
Why it makes me happy - I thought that I was going to have to fight for one of my employees to get paid correctly. When the info came out on the website today, it was correct the first time. All I had to do was hit an "approve" button and pick up the phone (see first HappyUP!!!). Sometimes, you have to appreciate when the anticipate worst doesn't happen. Did I say "sometimes"? You should do it everytime!


JollyJottings

Meeting with client
Meeting with a subordinate
Assisting with getting a deal fixed
A nice no rush morning before going to the office
Good eating
A fun e-mail project with a friend
Calling a subordinate about compensation
Finding out about a subordinates compensation
Having my idea presented to my peers

HappyUP!!! Day 351....Jan 13....LohriUP!!!!

HappyUP!!! - going to a Lohri celebration....the celebration of the bonfire.

Why it happened - one of my employees is East Indian and they celebrate this festival

Why it makes me happy - their community gets together in a joyous celebration to their God. They are giving thanks to the harvest. In the case of the one I went to, it had the added joy to celebrate that a male son was born since last Jan 13th. Joy and GREAT food are always a HappyUP!!!


I had to go here to get the real story - most of the young people couldn't explain it to me. The older folks knew it so well that they couldn't dumb it down for me....plus there was that pesky dialogue barrier.



HappyUP!!! - women out dancing with each other at the Lohri

Why it happened - it seems to be a tradition

Why it makes me happy - this starts to look very similar to how we anglos do it. The women want to dance so they go dance with themselves. Plus, look at those beautiful outfits. A gorgeous site.








HappyUP!!! - all the men were at the bar

Why it happened - it's what men do at functions like this

Why it makes me happy - it doesn't matter what language we speak. We are all the same. The women go dance with themselves why the men pound cocktails. It's like a world unifying concept!

HappyUP!!! Day 350

HappyUP!!! - breakfast
Why it happened - Saturday is likely to be breakfast day
Why it makes me happy - today it was just me and my friend. We were there for two hours discussing life and cutting up. It's the absolute best.

HappyUP!!! - found my camera
Why it happened - I glanced in "that last place"
Why it makes me happy - I hate losing stuff.....and I like to have a camera handy

HappyUP!!! - e-mail
Why it happened - I have some cool friends
Why it makes me happy - sometimes, the people you want to talk to aren't around....a phone conversation isn't convenient. I connected to "discuss" an issue with a friend far away.

Jan 12 - Is It a New Year?

(Note: to my friends at SundayScribblings , this is the correct link for this week's topic. I didn't mean to post twice)

How did you feel on New Year's Day? - forget about the public or private resolutions....

For most - those have already been forgotten. They were "head" decisions.

Think back - to that place where, if you got some quiet time, you secretly said to yourself, "this is the year where things are going to be different."

And you kind of sort of believed it - perhaps things weren't so rushed in the post-Christmas time.


You saw the change in lifestyle possible - and advantageous. You even may have started living it. The holidays are a fascinating time. Sure, they can be busy with parties and year end deadlines. But, there usually is some lull that we all find....some of us more than others. It is a time for reflection...

..and maybe therein lies the key - that time of reflection tells you that you may or may not be in a bad spot. You just know that it isn't optimal. You focus on how it is that you got there. Then, it hits you that there may be a slightly better place. You start to embrace it a little bit....

...Before you know it - "LIFE" as you know it steps up, defends itself, and gets in the way. You don't have the ability to push it aside and drive to that other place.

...and, you are right - you don't. In that frame of reference and time, you don't have the time to change. Maybe, just maybe, you have the time and power to reflect once again. The reflection may not be a power that lets you advance against the enemy. The reflection just gives you a foothold to say, "Life, I know you are trying to push against me and keep me in a certain spot. You can push but I am not giving in. I am going to stand right here. While I stand here, I am going to be gathering my troops. When the troops get a little stronger and the direction becomes a bit more clear, you WILL be pushed to the side."

Base camp....footholds....inches gained and retained - these are to be appreciated. It's nice to score a touchdown with a long bomb instantly. It's flashy. It's easy. It involves some luck. Most touchdowns are won by gaining a few yards...and then a few more. Then, you are stopped and have to punt. You stop the enemy. They punt back but you gained a few yards in the exchange. Your field position improves. You have a new base of operations.

It's only Jan 12 - if you wanted to change and nothing has, that's OK. Just don't give in and get beaten back to that place of dissatisfaction....

...or the conversation won't happen again for 11.75 months.

HappyUP!!! Day 349

HappyUP!!! - cancelled meeting
Why it happened - the other person was busy
Why it made me happy - one less meeting!

HappyUP!!! - competitor bought
Why it happened - they were suffering
Why it makes me happy - it makes things interesting for our competitor

HappyUP!!! - the scale
Why it happened - the cleanse is over
Why it makes me happy - as long as I have a sensible day tomorrow, I'll have a very impressive health start to the New Year!

HappyUP!!! Day 348

HappyUP!!! - a comment
Why it happened - I had a meeting
Why it makes me happy - I was leading my meeting. We were at a serious point. One of my managers made a comment that was outrageously funny....yet, it was on-point so it wasn't disruptive.

HappyUP!!!- getting something off my chest
Why it happened - I am in the midst of something
Why it makes me happy - it was hard. It was scary. It was something I felt must be done. I moved it to the next step today. It was time to get the monkey off my back.

HappyUP!!! - a decision
Why it happened - it needed to be made one way or another
Why it makes me happy - I involved my team. I took their input. They are committed knowing all circumstances. That was the buy in that I needed to tip the scale and move forward.

Barrelling toward One Year of HappyUP!!!'s

(This post was originally run in early 2007. Yeah, I could have just linked to it but, without those catchy buttons, who would have traveled back into the past?)

HappyUP!!! Project Revisited

I just noticed - there are still a couple of people on the internet that have not found NuttersNotes

Because the last of the stragglers will probably be stopping by today - it is prime time for a little refresher course in what this HappyUP!!! thing is all about.

For an older explanation and the rationale - you need to nothing more than click here

...and you really should do that - because I can't devote this entire post to remedial students. I have to take care of the people following along.

If you are a follower - there has never been a better time to step up and lead. Your family needs you to do it. The world needs you to do it. I need you to do it. YOU need you to do it.

You may be happy - which makes you an excellent candidate for the project. The daily excercise is so easy that even the Nutster has been able to do it for over 300 documentable days....right here in front of your own eyes.

All I am coaching you for is - to do 7 days....and then stretch it until it becomes a daily habit. The net effect is that YOU create your good news. Tired of the newspapers and the fabricated stories that are beaten into the ground? Don't take more in....DO something about it. Here is a great example:

The HappyUP!!! - a fish with lips

Why it happened - I was carrying my camera when I went to dinner. I commented on the aquarium to the owner of the eating establishment. "Did you see the big fish....the one with lips?"

Why it made me happy - do you remember the old game when someone asked something really obvious? Today, we just go "duh." In a more creative time, we would say, "Is the Pope Cathholic?" or "Does a bear poop in the woods?" for a positive answer. If the answer was an obvious "No," we would say, "does a fish have lips?"
Well, as it turns out, I guess a fish does have lips!!!

....and that makes me happy - that's all there is to it! It's so easy, even the Nutster can do it! I took a moment, not all day obsessing, and recognized that little situation made me happy. The more times you realize what makes you happy, the happier you are going to be.

It's easy to single out all of the things - than make you mad, sad, frustrated, etc and attach all kinds of emotion to them. Why do you need to do that? The answer: you don't NEED to do it...you CHOOSE to do it. And, just like you made the choice to focus on the crappy, you can make a new choice to focus on the Happy.

Yes, it is a formalized version - of "count your blessings." Is there a better time to start than right now?

If you are a fellow blogger - you can even work it into a daily posting amongst the other wonderful things you are putting up. It's a wonderful accountability to yourself. I can't tell you the number of times I have gone up to bed, laid down, and said, "oops...I have the HappyUP!!!s. I just forgot to post them."...and back to the computer I went.

....and it has been worth every trip! - I have been hearing a comment from people lately that I have never heard before. "Nutster, you are so positive....I really like that." Hmmmmmm........I think I am going to continue.

HappyUP!!! Day 347

HappyUP!!! - phone call returned by a recruit
Why it happened - I called the recruit at the right time
Why it makes me happy - the right things are being said. We are heading in the right direction

HappyUP!!! - clarifying returned call
Why it happened - a heated call happened previously
Why it makes me happy - I am glad the person called to set the record straight exactly about what was said

HappyUP!!! - calls and e-mails from friends
Why it happened - who knows why they show up with an ear at the right time
Why it makes me happy - today was a tough, high stress day. Sometimes when people call me, it is for me to listen. Today it was their turn and it makes me happy they were there.

HappyUP!!! Day 346

HappyUP!!! - Toastmasters
Why it happened - it's Tuesday
Why it makes me happy - we were off two weeks for the holiday. I missed the group so it was good to be back. More importantly, we had a FANTASMIC meeting! Two great speeches. Sharp evaluations. Awesome.

HappyUP!!! - my presentation
Why it happened - I had to cover when someone ran late
Why it makes me happy - I had an important piece to give at a meeting. This was an important one with some fairly big people in the room. At the last minute, the person opening the meeting called because he was late. Because I was up after him, I covered his spot. Everything went great. One of the big people, who has been to MANY of these rollout meetings...many.....went out of her way to tell me how great a job I did. Because of the way I presented it, she had never thought of it that way before and said that I was super on-point. I was able to deliver my prepared portion (what she was talking about) after delivering the piece that I was tossed into. No problem. Why? See HappyUP!!! above.............Toastmasters

HappyUP!!! - finding a mistake
Why it happened - my on-line stock account wasn't jibing with my off line tracker
Why it makes me happy - I owned 500 more shares of a stock than I had recorded in my tracker. It made me feel like I "found" a TON of dough. Did I really? Literally, I didn't. In my mind, I did. Which is right? All I know is that I feel much wealthier catching my mistake!

HappyUP!!! Day 345

HappyUP!!! - trading chairs
Why it happened - it's a new year
Why it makes me happy - I go to a meeting every Monday morning. I have for over 6 years. The first meeting of the year is "musical chairs" where we all change locations. Fun!

HappyUP!!! - an e-mail
Why it happened - a friend shot it to me
Why it makes me happy - I got some unexpected (and welcome) information

HappyUP!!! - crab
Why it happened - I scavenged
Why it makes me happy - I couldn't join some associates immediately for appetizers. I had to get there late. They had a bunch of leftover crab legs. They begged me to eat them....and I did...with no butter, no sauce!

SuperHappyUP!!! - sugarless, sandwichless meeting
Why it happened - I showed restraint
Why it makes me happy - I had to be in a 5 hr meeting. Candy dishes were all around me. It was one ladies birthday and they brought in a gorgeous cake. I had none of it as I am sworn off sugar right now. This is an accomplishment that must be recognized. I didn't have any of the sandwiches/chips either. Winner!!! I am still alive.

JollyJottings

Trading chairs
E-Mail
Crab
Hard Talk

HappyUP!!! Day 344 - Walking with Dinosaurs

HappyUP!!! - trip to the gym
Why it happened - I made myself go
Why it makes me happy - I was a relentless gym attender in 2006.....a stranger in 2007. I didn't want to go today but I got my 30 minutes in today for the first time in 2008. It may not seem like much but every journey of 1000 miles starts with the first step

HappyUP!!! - weighing in
Why it happened - it's Sunday...it's when I do it.
Why it makes me happy - the work that I am doing resulted in 3 pounds lost this week. That, friends, is a great start of the day.

HappyUP!!! - a run
Why it happened - I forced myself
Why it makes me happy - I have a new 2 mile best for the year. It was a full 20 second faster than New Year's Day.

JollyJottings

Trip to the gym
weigh in
run...I went
run...I beat my time of 5 days ago
Company to Walk with Dinosaurs
Walk with Dinosaurs
Sprint Help Line - I multitasked
No flooding
Driving my car
Loaded the shuffle...no problem

HappyUP!!! Day 343

HappyUP!!!- another good eating day
Why it happened - it needed to after that Mexican dinner last night
Why it makes me happy - I should be heading for a good initial 2008 weigh in tomorrow

HappyUP!!! -drainage
Why it happened - I got on it
Why it makes me happy - I think I discovered the problem that was causing some flooding. Yes, I had to get out the shovel in some really muddy territory but I think I got the problem solved....more rain on the way.

HappyUP!!! - got my data back
Why it happened - I made another try
Why it makes me happy - long story but I have been getting all of my CD's on to my computer. I have been shooting the data on to my external storage and taking it off my hard drive. I wasn't able to get it back....then I did! That is a HappyUP!!!
HappyUP!!! - going to bed early

HappyUP!!! Day 342

HappyUP!!! - a nasty, nasty storm
Why it happened - nature does that
Why it makes me happy - when nature does what nature does, it let's us know who is really in charge around here. It's humbling. All of a sudden, all the "all so important" things we do aren't so important anymore.

(Really sorry my brother had to lose the tree in his front yard. As you can tell, I wasn't sorry enough to get out of the truck and do anything....yes, that is the antennae of my truck you see....hey, there wasn't anything I could do. What? Was I supposed to lift the thing up and re-root it?)


HappyUP!!! - MEXICAN FOOD!
Why it happened - my nephew stopped by and said he, my bro/sis, and another couple were going to Carmelitas. I hadn't been there in awhile
Why it makes me happy - real food! OK....shame on me. I am on a cleanse. This was in violation. I was ready to eat my piece of salmon at home...but I didn't. I am happy that I only had ONE item along with the rice and beans.....I was the only one at the table that did that.

HappyUP!!! - haircut
Why it happened - I do get my haircut
Why it makes me happy - I am now being known at the barbershop....even if it is as "the banker." It's a weird cast of eclectic characters down at the ear lowering joint....I fit right in. It's kind of like a Cheers thing...where everybody knows your name...even if mine is "the banker."

HappyUP!!! Day 341

HappyUP!!! - dinner
Why it happened - it was dinner time
Why it makes me happy - the first real food that I have had in 72 hours! A piece of salmon, a little salad with oil and vinegar, and a little brown rice. No salts....no sugars. I ate at 5:30 and I am wonderfully full.

HappyUP!!! - conversation with a co-worker
Why it happened - he came into the office
Why it makes me happy - he had a heart attack last weekend! He got angioplasty and a stint. He's alive. I've known the guy for 19 years. I got a chance to talk with him about "the experience." Scary.

HappyUP!!! - seeing my staff
Why it happened - we were all in the office
Why it makes me happy - we all kind of scattered after the holiday. I miss them when I am gone...and vice versa.

HappyUP!!! Day 340

HappyUP!!! - blood draw
Why it happened - I made the appointment
Why it makes me happy - it's just for my physical. I don't know the results but, up or down, I'll know. I didn't exactly follow through on my entire physical last year. It will be done...and early...this year.

HappyUP!!!- bought a consultation
Why it happened - I made an appointment
Why it makes me happy - I am finally going to get a pro out to the house to give me my TV/Home Theater options. This little project procrastination has set back my entire decorating situation. Not for much longer.

HappyUP!!! - day 2 of my cleanse is over
Why it happened - I started the cleanse yesterday
Why it makes me happy - the first two days on my cleanse, you get NO REAL FOOD...not even a powder shake. Hence, with the system used to eating anything, the system does not like day 1 & 2. It's done!

HappyUP!!! Day 339.....HappyUP!!! New Year

Note: Sunday, Feb 3. Do you have it marked in your calender? What? You marked Christmas and somebody's birthday. You don't have the most important day IN HISTORY marked yet? C'mon....get that Outlook Calender out and get with it. ONLY 33 days until we celebrate 1 year of HappyUP!!!-ing on-line. What will you be doing to celebrate?

HappyUP!!! - goodbye to 2007
Why it happened - once again, it's a calender thing
Why it makes me happy - I have a habit of reflecting back on the previous year when we get to this point. I keep a few notes in a word document. I'll jot down the date and the high (or low) light as it occurs. As I was preparing to dig in, I really thought 2007 was going to be average...or below. A relationship ended, my dad got sick and died, my industry is in a downturn, and the muckity mucks at work are up to no good....and have been for three months. On top of it, I went from 4 pounds down going into the last quarter to 3 pounds up for the year. Yet, as I reflected back on the good things, it was a solid year. I won't call it a banner one...but a good one to build off of for 2008. I am incredibly optimistic about the next 12 months.

HappyUP!!! - day one of the cleanse is nearing completion
Why it happened - I am committed to two cleanses a year....might as well get number one out of the way
Why it makes me happy - I believe day one is the worst. You just drink root juice and eat the human equivalent of a dog biscuit. I could be facing the worst when I try to go to sleep later. Today has been no picnic....but it's almost done!

HappyUP!!! - day off tomorrow
Why it happened - I need to take some more days off
Why it makes me happy - I don't take nearly enough days off. I already have several planned for this month. I'll get out ahead of that curve! Something to look forward to tomorrow is always a HappyUP!!! today.

HappyUP!!! Day 338....May Ol Acquaintenances Be Forgot...

HappyUP!!! - the end of the year
Why it happened - it's the end of the year....calenders do that
Why it makes me happy - it just puts you into a different frame of mind. It's a day off tomorrow.

HappyUP!!! - cancelled conference call
Why it happened - my boss figured everyone was on light schedule
Why it makes me happy - I really only wanted to put in the half day that I already did.

HappyUP!!! - coffee with a friend
Why it happened - he pressed me
Why it makes me happy - I got to sit around and talk with another guy for a couple of hours that I have never spent that much time with. We were swapping business ideas as well as life issues. Good time in conversation.

HappyUP!!! Day 337

HappyUP!!! - Nutton and Oranges delivery
Why it happened - I slipped out in the early morning
Why it makes me happy - I know the couple who got their NUTTON!!!wear are going to enjoy them....plus my oranges are pretty darn good.

HappyUP!!! - Qi Gong
Why it happened - I was watching public television
Why it makes me happy - this guy was doing some weird moves on TV. I decided to follow along. At the end of just 7 non-strenuous minutes, I couldn't believe how I felt. Stretching is in my plans for 2008. Qi Gong is similar to Tai Chi. Unlike Yoga, you don't have to do the moves "right." Lee Holden is the guy if you want to do a google on him.

HappyUP!!! - happy dreams
Why it happened - who knows
Why it makes me happy - doesn't it make you happy when you have some excellent dreams. Last night's were just that!

HappyUP!!! Day 336

HappyUP!!! - more Christmas
Why it happened - my sis-in-law has a big family
Why it makes me happy - while all the hubbub wouldn't be my daily cup of tea, it's cool to be around the large gathering once a year. The gift exchange is always a hoot.

HappyUP!!! - gift exchange trick
Why it happened - someone was on the ball
Why it makes me happy - one guy brings lottery scratchers for the gift exchange. Follow along here as you have to get the setup. The worst thing that could happen to that guy who brought those would be a huge winner in the pile of tickets. While the recipient was sc
scratching away, someone had a fake winning
lottery scratcher for 10, ooo bucks (don't ask me how they got it....someone said you can get them at the dollar store). They slipped that to the person doing the scratching. The person scratching acted like a big winner. You should have seen the commotion!

HappyUP!!! - good pictures....not taken by me
Why it happened - it's a family gathering
Why it makes me happy - they'll be a good one of my brother and two nephews all laid out on the couch doing what we do best....nothing!

In the meantime, here's pictures of people taking pictures.

HappyUP!!! Day 335

HappyUP!!! - physical...part one
Why it happened - I made it happen and made an appointment yesterday
Why it makes me happy - no issues on the vitals....now, on to the bloodwork.

HappyUP!!! - breakfast
Why it happened - it happens every couple of weeks
Why it makes me happy - I always like to spend time with this guy. He is a direct report...and a friend.

HappyUP!!! - various e-mail dialogues
Why it happened - all my e-mail friends must have had some time off
Why it makes me happy - some of the people live close by....we'll be planning to do some things
together in 2008. I think 2008 is going to be the Year of the Full Calender for me.

HappyUP!!! Day 334

HappyUP!!! - a helpful "Help Desk" person
Why it happened - I had an issue with my corporate sanctioned blackberry
Why it made me happy - I could whine about the three different places I had to call and the number of times I was transferred to get this issue fixed. The important thing was that when I got to the person, I got to THEE person. She wasn't superfast. She had to look things up BUT she understood and appeared to actually care about my problem beyond the "customer service scripting" schpiel. My Blackberry is UP!

HappyUP!!! - a helpful banker
Why it happened - I needed to do a transfer that I should have been able to do on-line but couldn't
Why it made me happy - when we first sat down, it seemed like I may have messed up and could have accomplished what I needed to do on line. I was ready to go home and give it another try. She wouldn't let me. She said, "let me get out of my internal screen and do it as you would at home." It was at that time that we found out I hadn't made a mistake. I really couldn't do this on line. She picked up the phone and got it done with the people right away. Big timesaver.

HappyUP!!! - talking with a friend
Why it happened - my friend called me up
Why it made me happy - I hadn't heard from this person in several months. I figured our friendship wasn't that big of a deal to the other person. Now, we are probably going to go skiing with ME getting free ski lessons. Gotta love that.

HappyUP!!! Day 333

HappyUP!!! - unexpected golf
Why it happened - my brother called
Why it makes me happy - I had the day off. Nothing planned. It was a bit chilly but it was still a good time.....even though my game stunk!

HappyUP!!! - steak
Why it happened - it needed to be eaten
Why it makes me happy - a BBQ'd steak on a cold night.....tenderized all day with garlic and worchester. That is some good eating.

HappyUP!!! - 2 sandies
Why it happened - I hit it in the sand trap
Why it makes me happy - despite the struggle today, I still showed a bit of skill on a couple of occasions.

HappyUP!!! Day 332

HappyUP!!! - the hidden money is a hit again
Why it happened - I do it somehow every Xmas
Why it makes me happy - my niece and nephews aren't kids anymore. They know what is coming from me...cash.
They just don't know how it's coming. This year, the do-re-me was somewhat carefully stitched into an extra hem that was at the bottom of their NUTTONS!!! T-shirts. Only one of the three rocket scientists figured it out. The other two had some coaching. I think all were in disbelief that I went to the trouble of hiding the cash in such fashion.....hence, the fun and tradition has continued another year.

HappyUP!!! - losing money
Why it happened - we played poker
Why it makes me happy - we must have played poker for 8 hours......between a lot of eating....oh my, a LOT of eating. I am going to have some working out to do between now and Sunday. Anyway, it cost me a lot of dough but it went to a good cause....the rest of the family.....plus we had a TON of laughs.

HappyUP!!! - GPS
Why it happened - I got a present
Why it makes me happy - none of my vehicles has GPS. Now, with my portable Garmin, they all can! Sweeeet!

HappyUP!!! Day 331

NOTE: just 41 days until the HappyUP!!! project roles through it's first year.

HappyUP!!! - a spec play
Why it happened - I decided to try to take advantage of a little trick Wall Streeters play
Why it makes me happy - I am learning. The best way for me to learn is by doing. I like learning. It also doesn't hurt the learning process when it might make you a little dough. In this case, I chose one stock over the other 4 that were in the running for a year end play. All 5 of the stocks were up today. The one I was chose went up the most....a little over 4% in one day! I'll be out of this position by Thursday....and then see if "the streeters" do what I think they will do.

HappyUP!!! - another Christmas idea
Why it happened - I saw an ad
Why it makes me happy - my bro and sis in law or going to like this one.....I think.

HappyUP!!! - cleaning out some files
Why it happened - slow couple of hours at work
Why it makes me happy - I thought I had already performed this function at one time not too long ago. There was so much more for me to toss. It is very liberating to get rid of papers that were "oh, so important," yet never looked at.

You Aren't in Style.......are you?

Isn't this about the happiest stack - you have ever seen?

Check out those colors - and the message. It's better than Seinfeld. Heck, that show was about nothin.

These shirts are all about - Nuttons

It's absolutely impossible - for you to even think about hitting the major fashion cities of the world this year without this little accessory.

Long and short sleeved - you can be wearing Nutton
year round. I know I'll be!

HappyUP!!! Day 330 - Christmas Shopping

Hey.....what is going on here? - a future HappyUP!!! ?

Never mind - on with the HappyUP!!!s

HappyUP!!! - the Sunday morning before Xmas
Why it happened - this is when it happens
Why it makes me happy - if you get to the stores on the Sunday morning, they open early and you are on your own. 1) People don't like getting up early on Sunday 2) The people that do HAVE to go to church on this one Sunday every year.

HappyUP!!! - finding some cool gifts
Why it happened - I just kept thinking...thinking.... thinking
Why it makes me happy - I know the people that get what I give are going to really appreciate them. No giving just to give this Christmas

HappyUP!!! - playful texts and e-mails with friends
Why it happened - it's a lazy Sunday?
Why it makes me happy - I just crack myself up.....I really do.

HappyUP!!! Day 329

HappyUP!!! - call with someone I hadn't talked to in a few months
Why it happened - I picked up the phone
Why it made me happy - hadn't talked to the person since Second Saturday back in October. It was good to reconnect and chat about the holidays. Maybe we'll play some cribbage.

HappyUP!!! - breakfast
Why it happened - it happens every Saturday
Why it made me happy - today, the laughs were at a VERY HIGH level....gut busting. Laughs...laughs...laughs

HappyUP - wrapping idea
Why it happened - the "panic wave" swept over me and washed in some creativity
Why it makes me happy - I have a tradition of "packaging" my gifts for my niece and nephews. You can see last year's creation here. I was out of creative gas until it hit me today. It took about an hour and a half of time but I got it done and Christmas is basically done! Well, I still have some shopping to do...hey, I'm a guy, after all.

Coming up with wrapping idea
New book on investing
Cookies
Talk with Sis
Nephew
Power Steering Fluid

Yeah.......who said?

I lifted this off my friend, Wes', blog - shhhhhhh don't tell him that I am using it








....on second thought - you can tell him. I don't think he would mind.


You know there are many ways to give - that don't involve a trip to the mall. Some jackass once said, "money is such a cold gift." Don't think that some people would appreciate you "shopping" at the bank this holiday season.

HappyUP!!! Day 328

HappyUP!!! - Nutton shirts
Why it happened - my guy came through
Why it makes me happy - just in time for Christmas!

HappyUP!!! - my ceramic bowl
Why it happened - it's Christmas
Why it makes me happy - one of my assistants does ceramics. I love it when she gives me things she has made

HappyUP!!! - my ornament
Why it happened - it's Christmas
Why it makes me happy - it was a custom ornament.....just perfect for me!

HappyUP!!! Day 327

HappyUP!!! - an Initial Public Offering (IPO)
Why it happened - I was watching Squawk Box this morning
Why it makes me money - little guys like me aren't supposed to get in on these. I got in and out before I left for work. I couldn't stay home and watch it so I had to get out on this day of volatility. Yes, I sold way too soon but I made some dough before I left for work.

HappyUP!!! - the help desk came to me

HappyUP!!! - tamales

HappyUP!!! - a big present
Why it happened - it's XMAS
Why it made me happy - I came in and a nicely wrapped big box was on my chair. I didn't open it but my admin did a great wrap job

HappyUP!!! - chat with my friend
Why it happened - I called him
Why it made me happy - he's feeling better. He was sick on Sunday. I always feel better after talking with my best friend

HappyUP!!! - breakfast

HappyUP!!! Day 326

HappyUP!!! - SOLD
Why it happened - I stepped away from the table
Why it makes me happy - I had a good chunk of change riding on one stock. I had held it all year....then...BOOM.
It went up. I sold 25% to lock in a little profit. It went up more. I sold 50% of my stake. It went up more. Today, I sold the last 25%. At the end of the day, it provided a 37% return this year. Is it the money that makes me happy? Nope. It was winning at a game that I am beginning to understand a bit more. This move should bring my self managed portfolio in at a 20% return for the year....in a tough year in the market.

HappyUP!!! - joking with staff
Why it happened - not a lot going on as we head to the holiday
Why it makes me happy - I did a lot of cleaning up and tending to loose ends.....and made my staff laugh a lot. It was a happy environment in a tough industry (mortgage) today.

HappyUP!!! - nephew comes home
Why it happened - two weeks in the hospital was enough
Why it makes me happy - I got his text message, "I'm out!" and I had a tremendous feeling awash over me of joy. I love this guy. Now, it's time to help him around his house.

HappyUP!!! Day 325

HappyUP!!! - Toastmaster's Breakfast
Why it happened - it's XMAS
Why it makes me happy - fellowship with my club friends

HappyUP!!! - tamales
Why it happened - it's XMAS
Why it makes me happy - homemade tamales...c'mon....it's food and it was a present.

HappyUP!!! - talking with a client
Why it happened - we hadn't talked for awhile
Why it makes me happy - I really like this guy. He may or may not be a personal client in the future.
That doesn't matter. I just like the guy so I rang him up. We're going to lunch!

HappyUP!!! Day 324

HappyUP!!! - getting my nephew dinner
Why it happened - he asked me
Why it makes me happy - I didn't call him before I went to the hospital. I asked him if I could go get him something. He said he really wanted an Ultimate Cheeseburger from food heaven, Jack In The Box. Yeah, I had to go back to the parking garage, drive down the street, wait in a long car line, drive back, repark, and hike back to his room.....and I enjoyed every minute of it.

HappyUP!!! - xmas present
Why it happened - I had a thoughtful manager
Why it makes me happy - I got a book on WW2. Now, I am no historian....I don't even read about this. This person knew, however, about my dad and that is why he bought it. I'll read this little tome.

HappyUP!!! - a bunch of stuff done
Why it happened - I worked it into my day
Why it makes me happy - I stopped by the post office and the dry cleaner before work. I got by the tailor on my way back from a meeting. I made a breakfast reservation. I got some superfood ordered. PLUS...I had a productive day at work. Productivity is a HappyUP!!!

HappyUP!!! Day 323

HappyUP!!! - a long walk
Why it happened - I decided to hit the bricks
Why it makes me happy - I must have covered 5 miles. Other than a little blister, no issues. The trip required three upper layers, a beanie, and some gloves. The cool air was awesome.

HappyUP!!! - good eating
Why it happened - time to be careful
Why it makes me happy - I am only a couple of pounds from bringing the weight in at the end of the year where I started. It wasn't what I started out wanting but it is what it is. I'm gaining (or, should I say, losing) on it.

HappyUP!!! - hearing from several friends
Why it happened - I picked up the phone and the e-mail
Why it makes me happy - I hadn't expected the contact. It's always great to connect with some pals.

HappyUP!!! Day 322

HappyUP!!! - wine sniffing
Why it happened - I got an invitation
Why it makes me happy - I'm not a drinker but my friend called me up to go wine tasting. I love the smell and the romance around wine. We had a great time talking while one of us sniffed....and the other drank.

HappyUP!!! - talking with my best friend
Why it happened - he called me
Why it makes me happy - I hadn't heard from him in awhile. When he and I do some catching up, there is usually belly laughs to be had.....even on the phone. No exception today

HappyUP!!! - tidying up the house
Why it happened - I laid down the law
Why it makes me happy - I am very susceptible to clutter. I leave stuff laying around. Then, I have challenges trying to decide what to do with it. Now, if I was married, there would be someone in the house who would be deciding where the stuff goes.......and then I wouldn't be able to find my stuff......and then, I would end up being unmarried again! Anyway, I got some things in order so that was pretty cool. A couple of more pushes like that and I will be decorating.

HappyUP!!! Day 321

A lot to HappyUP!!! about today....I'll try to limit it to three narratives. Some days it's hard to figure out the top three.

HappyUP!!! - a note and a visit to my nephew
Why it happened - he hadn't woken up yet this morning when I tried to visit
Why it made me happy - I noticed it and, without waking him and adding hours to his day, I slipped out and left him a newspaper and a nice note. Then, I went back later tonight......and found out he may be getting out of the hospital on Tuesday! Yes, it's still a long time from now but at least it is in the forecast.

HappyUP!!! - a conversation with a recruit
Why it happened - I made the call
Why it made me happy - this recruit is becoming a friend as well as a recruit. If she comes to work, great. If not, that is cool too.

HappyUP!!! - an interview with a recruit


HappyUP!!! - a branch lunch

HappyUP!!! - a meeting with my boss and a recruit
Why it happened - my boss was in town for the lunch above....so I squeezed in a meeting between him and a potential high level recruit.
Why it made me happy - I got some insight into what I need to do.

HappyUP!!! Day 320

HappyUP!!! - a stock up $3 a share
Why it happened - it's the flippin stock market...who knows
Why it makes me happy - this is part of my personal portfolio that I handle. I hold 5-8 stocks at any one time. This particular stock was one of the two that I was heavily loaded in. I've got a sell order in for a piece of the holding tomorrow. This is called "taking a lil schnitzel" off the table. Sure, I have sold some entire positions before...but I have never had a big pick come in like this.

HappyUP!!! - a HappyUP!!! cake
Why it happened - three of my branches honored me
Why it makes me happy - the branches met after hours for their holiday event at a local restaurant. While it has been 3 months since my 20th anniversary at the company, they brought out a special cake for me.....that said, "HappyUP!!! 20 years."

HappyUP!!! - a great meeting
Why it happened - I have my branch managers in every month
Why it makes me happy - today's meeting went very well....my manager's time was valued.

HappyUP!!! Day 319

HappyUP!!! - a Christmas present
Why it happened - my old home church people were thoughtful
Why it makes me happy - I received a matted and framed picture of my late father's obituary story
and picture that appeared in the paper. It was well done and will find a place in my home. It's a fascinating story.

HappyUP!!! - a shipment
Why it happened - I needed to reorder
Why it makes me happy - I order clothes by mail. Sometimes I get the wrong size. Last week, I quickly did a reorder to get the right size....and then forgot about it. It was nice seeing that package....and getting some new, correct fitting threads.

HappyUP!!! - a visit to my tailor
Why it happened - I had some pants that needed hemming
Why it makes me happy - my tailor is a mother/daughter shop. They have the most pleasant European accent. They have been doing this for years. They aren't the cheapest.....but they are very good. Most importantly, they always seem to have mirth in their hearts. Tailoring may seem menial....but they joyfully bend down and make those measurements and make suggestions.

HappyUP!!! - two visits with my nephew
Why it happened - I stopped by before work and late tonight
Why it makes me happy - I know he enjoys my visits. It hurts me deeply that he has to be laid up in the hospital. I just feel good when I can help him pass a few minutes of his long days. I know I cheer him up when I am there.

HappyUP!!! Day 318

HappyUP!!! - toastmasters
Why it happened - it's Tuesdays
Why it makes me happy - a lot of laughs...and a lot of fun....and good information shared

HappyUP!!! - helping a client and a good conversation
Why it happened - I got some help from a peer and made a call
Why it makes me happy - just building a business relationship

HappyUp!!! - dessert crepe
Why it happened - we chose a restaurant to have a meeting
Why it makes me happy - a carmelized peach dessert crepe....with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Say no more...put a fork in me because I am done!

HappyUP!!! Day 317

HappyUP!!! - working on some reports
Why it happened - someone finally sent me the raw materials
Why it made me happy - no, working on reports is not always my idea of a party. However, I have wanted some critical data for some time. I got it on Friday while I was out. I was digging in!

HappyUP!!! - market share
Why it happened - our industry is in turmoil
Why it made me happy - the mortgage industry (my business) has been less than a cupcake as of late. There is so much negativity that it is almost impossible to keep clear of it. It would probably be a little irresponsible to not stay up on the latest. With all the day to day skirmishes and casualties I see, it was at least good to see that our company is gaining some ground. We just keep plugging on. This was a boost.

HappyUP!!! - a lunch invitation
Why it happened - my friend sent me a text
Why it made me happy - I haven't seen this friend in months. I got a text around 11:05, "Lunch today?" I text back, "it has to be before noon." It was returned, "how about Dos at 11:30?" It was now 11:20. I text back that I was heading out the door. I had a lovely lunch with some great conversation.

HappyUP!!! Day 316

HappyUP!!! - a good night's sleep
Why it happened - it usually does
Why it makes me happy - I had a little insomnia the night before. For some reason, it is becoming a Friday night ritual

HappyUP!!! - time with my nephew
Why it happened - he's in the hospital
Why it makes me happy - I go make him laugh....and pass some very boring time.

HappyUP!!! - raking
Why it happened - I got off my fanny
Why it makes me happy - it was the biggest pile of leaves of the year! Plus, the smell of fallen leaves is still exciting to me.

HappyUP!!! Day 315

HappyUP!!! - errands with a friend
Why it happened - I got a call
Why it makes me happy - it just so happened that my friend had to run a similar errand that I had been putting off. Much better to do things you put off with someone else

HappyUP!!! - visiting the nephew
Why it happened - he's my bud and he is down in the hospital
Why it makes me happy - trying to cheer the guy up. Plus, I ran into a couple of other friends while I was there. Going to the hospital is not a HappyUP!!! but trying to keep someone living in confinement from going nuts is.

HappyUP!!! - breakfast
Why it happened - it's Saturday
Why it makes me happy - just enjoying time with my adopted family.

Disrespect

HappyUP!!! Day 314

HappyUP!!! - a lemon tart
Why it happened - shared a birthday dessert with a friend
Why it makes me happy - c'mon.......take a look at this. Even through a crappy phone camera and bad lighting, how good does this look? It looked so good, I almost didn't think of eating it........OK...that's a lie. Eating it is all I could think of! Deeelicious

HappyUP!!! - golf
Why it happened - it stopped raining
Why it makes me happy - it was good to be outdoors. This was the first time I had golfed in pants in some time. They got nice and muddy too!

HappyUP!!! - the insurance guy
Why it happened - handling dad's affairs
Why it makes me happy - this is the insurance guy that my late father turned much of his practice over to. My brother and I got to share and be shared with a little more about our father.

Bonus HappyUP!!! - Enchanted
Why it happened - decided to catch a movie
Why it makes me happy - Disney caught a winner with this one. This is just pure feel good. It was so charming that it even brought a tear to this middle aged guy's eye.

HappyUP!!! Day 313

HappyUP!!! - giving a gift
Why it happened - I was listening
Why it makes me happy - my 24 yr old nephew is in the hospital. He's going to be there for a few days. The TV choices are dreadful. I asked him if he had a handheld computer game system. He said, "No....those Nintendo DS things are cool, though." He went into surgery.....I was off to the electronics store. When he came out, it was there. I know it will help him through the boring days ahead.

HappyUP!!! - setting up another gift
Why it happened - I was listening
Why it makes me happy - the person is going to really appreciate what I will do. It will go to good use.

HappyUP!!! - rain
Why it happened - it's overdue
Why it makes me happy - WE NEED WATER! We have our first storm of somewhat significance passing through. Plus, it should get the last of the leaves down.....only one more raking to do!

HappyUP!!! Day 312

HappyUP!!! - problem solved
Why it happened - we do business...we have problems
Why it made me happy - this one was looking like somewhere between NO solution and a painful one. We caught a break and dodged a bullet.

HappyUP!!! - I found the key
Why it happened - I was looking for something else
Why it made me happy - long story so I'll just say I was missing a single car key that I needed. I was looking for something else......and I found it! There is more to the story and I don't want to bore you. It was a relief

HappyUP!!! - surgery went OK
Why it happened - it happens to my sweet nephew
Why it made me happy - surgery is a never ending fact of my nephew's life. It's hard for this one to be a HappyUP!!! because it means he is suffering again. This time, the surgery ended up being a little more major. While I didn't get to see him at the hospital, there will be time in the days ahead......unfortunately because it means he will still be in the hospital. Fortunately, because this one could have gotten a lot worse.

HappyUP!!! Day 311

HappyUP!!! -Territory Ahead order came in
Why it happened - I ordered on cyber Monday
Why it makes me happy - I desperately needed some new sweatshirts. It's getting cold out there!

HappyUP!!! - Toastmasters Table Topic
Why it happened - I got called on for an Xmas story
Why it makes me happy - I told my special story about Xmas giving.....and I cracked everyone up BIG TIME!

HappyUP!!! - passing on the pumpkin cheesecake
Why it happened - a lot of will power
Why it makes me happy - I had severe peer pressure to eat some of this free dessert....I mean severe! "Dude, it's worth the calories." I was a good boy, however, and got away from the luncheon unscathed. I am proud of myself.

HappyUP!!! Day 310

HappyUP!!! - sticky problem resolved
Why it happened - a botched reorganization at work
Why it makes me happy - this got really ugly when all of the combatants got in the room. I had to "get into someone's grill" when they came at me. It's not my bag but I have plenty of that in me when I need to. Glad I don't need to that often. At the end, a peaceful resolution was arrived at.

HappyUP!!! - smell of cut grass
Why it happened - I decided to be "in the present"
Why it makes me happy - I was heading into a meeting. I had all kinds of thoughts in my head. Then I said, "what is happening this instant in your life." All of a sudden, I could smell the clean aroma of the landscapers work. It made me feel better than how I had been feeling just before that.

HappyUP!!! - condolence present
Why it happened - one of my managers is a sweetheart
Why it makes me happy - how can you not be happy about a Starbucks Kit for hot chocolate (including marshmallows) and a scrapbook to put memories of my father into? It was very touching

HappyUP!!! Day 309

HappyUP!!! - cleaning up my brother's/sis-in-law's house
Why it happened - I made the decision
Why it made me happy - we had the celebration of my father's life at their house yesterday. Many people that were close stayed late. My brother and his wife had been invited to play golf today so I knew they wouldn't be home. I went to their home to do as much picking up and dishwashing and such as possible. I knew they would appreciate it and, after all they did in getting ready for this get together, it was the least that I could do.

NOTE: the above was very selfish....and selfish sometimes gets a bad rap. Yes, I did the above for them....but I knew that it would make ME feel good. Nothing wrong with that.

HappyUP!!! - my sis-in-law called me
Why it happened - because I cleaned up their house (see above)
Why it made me happy - this is entirely different than the above. She didn't have to call me and I still would have been happy because I KNEW she would appreciate what I did. I left the house happy that I helped. I got another HappyUP!!! when she called to thank me. Ahhhh......a twofer!

HappyUP!!! - more time with my nephew
Why it happened - he stopped by his dad's house when I was there
Why it made me happy - we put away the tables together. We got to talk and just hang out. This kid is my own little hero which I can explain at another time.

HappyUP!!! Day 308

HappyUP!!! - found a picture
Why it happened - I kept looking
Why it makes me happy - it was a picture that we needed for the Celebration of Life event for my father today. It was a dear photo of my late mother as a beautiful young woman.

HappyUP!!!- people at the Celebration
Why it happened - they saw the obituary
Why it makes me happy - these guys didn't have to come to this event. They all showed up...friends, people that work for me....it was much appreciated.

HappyUP!!! - helping a friend with his wife
Why it happened - she had been a touch "over served"
Why it makes me happy - it wasn't me that is going to wake up not feeling so well in the morning!

HappyUP!!! Day 307

HappyUP!!! - errands
Why it happened - I took the day off
Why it makes me happy - when you are single, dropping off the car can be a pain....especially if the mechanic is in an out of the way place. My nephew and I were running an errand so we worked in getting the car dropped off.
I also took care of another little thing that went much faster than I thought it would....plus, I had gotten some bad information which led me to believe that I didn't have to take this step....WRONG!

HappyUP!!! - visitors
Why it happened - preparing for the celebration of life for my dad
Why it makes me happy - these people stopped by today because they are going to be out of town tomorrow. This couple have known my dad for 40 yrs or so. It sure was good to see them. They were also part of the contingent that would stop by while he was ill.

HappyUP!!! - time with my nephew
Why it happened - I am helping him with his house
Why it makes me happy - I dig hanging out with either of my nephews. I just don't get the opportunity to do it that often. It's great when I can.

HappyUP!!! Day 306

HappyUP!!! - call from a friend in Oregon
Why it happened - he was stuck in traffic
Why it made me happy - I hadn't talked to this guy in a long time. We are kindred spirits. We had a great time catching up. We definitely committed to playing golf at a great course up his way. He's picking the date and I am just going to show up

HappyUP!!! - time with my nephew and brother
Why it happened - I took some time off work
Why it made me happy - we did a little work on my nephew's house...his first house. Just us three guys
hanging out

HappyUP!!! - time with my sis-in-law
Why it happened - we were cleaning up my dad's effects
Why it made me happy - we found some cool photos. I was able to help them get their house back in order. We went shopping for libations for our houseguests this Saturday.