HappyUP!!! Day 998

HappyUP!!! - 45 holes in beautiful weather
Why it happened - my playing partner wouldn't let me stop
Why it makes me happy - yes....long day....non-stop golf from 8 in the morning until 6:30. One of the biggest contributors to happiness is being outdoors.....and today, Mother Nature provided us in NorCal with a beauty. I am sure it was low 70-s....perfection. I can't say how many times I did some basking.

HappyUP!!! - 7 iron on the 45th hole
Why it happened - I put a good swing on it
Why it makes me happy - it was a little hard to follow the golf ball at the end of the day. I aimed a little right of the hole from 161 yards. It felt like I hit it good...but I may have pulled it a touch. I pulled it right after the hole as it turns out. When we got to the green, it was only one foot away.....it didn't make my opponent too happy but it was THE shot of the day....a very long day.

HappyUP!!! - text from a buddy
Why it happened - my buddy was thinking of me
Why it makes me happy - we're going to go grab some Thai or Indian food. My buddy knows those different food places.....looking forward to it.

HappyUP!!! - clean sheets
Why it happened - I did laundry yesterday
Why it makes me happy - after doing HappyUP!!!s yesterday, I went to bed....making the sheets eligible for today's installment. Don't you love taking a shower and getting into clean sheets? HappyUP!!!

JollyJottings

Coffee
45 holes of golf
Weather
7 iron on the 45th hole
Playing the final hole of each 9 well....all 5 times
Correcting my putting stroke
Text from a buddy
E-mail from a reacquainted frined
Clean sheets

HappyUP!!! Day 997

HappyUP!!! - Toastmasters
Why it happened - it was Tuesday
Why it makes me happy - Liz cracked me up....Kathy impressed me with her speech....Anthony was funny....Bill did a great job running his first meeting.....Bob did some nice cleanup as general evaluator......I gave a solid speech.....just a great meeting.

HappyUP!!! - bunker shot
Why it happened - I put a good one on it
Why it makes me happy - I had to blast out on 18....carry a slope...and get the ball to stop down by the hole. I threw that ball out about 20-25 yards so it was a pretty impressive shot.

HappyUP!!! - glorious weather...and golfing out in it
Why it happened - my buddy called me to play
Why it makes me happy - I wasn't going to play today....but it is soooooo nice outside that I had to. The thermometer just barely crossed the 70 degree mark with a hint of breeze.

HappyUP!!! - massage recommendation
Why it happened - my friend tipped me off
Why it makes me happy - I'll be having a two hour massage in my near future......and, believe me, it is going to be a good one. Between the recommendation and the website, THIS is just what I need to work into my self care program.

JollyJottings

Be what you admire...Hoff
Toastmasters....Anthony....Kathy speech
Giving my speech
Massage recommendation

HappyUP!!! Day 996

HappyUP!!! - rain
Why it happpened - who knows...it's kind of ealry
Why it makes me happy - we will have mid-70's the rest of the week...all clear.....and really clean due to the light storm that came in today. It's going to be as gorgeous the rest of the week as it is right now after the clouds have cleared.


HappyUP!!! - reconnecting with an old friend
Why it happened - facebook
Why it makes me happy - it's nice to look back on memory lane on occasion. It's nowhere to live but a nice place to visit from time to time.

HappyUP!!! - selling a winner
Why it happened - I made a good quick gain
Why it makes me happy - I took on Weyerhauser as an investment a couple of weeks ago. I really screwed up in how and how much of it I bought. Too much...too fast. I watched it plummet....but I held on. Today, a bit over two weeks later, I sold it for a 10% gain (260% annualized). Yeah...it may go up further but you will never see me looking back. Never complain about booking a profit. HappyUP!!!

JollyJottings

My city
Reconnecting with an old friend
The rain
Getting golf lined up this week
Getting my speech written
Stock Market
Selling a winner

HappyUP!!! My City Kicks Ass

The trees in front of my house - don't technically belong to me.

Nope - legally, I can't even trim them.

See that sidewalk - it belongs to the city as well. Couldn't tear it up legally without the city's permission

Of course - this means that the leaves and branches belong to them as well

While they probably should - clean them off of my yard when they fall, they would be trespassing to do so.

I just love it - that, after a storm and all through the fall season, they are Johnny on the spot when it comes to cleaning up the mess

Sure - I made the pile but look at the effort they save me of having to take it to the dump.

It's easy - to complain about how our governments work...or don't...and, to a degree...we should always keep them on their toes.

At the same time - we all need to appreciate the little things that happen in our lives everyday.

I do - and, when I do, people say, "you have too much time on your hands."

I say - well, that may be true....but how much appreciating were you doing with the time that you had today?

An attitude of gratitude - is one of the biggest keys to living a life of happiness. It's all about the little things. Add them up.....and they become....

The Big Thing.

(and all of those clippings will be ground up and resold as mulch)

QuoteUP!!! 14 William Shakespeare

"My crown is called contentment, a crown that seldom kings enjoy"

-William Shakespeare

Billy the Bard makes a crucial point - how can one experience happiness when they are pandering to their desire for more.

Advertising and marketing is based on one concept - to make people dissatisfied with what they presently have.

In other words - contentment is always under attack. One could easily say that, in the West, contentment is almost a dirty word.....a substitute for laziness and lack of initiative.

While that can happen - it is not an automatic.

Be ever vigilant - about the degree your contentment comes under attack.

HappyUP!!! Day 995

HappyUP!!! - great sleep
Why it happened - went to bed early
Why it makes me happy - even though I woke up in the middle of the evening, it was a great night's sleep....no alarm needed to get up for my tee time.....perfect

HappyUP!!! - draining one on 18
Why it happened - who knows
Why it makes me happy - my putter was a little dodgy today. I ended up with a tough downhill 6 footer with a lot of do-re-me on the line....managed to coax it in and save me some geeters. I love stepping up when you have too.

HappyUP!!! - Raiders
Why it happened - no idea
Why it makes me happy - I can't call myself a huge Raider fan but I do love them kicking butt today. The Raiders were given NO...absolutely NO chance to win today. They were being laughed at....and they shut the Eagles down. I root for the little guy.

JollyJottings

Great sleep
Birdie on 10
Making a tough 6 footer on 18
Raiders
27 holes

HappyUP!!! Day 994

HappyUP!!! - AT&T
Why it happened - remnants of my new iPhone
Why it makes me happy - when I made my switch, my plan got jacked up. I called AT&T and it was an EEEEEEZZZZZZZZ fix and a ton of dough was taken off my last bill.

HappyUP!!! - brekko with "family"
Why it happened - no golf today
Why it makes me happy - it is always great to have a casual Saturday breakfast with my best friends folks and siblings

HappyUP!!! - dinner
Why it happened - a buddy text me
Why it makes me happy - great conversation and dinner.......what a pleasant evening outside over at the Outback.


JollyJottings

Brekko with the family
Great texts
Excellent phone call
No hassle with AT&T....saved some dough
Delicious dinner

HappyUP!!! Day 993

HappyUP!!! - 98 over 70
Why it happened - I went to the doctor
Why it makes me happy - today was part of my physical. All things checked out well...the blood pressure was looking particularly good.

HappyUP!!! - info about my elbow
Why it happened - see above
Why it makes me happy - it's good to know there isn't really too much medically I can do about it. I got a holistic tip on an anti-inflammatory that is a bit better than taking ibuprofen. It's also OK to use the good ol Ben Gay

HappyUP!!! - 36 holes in gorgeous weather
Why it happened - we played away from home
Why it makes me happy - I played some fairly solid golf....made some birdies...just missed a bunch more....and won my bets. We never had to wait. It was a good long day on the links.

JollyJottings

Blood pressure
Student doc
Tips for my elbow
Gorgeous weather
36 holes
Winning my bets
Solid all around golf

HappyUP!!! Day 992

HappyUP!!! -kick in birdies
Why it happened - I hit a couple of tremendous shots
Why it makes me happy - birdies are cool.....especially when they are gimmies from 215 and 185 yards on our tougher holes. You get a feeling of accomplishment....and relief that you don't have to putt.

HappyUP!!! - drive on 18
Why it happened - stepped up under the gun
Why it makes me happy - I hadn't been driving the ball very impressively. I was getting it in the fairway but not particularly deeply. The two guys I was playing with.....one being my opponent who I had just double-pressed on 18....had put it out there straight and deep. I was able to knock mine past them on an inside line. Not only was disaster averted....opportunity was opened up.

HappyUP!!! - talking/texting a friend off the ceiling
Why it happened - my buddy was stressing out
Why it makes me happy - I was able to convince my buddy to put away the worry, take some action, and find out if there really was something to stress over. As it turns out, all is well.....which is the real HappyUP!!! I don't like bad things happening to my friends.

JollyJottings

Stock Market
Lunch
Kick in birdies on two of our toughest holes
Drive on 18
Playing partners
Grabbing a bite
Golf invitation tomorrow

HappyUP!!! Day 991

HappyUP!!! - Dow Jones 10,000
Why it happened - who knows...it's the stock market
Why it makes me happy - the market is up 53% off it's March lows. While 10k is just an arbitrary number, there are many people who see this as permission to look at their 401k's again. We need healthy 401k's to keep some pressure off of Social Security.

HappyUP!!! - intense rain
Why it happened - tail end of the typhoon
Why it makes me happy - I am amazed when it rains so hard that you can't even see across your street. We have been in drought conditions for a few years....hopefully some of the recent rains will be stored. The idea of being able to drink and use water makes me happy......but so does that sight of near white out from my window

HappyUP!!! - drainage issues fixed
Why it happened - I was home
Why it makes me happy - if I wasn't retired, I would have been at work today. I would not have seen what was going on with my downspouts....and the way my yard drains. I was able to go out in the wet and get things fixed.....no flooding basement for me. HappyUP!!!

JollyJottings

Intense rain
Doing some grading
Reading
Making discoveries
Stock market

HappyUP!!! Day 990

HappyUP!!! - rainout
Why it happened - weather thing
Why it makes me happy - while we never should have even teed it up in the first place in the tournament, I am thankful they called us off after 9 holes. It was raining the entire front nine. While it wasn't cold enough to call it miserable, conditions were horrible and I was glad we were done after 9.

HappyUP!!! - getting home
Why it happened - white knuckles
Why it makes me happy- I-5 on a rainy day is something to be avoided. Lots of big trucks and crazies driving out there.....we saw breakdowns and accidents galore. We even got some whiteout on curves from the truck spray. I was delighted to get home in one piece.

HappyUP!!! - stock market
Why it happened - who knows
Why it makes me happy - the market is heading in a very optimistic direction....10k on the Dow tomorrow?

JollyJottings

Lunch
Getting home

HappyUP!! Day 989

HappyUP!!! - windless day
Why it happened - who knows
Why it makes me happy - the tournament I was in was supposed to experience heavy winds in Monterey. It was a cloud cover, windless day in Monterey. Absolutely beautiful

HappyUP!!! - 6 iron on 7
Why it happened - I can hit the punch
Why it makes me happy - I was playing pretty crappy. I hit a drive right. I had 170 that I had to keep under trees. I punched a low 6 iron that was perfect. When I hit it, I could only say, "how good is that?"....and it ended up 8 feet from the hole

HappyUP!!! - dinner
Why it happened - we were travelling in Monterey
Why it makes me happy - macadamia crusted halibut...made to perfection...enough said!

JollyJottings

Sunset Boys
Windless Day
Dinner
6 iron punch
PW on 5
Drives on 3 and 8
Hybrid on 14
Par on 6
7 iron 17
8 iron on 4

HappyUP!!! Day 988

HappyUP!!! - 3 birdies
Why it happened - I hit some good shots
Why it makes me happy - I was playing away from home. 3 birdies on my own course is a good day. 3 of them away bodes good tidings.

HappyUP!!! - saving 40 bucks
Why it happened - I was in tune with the universe
Why it makes me happy - we paid our green fees. I walked back in the shop and overheard something. I asked, "Excuse me, do we get a discount if we are NCGA members?" Heck yeah...40 bucks for me....and my partner. HappyUP!!!

HappyUP!!! - drive to Monterey
Why it happened - we had a tournament
Why it makes me happy - it took just over three hours...no traffic...great conversation

HappyUP!!! Day 987

HappyUP!!! - three birdies
Why it happened - a couple of good putts and one awesome shot
Why it makes me happy - I'm always happy with a birdie....3 birdie days are exceptional for me

HappyUP!!! - 6 iron into 14
Why it happened - I executed
Why it makes me happy - I didn't hit the best three wood off the tee...hit a great hybrid out of the rough. Now, I was looking at 157 into the wind. I decided to hit a low, knock down 6 iron and could not have hit it any better. It was four feet from the pin for a birdie...and a SKIN in the big game.

HappyUP!!! - gorgeous weather
Why it happened - it's fall in Northern California
Why it makes me happy - I got to spend a bit over 4 hours out in the nice weather with 3 friends.

HappyUP!!! - winning my bets
Why it happened - I shot 74
Why it makes me happy - hey, if you win and it's not a HappyUP!!!.....why are you playing?

HappyUP!!! -drive on 18
Why it happened - I executed
Why it makes me happy - we played the blue tees today. This brings trouble left and trouble right into play. My opponents brought out 3 and 4 woods. I took out the driver and piped it. The drive alone practically sealed my win. When I hit it, I just loved it....the best time to hit my best of the day.

JollyJottings

Drive on 18...Putt on 8...Putt on 9...Bunker shots on 4 and 16....6 iron into 14
Winning my bets
Winning a skin
Three birdies
Gorgeous weather
Finding a new rain shirt

HappyUP!!! Day 986

HappyUP!!! - Old Greenwood
Why it happened - my friend had passes
Why it makes me happy - mountain golf on a gorgeous day.....with free greens fees and great company....more than a HappyUP!!! moment...it's an entire day

HappyUP!!! - final hole
Why it happened - golf at it's best
Why it makes me happy - wagers were riding. It looked like Laff had knocked it really stiff. I had 117 to the pin...took the A wedge...and put it within 8 feet. Stepping up when you need too

HappyUP!!! - fixing a ball mark
Why it happened - I am courteous
Why it makes me happy - I fixed my ballmark and the one next to it. Hans said, "thank you." It was his ball that was closest to the hole....I didn't have a match with him. I thought it was my opponents, Laff's. This meant Laff had about a 15-20 footer rather than a 4 footer.

HappyUP!!! - car ride
Why it happened - we needed to get to the course
Why it makes me happy - car rides can provide some good conversation....and this was no exception. The trip seemed to take no time.

JollyJottings

Nice drive
Final hole
6 iron on 18
Fixing a ball mark
Lunch
Weather

HappyUP!!! Day 985

HappyUP!!! - Old Greenwood
Why it happened - a buddy had some passes
Why it makes me happy - golf in the Truckee/Tahoe area....on a brilliant weather day....on a great golf course in excellent shape.......THAT is about as good as it gets

HappyUP!!! - an eagle
Why it happened - I hit a perfect 117 yd approach wedge
Why it makes me happy - I hadn't had an eagle on a par 4 since earlier this year. When I hit the wedge, it was dead at it to a tough back right pin location. I didn't see it go in so it was kind of neat to walk up, not find my ball, think "could it be", sneak up to the hole to take a peek, and see a ball in the jar

HappyUP!!! - finding my phone
Why it happened - we kept searching
Why it makes me happy - took off on the road trip...thought I had left phone at home when I didn't have it with me. When we got home, I took a pass through the house...no find. We went back out to my buddy's car...dialed me up....and located it waaaaaay under the seat. Hey, I didn't want to replace that iPhone already!

HappyUP!!! - basking in the sun
Why it happened - we took a moment
Why it makes me happy - Old Greenwood has a primo outdoor setting overlooking the 18th hole. We had ourselves a beverage as the beautiful Tahoe sun beat down on us in upper 60's weather. Nice music playing....hanging with my friends.....moments in life just don't get better than that.

HappyUP!!! - birdie
Why it happened - I hit a bomb drive, great wedge, and a nice putt
Why it makes me happy - I had played some good holes....and some bad ones....it was nice to put a great hole together toward the days end.

JollyJottings

Finding my phone
Brekko
Old Greenwood
Free golf
Eagle
Birdie
Hanging out after golf
Text from a buddy
Phone call from another friend

HappyUP!!! Day 984

HappyUP!!! - three birdies
Why it happened - I make some birdies
Why it makes me happy - three is a good day....shows that I am hitting some shots and putts.

HappyUP!!! - nice wedge
Why it happened - I am good on the 6th hole
Why it makes me happy - number 6 is a par 5...a lot of my friends hit it in two shots. It doesn't happen that often for me. I have to figure out other ways. I take a lot of pride in positioning my second shot....then, the key is to knock the wedge tight....and I almost holed it today.

HappyUP!!! - getting the Tacoma fixed
Why it happened - I got off the duff
Why it makes me happy - I got an oil change and timing belt adjustment...and I involved a walk and a bike ride in at the same time. I discovered a new aspect of the bike trail here in Roseville that I didn't know about. I have the security of knowing my truck is ready for winter....and found a new place to "play."

JollyJottings

Wedge on 6
Putt on 17

HappyUP!!! Day 983

HappyUP!!! - June's speech
Why it happened - Toastmasters
Why it makes me happy - it was only her second or third speech.....what progress! And, the topic was excellent....learned about another organization doing some cool stuff. One of the things they do is put together "attack kits." Think about it...someone ends up in the hospital...there clothes have to be taken for evidence....they aren't in a cool place. This group supplies the person with new sweats and some flip flops....and dignity at a vulnerable time.

HappyUP!!! - Luke's speech
Why it happened - Toastmasters
Why it makes me happy - Luke is a seasoned Toastmaster...and he gave a thought provoking speech on the "it" factor. You know..."that person has it. They just seem to have it." What is "it"? He made a good case for what that is and why that person has it.

HappyUP!!! - hitting balls
Why it happened - I went out to the range
Why it makes me happy - it was a good session....I really like how I am swinging the club right now

HappyUP!!! - using my iPhone on the range
Why it happened - I got an idea
Why it makes me happy - I have not seen my swing on video much...and not lately. The iPhone does a pretty good job. I saw a couple of little things for me to tweek.

HappyUP!!! - touching base with an old friend
Why it happened - found them on Facebook
Why it makes me happy - there is a unique aspect about Facebook that makes it cool. It is like having a piece of a reunion.....several different times.....without being stuck in a room for a prescribed time. I had some classes with this friend in high school. It was neat to see what had happened over the years.

HappyUP!!! Day 982

HappyUP!!! - yardwork
Why it happened - no golf today
Why it makes me happy - pulled up the last of the plants in the garden...which is actually a little bittersweet. The season is over....I did get enough tomatoes for one more batch of spag sauce. Plus, the weather was just awesome. I'll probably blow off golf to do some more work out there tomorow

HappyUP!!! - communication with friends
Why it happened - I have friends
Why it makes me happy - whether it was e-mail, vc mail, texting, or IMing....I had it all going today.....and all of the chatter was good stuff.

HappyUP!!! - a sleeping kitty
Why it happened - Shadow stayed in, Stogie stayed out
Why it makes me happy - when Stogie stays in, he hops up on the bed and sleeps there for the night. With her brother gone, Shadow decided to take his place. Turns out, she was a bit more intrusive. I went to sleep with a warm, purring thing right in the small of my back.

JollyJottings

A sleeping kitty
Good night's sleep
Chatting with a buddy
Yardwork in gorgeous weather
Texting with a buddy
Great e-mail from another friend
Stock Market

HappyUP!!! Day 981

HappyUP!!! - birdie on 16
Why it happened - I hit a great putt
Why it makes me happy - I don't know if I won but it gave me a shot at a skin today. I walked away from the course with hope

HappyUP!!! - bike ride
Why it happened - I got off my fanny
Why it makes me happy - it was good to get in the saddle again....it wasn't for very far but it's a start. Gorgeous day for it.

HappyUP!!! - beating the six string
Why it happened - it was laying there for me
Why it makes me happy - haven't been playing much lately. It was cool to do a little run through of my favorite tunes.

HappyUP!!! - walking 18 in the morning
Why it happened - third day in a row walking
Why it makes me happy - it feels good to get out and sling the clubs over the shoulder once in awhile...if nothing else to prove the old man can still do it. Besides, the weather was crisp and it felt good to exert myself a bit.

JollyJottings

Walking the course
4 iron on 2
Wedge on 3...7 iton on 4...7 iron on 7....7 iron on 8....3 woods on 14....7 iron on 16...putt on 16...
...drive on 17....drive on 18
Gorgeous weather
Text with a buddy
Bike ride

HappyUP!!! Day 980

HappyUP!!! - Drives on 1 and 2
Why it happened - who knows...it was cool and early
Why it makes me happy - I busted both of those out to some distances that I don't reach when I am warmed up and the temperature has climbed

HappyUP!!! - lunch with my buddy
Why it happened - we have been trying to get together
Why it makes me happy - love this buddy to pieces. Great food....great sharing

HappyUP!!! - sucking up the weather
Why it happened - it's fall in Nor Cal
Why it makes me happy - whether it was being on the golf course, stripping off the windshirt to glorious weather.....to driving the convertible when it was 75 degrees.....I was digging the conditions today

HappyUP!!! - 5 iron into 18
Why it happened - I put a good one on it
Why it makes me happy - struck it well today but scored rather poorly....it was good to end it with a total strike right at the pin from 180 yards.

JollyJottings

Drives on 1 and 2
5 iron on 18
6 iron on 7
6 iron on 8
Drive on 9
9 iron on 14
Bunker shot on 10
Bunker shot on 16
Lunch with my buddy

HappyUP!!! Day 979

HappyUP!!! - delicious dinner
Why it happened - I cooked
Why it makes me happy - steak and shrimp fried rice.....THAT hit the spot.

HappyUP!!! - birdie on the last hole
Why it happened - two great shots and a clutch putt
Why it makes me happy - my partner and I were getting beat all day. We desperately needed a birdie on the last hole......and I came through. A clutch performance is always a HappyUP!!!

HappyUP!!! - three birdies
Why it happened - should have been 5 or 6
Why it makes me happy - I was hitting the ball close to the hole today.....and, other than a couple of loose shots.....I could have had my best round ever at my club.

HappyUP!!! - texting/phoning with friends
Why it happened - just being cordial
Why it makes me happy - my friends had a lot of good news going around yesterday.....nice to be a part of it.

JollyJottings

Walking
Winning my bet
Golf game
3 Birdies
Birdie on the last hole
Largo 3 times...
Delicious dinner
Trip into the bank
Text messages/phone calls from friends

HappyUP!!! Day 978

HappyUP!!! - helpful salesperson
Why it happened - I was at RC Willey
Why it makes me happy - I have a lot better understanding of flat screen TV's and the options I have than I did before I went. Ryan was extremely helpful

HappyUP!!! - a good quarter
Why it happened - mostly, the markets were up
Why it makes me happy - while the fourth quarter has started out in the dumper, it was good to have a positive review of third quarter activities

HappyUP!!! - transfer of a property
Why it happened - it was time
Why it makes me happy - in the next couple of days, my nephew will be the actual owner of the home that he is in.......and that makes me VERY happy.

JollyJottings

A good quarter
Talking with my Phillips friend
Sleeping cats
RC Willey

What Are You Asking Yourself?

Don't act like you don't know what I am talking about - you hear voices....you hear voices.....

OK, maybe you don't listen to the voices - but you hear them. And they make a lot of statements.

It's easy to dispel a negative statement - most of us get them from time to time. I hope that you have learned that the negative voice in your head is merely your ego trying to stay in control and stop you from making any changes.....changes that could improve your life....and threaten the ego's rule over the house.

It's a bit trickier to head off a negative question - "why can't I make things work out right?" OK... when it is laid out in writing, you can see that it's a question that lacks much juice.....not a lot of empowerment going on there. The voice in your head is audible...or sub-audible...so things are a little more subtle. Read that question without a lot of passion or judgment. Go ahead....do it.

If you have done it as your mind probably states it - it almost sounds helpful. The issue is in the quality of the question. Let's try this on for size....

"What can I do to make this work?" - whoa! News at eleven! Did you see that? Contrast the two questions.....no.....wait.....here....I'll do it for you:

Why can't I make things work out right? VS What can I do to make this work?

Same basic question - my suspicion is that the quality of question that you are batting around all day could use a bit of upgrading.

The quality of the questions - that you ask yourself will determine how your life goes. Your actions, or lackthereof, are all in response to the questions that go through your mind.

ONLY ask EMPOWERING questions - and watch things start happening for the better

Today's ACTION - LISTEN....to the voice in your head. Capture the questions that it raises. Write them down. Then, rewrite them in a manner that could move you forward rather than keeping you at a standstill or going backward.

HappyUP!!! Day 977

HappyUP!!! - glorious fall weather
Why it happened - the season is upon us
Why it makes me happy - it just feels so good

HappyUP!!! - great sleep
Why it happened - perhaps the weather change
Why it makes me happy - I keep the windows open when I sleep....there was a bit of a chill in the air...nice keeping warm under the blankets when I woke up and contemplated when to get up

HappyUP!!! - coffee with my friend
Why it happened - it's Wednesday
Why it makes me happy - we got to do a little cutting up and have some funny conversation

JollyJottings

Friend got an opportunity
Made some good moves
Another gorgeous day
Coffee with my friend

HappyUP!!! Day 976

HappyUP!!! - wiping for a better planet
Why it happened - I saw an article
Why it makes me happy - my particular brand of recycled wipe was the feature in the article. I buy TraderJoes because, well, I shop at TraderJoes and they give me no choice. Yet, I found out that it is the fraction of the cost of store brands (a dramatic fraction) AND we could save 67 million trees if we all did a recycle wipe

HappyUP!!! - seeing an old friend
Why it happened - I needed to drop something off
Why it makes me happy - it was good to see my friend in her business environment and talk about biz......and I got to donate some HappyUP!!!-wear to a person going through some health issues.

HappyUP!!! - weather
Why it happened - fall has arrived
Why it makes me happy - TODAY is why I live here....what a glorious day to be alive. Just gorgeous

HappyUP!!! - Toastmasters
Why it happened - it was Tuesday
Why it makes me happy - heard a great icebreaker....and got to critique a member leading her first meeting.....no one would have know it was her first time.

JollyJottings

Wiping for a better planet
Toastmasters
Seeing an old friend
Donating some shirts

HappyUP!!! Day 975

HappyUP!!! - trying a restaurant
Why it happened - I got a wild hair
Why it makes me happy - a buddy of mine had high recommendations for this all you can eat sushi/Chinese food place. It was a pretty solid recommendation....a little sushi....a few egg rolls... salmon roe....chow mein....nice mix

HappyUP!!! - trading e-mail with my Toastmaster friends
Why it happened - I was helping them prepare for tomorrow's meeting
Why it makes me happy - two months ago, these people were not even in my periphery. Now, they are creeping toward inner circles of my world.....and there are a bunch of them. Great folks.

HappyUP!!! - talking with a friend
Why it happened - my friend gave me a call
Why it makes me happy - I found out things about my friend I didn't know. Great sharing of information

HappyUP!!! - chatting with my job hunting friend
Why it happened - I shot my buddy a text
Why it makes me happy - it was great to help my bud vent a little.......and offer a little advice
a bit later that was well received.

JollyJottings

Chatting with my job hunting friend
E-mailing with my new Toastmasters
Grabbing some sushi
Picking up a new book

HappyUP!!! Day 974

HappyUP!!! - texting with a buddy
Why it happened - I started it up
Why it makes me happy - it was an extreme crack up

HappyUP!!! - a day of sports
Why it happened - I took an unexpected day off from golf
Why it makes me happy - I don't want to make a habit of it but 3 football games and the Tour Championship golf tournament makes for an unproductive, but relaxing, Sunday. It's OK once in awhile.

HappyUP!!! - breakfast
Why it happened - I had some leftovers
Why it makes me happy - haven't had BBQ'd steak skewers for breakfast in forever....perfect for a football Sunday morning

HappyUP!!! Day 973

HappyUP!!! - great irons
Why it happened - I'm swinging the club
Why it makes me happy - I hit more good irons the last few days than in quite awhile. Lots of birdie opportunities.

HappyUP!!! - today's pairing
Why it happened - it was a bit of chance and a bit of request
Why it makes me happy - it was great to play with a couple of great guys in the final round of the Invitational today....it helps the experience

HappyUP!!! - great lunch
Why it happened - it was part of the tournament
Why it makes me happy - it just made for a nice experience....some people take food for granted at these kinds of events. Today's lunch was above expectation

JollyJottings

Today's Pairing
7 iron on 7....7 iron on 9...Wedge on 10....8 iron on 12
Wedge on 13....8 iron on 15.....7 iron on 16.....8 iron on 18
9 iron on 2
Watching the horserace
Great lunch

HappyUP!!! Day 972

HappyUP!!! - matching shirts
Why it happened - my bro was thinking
Why it makes me happy - who doesn't like a free, new golf shirt?....especially when your brother picked them out to wear to the Invitational. We were stylin

HappyUP!!! - 8 iron on 14
Why it happened - I put a move on one
Why it makes me happy - I didn't want to go long on this hole so I took the shorter club from 158 yards. No way to get it to the hole but that was OK......I then busted it to 2 feet of the hole.

HappyUP!!! - dinner with my buds
Why it happened - it is the Men's Invitational
Why it makes me happy - great food and fellowship with ALL of my golfing cronies

JollyJottings

Matching shirts
Up and down from squirrely lie
8 iron on 14
9 iron on 1
9 iron on 2
Putt on 17
Dinner with my buds

HappyUP!!! Day 971

HappyUP!!! - an ace
Why it happened - my brother did it
Why it makes me happy - he plays a lot of golf at his club...I play a lot at mine....but we don't play together that often. In 40 years of golfing, he has never had an ace.....and he did it with me....at my club's invitational....where I invited him as my partner/guest.....and he did it on the closest to the pin hole.....and it helped us win the first day scramble. Special...special...special times.

HappyUP!!! - winning the scramble
Why it happened - bro and I were 6 under for 9 holes
Why it makes me happy - bro played a bit better than I did but we both contributed to bring home the win on day one of the Invitational at our club. 6 under is some pretty good shooting in this format.

HappyUP!!! - up and down on 16
Why it happened - I hit the chutt just right
Why it makes me happy - my bro and I really needed a par....and he was buried in the trap. I was over a hill chipping to a green going away from me. I decided to chutt up...and down...the hill from about 40 feet......to a tap in.

JollyJottings

2 birdies
Special up and down on 16
Winning the scramble

HappyUP!!! Day 970

HappyUP!!! - a big drive
Why it happened - who knows...I didn't put much into it
Why it makes me happy - I have had my driver for almost a month. When I hit it, I am out there with or past a lot of the guys that usually blow it by me.......I just can't seem to find the consistency button with this tool. Still, I hit a 9 iron into a par 4 that I have never had that little in from the Gold tees. It's an encouraging sign.

HappyUP!!! - making putts
Why it happened - I'm a pretty good putter
Why it makes me happy - my driver is spotty....my irons are ok to good......the putter makes up for a lot of mistakes. Mens Invitational is coming up.....putter should be fine...if the other aspects step up a bit, I could be dangerous. Optimistic that something good is coming

HappyUP!!! - three birdies
Why it happened - one was a great putt....the other two were nice wedges
Why it makes me happy - I average a birdie and a half a round....twice my average is awesome....if I can keep that up for the invitational, my bro and I will be in tall cotton.

HappyUP!!! - dinner
Why it happened - kabobs and zucchini
Why it makes me happy - the zucchini was great....hadn't made it in a long time. My buddy liked it....good food and great talking....good times.

JollyJottings

Winning most bets
Three birdies
Making some great putts
Super dinner
Facebook friends
One big drive

HappyUP!!! Day 969

HappyUP!!! - toastmasters
Why it happened - ti's Tuesday
Why it makes me happy - it is practically a guarantee. The growth of our club has been so fast....the new members are picking up on things right and left.....watching them grow under a wee bit of guidance.....it does an old heart good.

HappyUP!!! - new member sign up
Why it happened - I reminded the person
Why it makes me happy - I got to spend some time with the new person and learn some more. It puts me in a good position to mentor and help someone along. This person will also qualify our group for the Smedley Award for growth. I love this club.

HappyUP!!! - lunch with a buddy
Why it happened - we set it up
Why it makes me happy - I had my bud stop by the house. It's close to my bud's work. We got to spend some distract free time chatting about life. You can have a great discussion in a distraction free zone in an hour

HappyUP!!! - gratitude
Why it happened - it's been welling up
Why it makes me happy - I like to think of myself as a grateful person....if anyone ever should be full of gratitude, it is me. In the last days, I have just been EXPLODING in gratitude for the place that I am at right now.

JollyJottings

Toastmasters
New member signed up
Lunch with a buddy
Visiting with a mentee
iTunes mix
Feeling tons of gratitude
A day off from golf
Getting some elbow help
Property Tax Bill

HappyUP!!! Day 968

HappyUP!!! - getting things done
Why it happened - no golf
Why it makes me happy - lawn mowed....both cars washed....Toastmaster paperwork turned in...dealing with Sprint.....Apple.....kitchen cleaned up......that's a pretty good day in this kid's world on the chores front

HappyUP!!! - talking with the Parminator
Why it happened - he's calling me back
Why it makes me happy - he had some great news....can't share it now...but it made me happy

HappyUP!!! - Monday Night Football
Why it happened - it was Monday night
Why it makes me happy - great game that came down to the last play....excitement.

HappyUP!!! - Celgene was up...big
Why it happened - who knows....it's the stock market
Why it makes me happy - I've held this one for a few months....I sold it....locked in the profit...and then it came back down a bit. Good timing for today.....and cash to look for new stocks that will perform in the torrid fourth quarter.

JollyJottings

Texting with my buddy
Talking with the Parminator
Washing the cars
Mowing the lawn
Getting things done...Sprint...Apple...Dues in...

HappyUP!!! Day 967

HappyUP!!! - iPhone help
Why it happened - I had to go back to the AT&T store for something
Why it makes me happy - Mandi at the Creekside AT&T Store has been great in helping with my new phone. Today, she got my bluetooth going, fixed a link, and helped me with another issue.....all really fast.

HappyUP!!! - birdies on 4 and 16
Why it happened - I hit solid shots...and great putts
Why it makes me happy - in both cases, I didn't play to the pin....just nearby...and hit it where I wanted. Then, in both cases, I hit some gorgeous putts.....there is something about a 15-20 foot smooth rolling putt that is a HappyUP!!! all the way to the hole.

HappyUP!!! - collecting from the Merch
Why it happened - he played worse than me today
Why it makes me happy - this guy has been into me for about a month.....this weekend, I began getting a handle on this situation.

HappyUP!!! - broken club
Why it happened - a guy threw one
Why it makes me happy - it always cracks me up when someone breaks a club.....I've been there....golf can get to you. When one gets tossed and it breaks "accidentally"...and it's not you....it's kind of funny even though you don't get to laugh at the time.

JollyJottings

Birdie on 4
Putt on 7
Par on 8 and 9
6 iron on 14
Birdie on 16
Texting with some friends
Phone call from a buddy
Getting some iPhone help

HappyUP!!! Day 966

HappyUP!!! - new iPhone
Why it happened - the Razr pooped out
Why it makes me happy - park the dinosaur in the back.....I have some new technology. The iPhone is a pretty cool little gadget but, best of all, I have my phone situation permanently handled. This is one little decision that isn't bouncing around in my head.

HappyUP!!! - collecting dough from a Menace
Why it happened - he played worse than I did
Why it makes me happy - I had paid this guy about 6 straight times to play golf with him.....and, while a nice guy, his company isn't THAT enlightening! I'll need to play better on Sunday (and I will) so the momentum that has now been broken can be reversed.

HappyUP!!! - birdie on 6
Why it happened - stellar second and third shots
Why it makes me happy - I was getting a ration for the lack of length of my drive....I didn't hit it very well. I nailed the 3-wood to my perfect spot and hit a 50 yard wedge up to gimmie range...just the way you are supposed to.

HappyUP!!! - dinner
Why it happened - I was meeting a buddy for a bite
Why it makes me happy - I had some great seafood, excellent conversation, and tried out a restaurant that I hadn't been to but had heard some great things about.

JollyJottings

Getting to golf course "On time"
Birdie on 6
Iron on 7
Hybrid and up and down on 8
MM joining us on the back 9
Up and down on 18....drive on 18
New iPhone
Haircut
Scott's Seafood

HappyUP!!! Day 965

HappyUP!!! - brekko with a buddy
Why it happened - we set it up
Why it makes me happy - just great food and chat

HappyUP!!! Birdie on 13
Why it happened - nice drive, wedge and putt
Why it makes me happy - it was a birdie! We started on 12 which I bogeyed...nice to get back to scratch on hole 2

HappyUP!!! - great golf match
Why it happened - we all played mediocre....except for one guy
Why it makes me happy - I had the thrill of either making a 10 footer to win 45 bucks or missing to lose 5. I missed the putt but it was great to have the opportunity after an off day of golf

HappyUP!!! - texting with friends
Why it happened - we text
Why it makes me happy - set up some reconnection opportunities and more fun times in person



JollyJottings

Brekko with my buddy
Talking with my tax guy
Birdie on 13
Bunker shot on 18
Sneaking in on the tournament
Drive on 1 and 3 and 8
4 iron on 7
Chance on 11
Breaking even for the day
A nice day for golf
Texting with my friends

HappyUP!!! Day 964

HappyUP!!! - getting some money repaid to me

Why it happened - you have a picture here of one of the reasons. You see...
<-----this guy is playing the last hole of the day.

Why it makes me happy - over the course of the year, I have "loaned" him money on the wagers that we have made. His ball finding the muck on the final hole assisted him in repaying back a small portion of the loan that he has taken out. I also know that his particular client of mine doesn't like to get dirty. Look at the lengths he has gone to in order to avoid paying me my rightful moolah. Absolutely disgusting! Check out those bare feet!

HappyUP!!! - 6 iron on 16 to near ace
Why it happened - I hit it on the button
Why it makes me happy - I was about 182 to the back pin. I threw this 6 iron up into the stratosphere with a slight fade....it came down...rolled out....and ended up with 3 inches of the hole. It came at a time when I really needed to hit a great shot.

HappyUP!!! - brekko with my friend
Why it happened - we set it up
Why it makes me happy - I love my friend to pieces. We hadn't had brekko in a while. It was great catching up and spending some time together.

HappyUP!!! - another buddy getting a job
Why it happened - my buddy decided to give up the free lancing
Why it makes me happy - I was thrilled to find someone in this market becoming gainfully employed.

JollyJottings

Near Ace
Birdie on 4
Great recovery shot on 9
My other opponent throwing up on himself on hole 27
Fees from my attorney
Brekko with a good friend
Gorgeous weather
E-mailing with TeeRow
Nice message from my mentee

HappyUP!!! Day 963

HappyUP!!! - birdie on 18
Why it happened - I stepped up
Why it makes me happy - my partner drove it over the fence on the demanding finishing hole. I put it deep and down the middle. I then tucked a 9 iron into the right quadrant.....and made the birdie putt which secured us the match. When you make it happen when you have to, no matter what you do, celebrate with a HappyUP!!!

HappyUP!!! - gorgeous weather
Why it happened - it's almost fall
Why it makes me happy - we'll have many days like this before it gets cold. Coming off summer, this was a day to revel in.

HappyUP!!! - great day in the stock market
Why it happened - who knows
Why it makes me happy - I dumped two thirds or a MAJOR position on a day when it skyrocketed. Sure, it could go up some more but I locked in a solid profit and will now move on to the next deal.

JollyJottings

Birdie on the last hole
Breaking even on games
Texts with a buddy of mine
Phone conversation with our club president
Beautiful weather
Great day in the stock market

The Ol Nutter Almanac 2009

Well - short of a surprise burner in the next week, we are going to end the summer with 15 days at 100 or above here in the big Tomato. The call here was for a max of 12 so the almanac was slightly off this year.

As I looked back at last year's almanac - I can see that I should have been calling for 10-15 days at 100 or more.

I am going to call this year - as a victory for the almanac. 15 days is below average.....we called below average........the almanac kicks butt




9/3 - 102......8/29-103.......8/12 - 101.....8/10....101......7/27 - 102.....7/26 -100......7/19 - 107.....7/18 -106.....7/17 - 104...... 7/16 - 102..... 7/15 - 102...... 7/14 - 101...... 6/29 - 104...... 6/28 - 108...... 6/27 - 103



The Ol Nutter Almanac - 6/30/09
In Sacramento, the weather is great - the only thing that can be a bit pesky is a massive amount of days over 100 in the summer.

Realizing this many years ago - I devised a way to predict the summer weather. It's super secret and proprietary. It is also amazingly accurate. Look at last year's on line tracking.
This year - will be a very nice summer. 10-12 days at 100 or above as validated by weather.com for Roseville, CAThis is a gutsy call here on June 29 when we have just had a few blistering days.

We'll be reposting - this post several times as we see how the Ol Nutter Almanac does this year

8/16 Update - 13 days at the century mark

Update 7/20/09 - We got a nice break today....mid to high 90's. We stand at 9 days over 100. The next 8 days are all predicted to crack triple digits. The Almanac is going to need a little help or it is going to get blown up for this year.
Update 7/16/2009 - uh oh! We add two more days to the over one hundred pile....and today is going to be a third. Weather.com is now also calling for about 8 straight more days in triple digits. That would pretty much max us out for the Almanac to be on target this year. The good news....it's possible to get a string of 100 days....and not have another one through the season. It happened a couple of years ago.

HappyUP!!! Day 962

HappyUP!!! - birdie on two
Why it happened - I hit the best 60 yard pitch shot of my life
Why it makes me happy - I pulled my second shot on this par 4.....into the oak tree on the left. The ball bounced straight back. I have one foot practically on a cart path. I have to pitch this about 45 yards under a tree, stay way right of the pin due to a sloping green, and then have it release another 15 yards on the green. I hit the shot perfectly. It rolled well right of the pin. Laf said, "wow, that's pretty damn good" or something to that effect. The ball then rolled back to the left.....down the slope.............BAM!......right in the jar.

HappyUP!!! - Toastmasters
Why it happened - it's Tuesday and we have LOTS of members
Why it makes me happy - where do I start here? Our table topics winner was scared to death...we could all see it....and she did a great job despite being petrified. She was funny...funny...funny. Our two speakers were giving their second speeches and they are so far along and on their way to finding their groove....we needed volunteers for next week and they were all jumping in....we had a delightful guest there that will be joining. Great stuff.

HappyUP!!! - driving the golf ball
Why it happened - finally, I am finding "the plane"
Why it makes me happy - I am hitting the ball longer.....finally. I was actually driving up and with the Great Hansoni today. I can scramble by hitting the ball shorter but longer, straighter driving provides more opportunities to play offense

HappyUP!!! - some absolutely stellar iron strikes
Why it happened - da plane....da plane....I have found da plane
Why it makes me happy - when you hit an iron, particularly a 4, 5, or 6 iron, "on the button," the gratification is immediate....you feel it. I made some absolutely pure strikes today.



JollyJottings

Toastmasters
Guest
Table Topics Winner
The two speeches
The volunteering
Stock market
The Driver
The Swing
3 birdies
Bonus 9......5 iron....5 iron....7 iron....drive on 5....6 iron.....4 iron.....wedge on last hole
Good Facebook exchanges
E-mail from a friend

HappyUP!!! Day 961

HappyUP!!! - unexpected rain
Why it happened - who knows...it's not the season
Why it makes me happy - it led to a perfect day in the high 70's....with moist soil. It allowed me to take the shirt off and do some rototilling without any dust. What a great day working the soil in the garden.

HappyUP!!! - going to see a movie
Why it happened - it was recommended 3 different ways
Why it makes me happy - it was a great flick. 500 days of Summer is a sleeper movie that just tugs at you.

HappyUP!!! - brekko
Why it happened - I was hungry
Why it makes me happy - I got some great food...time to write....and visit with my favorite server.

JollyJottings

Brekko
E-mails with a friend
Going to see a movie
Helping a friend
Rototilling

HappyUP!!! Day 960

HappyUP!!! - 18th hole
Why it happened - the match was tight and all competitors drove it well
Why it makes me happy - just the chance to hit the ball with everything on the line......exciting....and why I play golf

HappyUP!!!- birdie on 6
Why it happened - I nailed a putt
Why it makes me happy - I could have tried to go for the par 5 in 2....but that isn't my style. I laid it up to the perfect position...hit a solid wedge....and made the putt...smart golf

HappyUP!!!-visit with a friend
Why it happened - my friend needed a favor
Why it makes me happy - glad I am in a position to help out

HappyUP!!! - driving the ball
Why it happened - I figured something out
Why it makes me happy - I usually drive the ball short....I was up with the big boys today due to some analysis the evening before of my swing.

JollyJottings

Birdie on 6
Driving the ball
Visit from a friend
Great fellowship on the course

HappyUP!!! Day 959

HappyUP!!! - birdie on 18
Why it happened - my partner came through
Why it makes me happy - I played like a dog today....but my partner came through like a champ....especially on the last hole when he drained a 15 footer to win our match.

HappyUP!!! - our golf match
Why it happened - we were challenged
Why it makes me happy - we played with some nice guys....not the regulars. We had a really fun match that came down to the very end. Exciting

HappyUP!!! - donations
Why it happened - I got a text and a knock
Why it makes me happy - I was glad to help a couple of worthy causes

HappyUP!!! - mowing the lawn
Why it happened - I got some motivation after golf
Why it makes me happy - the lawn is looking good....and I will appreciate it tomorrow.

JollyJottings

Partner birdie on 18
Our golf match
Trading some e-mails
Making a donation
Making another donation
Some drives
Up and down on 4
Wedge on 6 and 10

HappyUP!!! Day 958

HappyUP!!! - mentoring appointment
Why it happened - my mentee and I set it up
Why it makes me happy - it felt good to share some valuable advice, get to know a Toastmasters member, and learn a few things myself. Mentoring is a SACRED privilege

HappyUP!!! - pars from the junk
Why it happened - I was recovering all day
Why it makes me happy - I made two pars with penalty strokes. I hit one out of the pond to withing 8 feet and made that for par. I had a sandshot almost fly in the hole and made that putt. Obviously, I wasn't striking it very well today....but recovering. It's all part of the game

HappyUP!!! - knocking down the pin on 13
Why it happened - I hit a heck of a wedge
Why it makes me happy - it actually may have been a bad break to hit the pin...the ball may have gone in or left me with an easier putt. Still, I hit the wedge exactly like I wanted and it was beautiful to watch it in the air as it sailed toward the target.

HappyUP!!! - reconnecting with a couple of friends
Why it happened - I reached out
Why it makes me happy - I thought one buddy had disappeared. We'll make sure we get together soon. It's good to keep the friends.

JollyJottings

Mentoring
Par on 3 with a penalty stroke
Greenie on 4
Drive on 5...and 6
Par from pond on 7
Par on 10 with penalty stroke
Sandy on 11
Knocking the flag down on 13
Second shot on 18
Reconnecting with a couple of friends

HappyUP!!! Day 957

HappyUP!!! - MCing
Why it happened - Area Toastmasters Speech Contest
Why it makes me happy - I have a good reputation as an MC that adds to the program....many Toastmasters don't...so I am always honored when I am asked to do this. From tonight's performance, I was asked to do it at the Division Contest in Auburn. The contests are always good but sometimes the program (the MC's job) is dry. It makes me happy that I bring the smiles to the faces and get invited back again.

HappyUP!!! - Liz and Bob
Why it happened - Area Speech Contest
Why it makes me happy - Bob was our speech contest contestant and Liz represented us in Table Topics. These are brand new Toastmasters to our club. They didn't win as they went up against experienced people.......and that's OK. They both learned a lot but, best of all, they did great. One of them probably could have/should have won but judging is judging....they were good enough to win.

HappyUP!!! - 4 birdies
Why it happened - 3 were good shots...1 was a long putt
Why it makes me happy - birdies make up for mistakes....and I make my share of mistakes. I'm not usually a big birdie guy and this ties my personal record for my course (set yesterday). Even with the good shots, you have to make the putts. The HappyUP!!! may be that I am rolling the rock pretty well right now.

HappyUP!!! - winning my bets
Why it happened - I scored well
Why it makes me happy - I didn't hit the ball that great. I could have had my fanny handed to me. The short game was in control and I won against two of my opponents and pushed with the evil P.E.N.O. (Public Enemy Number One). I let PENO off the hook on the last hole....hard to overcome bad ball striking into the pond but, despite that, we shot about the same score. It's a good day when you are shooting PENO numbers.

JollyJottings

4 birdies
Winning my bets
Good putting...sandy....short game
Discovering something with the driver after the round
Area Speech Contest
Liz
Bob
Phone call from a friend
Text from another friend
Great golf game lined up for Saturday

QuoteUP!!! 13 - Rudyard Kipling

"I keep six honest men, they taught me all I knew; their names are What and Why and When, and How and Where and Who"

-Rudyard Kipling

While sometimes - we do learn by talking things through and cauterizing our thoughts in the process...

By and large - we learn nothing by talking. We learn by listening. We get specific learning by asking questions that direct the recipient of the question to address the area in which our knowledge is deficient.

Questions - questions, and questions. The quality of your life will be guided by the quality of questions that you ask and who you ask them of.

HappyUP!!! Day 956

HappyUP!!! - 4 birdies
Why it happened - there were some great shots involved
Why it makes me happy - while I have had 4 or more at other courses, 4 birdies is the most I have had at my home course. Yep....hard to believe but it's true. Hey, I'm not a birdie machine. It was good to push the bar up by one today.

HappyUP!!! - chip in and near ace
Why it happened - see the above
Why it makes me happy - the near ace had us thinking, "is this the day?" while we walked up to the green. While the answer was "no", kick in birdies are great. The chip in? As I looked at the situation, I thought, "guys on tour would be looking to make this one," and then I hit a lovely little pitch shot.

HappyUP!!! - winning a putting contest
Why it happened - I "aced" the last hole
Why it makes me happy - I was doing an informal little game with the best player at our club.... and a guy who is a better putter than me. We were tied when I led off the final hole....and I will be damned if I didn't run that 20 footer into the hole....wheeeeeee! He'll need to go practice his putting now.

HappyUP!!! - phone call with a friend
Why it happened - we'd been swapping calls
Why it makes me happy - we had a great talk....one that was overdue. I'm sure will get together
and swap tales in person soon.


JollyJottings

4 birdies
accupuncture
Seeing a birdie on the last hole
Winning a putting contest
Trading bar talk
Hitting some balls
Phone call with a friend
2 sandies on the back 9

HappyUP!!! Day 955

HappyUP!!! - icebreaker
Why it happened - Toastmasters
Why it makes me happy - a new member gave her first speech today. As a visitor, two weeks ago, she was crying at the thought of being asked for her impressions of the meeting. Today, she was giving a speech....she almost lost it.....but persevered......and cracked everyone else up in the process. I KNOW she is feeling better tonight about herself.........and THAT is why I go every week.

HappyUP!!! - mentor meeting setup
Why it happened - my mentee asked
Why it makes me happy - see the above. I love going one on one....asking questions.....and helping people figure things out for themselves.

HappyUP!!! - booking a trip
Why it happened - a friend has a free room for me
Why it makes me happy - I'm heading to Hawaii.....and all it is costing me is a plane ticket. My friend doesn't care about eating out so we'll probably eat simply at home......and keep it cheap and simple....in Hawaii......and that works for me.

JollyJottings

Icebreaker
2nd Speech
Toastmasters Meeting
Booking the trip
Giving a friend some help
Cracking up on Facebook

HappyUP!!! Day 954

HappyUP!!! - finding a bookcase
Why it happened - I'm getting ready to redecorate
Why it makes me happy - one of the built in shelves that we took out of this place has been out in the garage. It will work perfectly in my office per my measurements today. No shopping...no expense....HappyUP!!!

HappyUP!!! - request for help from a friend
Why it happened - my friend is struggling
Why it makes me happy - when you have the tools to help someone when they really need it, it is a sacred privilege to do so.

HappyUP!!! - hole 17
Why it happened - there are 18 holes on a course
Why it makes me happy - it was playing a bit into the wind....and, with the new driver, I had it past everyone except one guy who hits it really long. He was only a couple of yards past me. Then, I clubbed down and hit a punch 9 iron into the wind to 3 feet....kick in birdie....and, boy, did I need a birdie!

JollyJottings

Birdie on 17
Drive on 15
Drive on 17
Sandy on 1
Reading
Request for help from a friend
Finding a bookcase

HappyUP!!! Day 953

HappyUP!!! - tee time tomorrow
Why it happened - my buddy got it after we missed the cut
Why it makes me happy - can't wait to take the improved swing back to my regular course to see where the ball goes

HappyUP!!! - friend doing well at State Fair
Why it happened - he's a great player
Why it makes me happy - he is only 2 back going into the final round. It would be a big win for him. He just needs to come through tomorrow. I think PENO can do it.

HappyUP!!! - the stinger 3 wood
Why it happened - I decided, "what the heck"
Why it makes me happy - there was a dogleg par 4 that was too short for the driver. My regular 3 wood shot might work but who knows. PENO showed me the stinger the other day and I decided to give it a knock. I hit it with a little draw and got it around the corner perfectly.


HappyUP!!! - driving the golf ball
Why it happened - shortened my swing
Why it makes me happy - today...and all weekend....I kept up with the people in my group. Sometimes I was the long knock...sometimes they were...the point is that I was with them. I seem to have the new driver dialed in.

JollyJottings

Chat with my buddy
Winning a bet
Getting a tee time tomorrow
Text with another friend
Opening tee shot
9 iron on 2
Putt on 3
Putt on 5
Chip on 6
Putt on 9
Stinger on 10
Putt on 10
Drive on 11
Drive on 12
8 iron on 13
Drive on 14

HappyUP!!! Day 952

HappyUP!!! - opening tee shot
Why it happened - practice
Why it makes me happy - the initial tee shot in a tournament can always be dodgy....not today. I piped it!

HappyUP!!! - four birdies
Why it happened - I had distance control and a good putter
Why it makes me happy - four birdies is quite a few for me...especially when none of them came on the easy par 5's. I had the irons going today. Birdies help cover mistakes

HappyUP!!! - near ace
Why it happened - see good irons above
Why it makes me happy - it's nice when you are standing on the tee....and you know the birdie is done. It makes for a HappyUP!!! walk to the green

HappyUP!!! - call with my friend
Why it happened - my friend was pulling for me
Why it makes me happy - we had a crack up conversation. Laughter...the ultimate HappyUP!!!

HappyUP!!! - check in the mail
Why it happened - 401k distribution
Why it makes me happy - who doesn't like an unexpected check in your mailbox? HappyUP!!!

JollyJottings

Four Birdies
Opening T-shot
Check in the mail
Catching a friend on the phone
BYU/Oklahoma football game
Bogey putt
Near Ace

HappyUP!!! Day 951

HappyUP!!! - meeting a new guy at the club
Why it happened - he joined us for a bonus 9
Why it makes me happy - JB seems like a really nice guy....and another guy we can tee it up with. Always good to add to the fun.

HappyUP!!! - stock market had a good day
Why it happened - I have no idea
Why it makes me happy - it was a dodgy week but we had a nice recovery the last two days....nice to know the dough is still there.

HappyUP!!! - wedge to 13
Why it happened - perfect shot
Why it makes me happy - whenever you hit any full shot to kick in range, it's a HappyUP!!!....all the way from when you hit it until you get to the green because you KNOW you are done golfing on that hole.

HappyUP!!! - text from a friend
Why it happened - I have a tournament tomorrow
Why it makes me happy - always feels good to know someone is rooting for you.

HappyUP!!! - playing with my almost in-law
Why it happened - he's thinking of joining our club
Why it makes me happy - my brother's brother in law is a solid golfer. First time on our track today and he shot 71...and hardly ever plays. It's good to watch someone that hits the ball solidly all the time........while, at the same time wondering, "why the heck don't I do that?"

HappyUP!!! - running down a couple of birdie putts
Why it happened - I'm a pretty decent putter
Why it makes me happy - one putt had to be 35-40 feet with 4 feet of break...it took awhile to get there....and it looked so good all the way. The other one went in from about 20 when my opponent had hit it within about 8 feet. Whenever you knock yours in, it makes the other guy's a little longer.

HappyUP!!! Day 950

HappyUP!!! - hitting my first 9 greens of the day
Why it happened - I was consistent
Why it makes me happy - I don't think I have ever done this. I usually hit between 8-10 greens in a round total. True to form, I only hit one green on the back side but I had it going for a bit.

HappyUP!!! - stuffing it on the 36th hole
Why it happened - I nutted up
Why it makes me happy - my opponent had hit it within 10 feet.....and the wagers were on the line. I got up and hit it within 5. No putts were made by either of us but we battled to the finish.

HappyUP!!! - brekko invite
Why it happened - my buddy wants to see me
Why it makes me happy - haven't broken bread with this friend in awhile. Can't wait to get together.

HappyUP!!! - sushi invite
Why it happened - a good friend wanted to get in on the Month of Festival
Why it makes me happy - I always love grabbin sushi with my sushi buddy. We'll be doing this one soon.

JollyJottings

36 holes
Winning some bets
Knocking it stiff on 18 the second time around
Playing the last hole of every 9 very solidly
Brekko invite
Sushi invite
Hanging with my nephew
Hitting my first 9 greens of the day

HappyUP!!! Day 949

HappyUP!!! - accupuncture
Why it happened - golfer's elbow
Why it makes me happy - it will still take a bit but I know this treatment has helped me before.... plus I like my doc. Cool person to visit with

HappyUP!!! - AT&T Store
Why it happened - my phone went dead
Why it makes me happy - I was in a hurry.....and I was in and out of that store in about 15 minutes with a new, temporary phone with all of my data transferred. The person was super helpful and I will be going back to see her over the weekend for that SmartPhone.

HappyUP!!! - phone call from a friend
Why it happened - my friend returned my call
Why it makes me happy - we got caught up and will be grabbing some coffee together soon.

HappyUP!!! - a crisp pitching wedge
Why it happened - I was frustrated
Why it makes me happy - I was hitting the ball poorly today.....and have been for a couple of weeks. After yet another poor shot, I decided, "I am going to take the club back shorter and just FIRE through the hitting area." BAM! I then said, "hmmmmm....isn't that the way you were swinging last year when you were playing really well?" Need to do a little work on the range but I started hitting it better....and with less effort

HappyUP!!! - drive on 6
Why it happened - I went back out to play a few more holes
Why it makes me happy - I had played 18. One of my buddies was on the 6th so I decided to go out and join him for some bonus holes. He hits it a LOT farther than me. He hit his drive pretty well......and then I knocked it 5 yards past him. Now, he still hits it farther than me but he was extremely surprised to see my ball past his....the HappyUP!!!!

HappyUP!!! - up and down on the last three holes
Why it happened - I executed some tough shots
Why it makes me happy - I needed to get all three of these up and down to save par or my buddy would have owned me. The SuperHappyUP!!!! came on 18....my buddy was on the green in 2. I was faced with a long bunker shot that was easy to mess up. I knocked it to about 4 feet and made the putt which saved me some geeters.

JollyJottings

A crisp pitching wedge
Up and down on 16 and 17
Sandie on 18
Drive on 6
3 wood both times on 14
Call from a Toastmaster buddy
E-mail from a friend
Call from another friend

HappyUP!!! Day 948

HappyUP!!! - birdie on the 27th hole
Why it happened - a stellar second shot and putt
Why it makes me happy - it was a long day of golf with our fivesome. There were some wagers on the final, 27th hole.........no better time to pull through with a great shot to 10 feet....and draining the putt...and I mean....DRAINED. My main opponent was closer than me and there is no doubt that, after watching Drano, his putt got a little longer. Coming through in the clutch...nothing better

HappyUP!!! - Toastmasters Contest
Why it happened - it's that time of year
Why it makes me happy - we are sending on a couple of great new members to the next level. They will grow so much through this experience.

HappyUP!!! - birdie on 14
Why it happened - I drained another putt
Why it makes me happy - I got a bad break on the drive...had to drop down to a 5 iron rather than a 3 wood for second shot....then hit a 7 iron rather than a wedge into the green. I fought it off and made birdie on a difficult hole

HappyUP!!! - birdie on hole 20 (number 2)
Why it happened - I hit a fabulous 8 iron
Why it makes me happy - it's not often I hit 8 iron into this hole from the gold tees.....and I made the most of it this time.....putting it within 5 feet of the pin!

JollyJottings

Birdie putt on hole 27
8 iron and birdie on hole 20
Birdie on 14
Chip on 11
6 iron on 12
Wedge on 13
3 wood on 16
Putt on 17
Toastmasters contest
Blackberry for backup

HappyUP!!! Day 947

HappyUP!!! - new driver shows promise
Why it happened - the old one wasn't launching it right
Why it makes me happy - I snuck in a few holes late tonight. The fairways were a little dryer which could have contributed but I was getting this new stick out to some places that I haven't been too with the current weapon. A more thorough test awaits tomorrow

HappyUP!!! - a buddy dropped by
Why it happened - my buddy called me
Why it makes me happy - I haven't seen this person in awhile. It was a great visit!

HappyUP!!! - sneaking in 7 holes at 7
Why it happened - I wanted to try the new driver
Why it makes me happy - I hadn't walked the course much of late. The sun was setting. A slight breeze was blowing. The temperature was perfect. It was a great time to be out doors.

JollyJottings

Sneaking in a quick 7 holes at 7
Meeting up with a guy to play with
The new driver shows promise
Jason the clubfitter
Getting to my meeting place on time
A buddy dropping by

HappyUP!!! Day 946

HappyUP!!! - several good shots
Why it happened - I was swinging OK
Why it makes me happy - I played some terrible golf today. I was thinking there were no HappyUP!!!s. Then, because of this exercise, I dug a little deeper and it wasn't a total loss today. That is good news as I get ready for my tournament next weekend.

HappyUP!!! - great night of sleep
Why it happened - I was tired...and the room cooled down
Why it makes me happy - I didn't realize it had got to 104 yesterday. This makes my upstairs a bit warm. I had the foresight on a whim to take a little different measure to cool things down.... and I had a great sleep.

HappyUP!!! - clearing up confusion with a friend
Why it happened - some miscommunication (what else is new)
Why it makes me happy - the crossed wires were caught early....only fractional damage done and no residual collateral damage

JollyJottings

9 iron into 1
Wedge into 3
Flop shot on 4
Wedge on 6
7 iron on 15
Hybrid on 16
Wedge on 17
Lemonade
Great golf drama on the tube

HappyUP!!! Day 945

HappyUP!!! - fixing air conditioner
Why it happened - I didn't want to evaporate
Why it makes me happy - I remember what the guy did a little over a year ago that came out....I tried the same thing.....issue solved with no service call......and I am sitting cooooool.

HappyUP!!! - birdies on 13
Why it happened - we were desperate
Why it makes me happy - my partner and I were getting our butts handed to us....all of a sudden, he chipped in.........then I dropped a putt in too. That's a lot of "dots" for one hole....and then we won the hole when our opponent, who had stuffed it closer than either me or my partner, lipped out his putt. Good times!.....rolled!

HappyUP!!! - number 18
Why it happened - we were down and pressing
Why it makes me happy - with the match on the line, it's always a HappyUP!!! to put the drive in the fairway......and then drill the iron to the green. Pure shots will always garner joy. In the end, I had a 9 foot left breaker to halve the hole and save us some dough......and I ended the day on that! Bam!!! HappyUP!!!

JollyJottings

Fixing my air conditioner
Cats
Up and down on one
7 iron into 9
Wedge and putt on 13
Bunker shot on 16
8 iron on 17
7 iron on 18
Putt on 18

HappyUP!!! Day 944

HappyUP!!! - up and down on one
Why it happened - I hit a solid chip
Why it makes me happy - we were playing away today....nice to start with a par

HappyUP!!! - birdie on 11
Why it happened - I hit a great putt
Why it makes me happy - it was a birdie....and put us one up

HappyUP!!! - match tying putt on 18
Why it happened - we needed this one
Why it makes me happy - I struck a great putt...it broke to the left...it was going in...I was happy.......and then it lipped out.

HappyUP!!! - e-mails from friends
Why it happened - I've got good friends
Why it makes me happy - I've got fun things to do in the future.

JollyJottings

Playing Peach Tree
Bunker shot
Birdie putt
Wedge/Putt into 18
Chip on one

HappyUP!!! Day 943

HappyUP!!! - Washing cars
Why it happened - I got motivated
Why it makes me happy - those babies will be gleaming tomorrow...even though it was dark when I was hitting them with water

HappyUP!!! - watering
Why it happened - motivation
Why it makes me happy - green will happen.....and the garden that will be plowed under will have a minimum of dust

HappyUP!!! - chipping
Why it happened - big tournament next weekend
Why it makes me happy - don't know what shape my arm will be in.....but I will be ready to get it up and down.....from anywhere.... the backyard chipping range is taking divots again.


JollyJottings


Good reading
No agenda today
Chipping
Watering
Being

HappyUP!!! Day 942

HappyUP!!! - acupuncturist
Why it happened - I got a bum arm
Why it makes me happy - this little Chinese Doctor Lady hasn't failed me for two previous maladies over the last decade. I'm glad I went. I had the first appointment. She wasn't rushed so we had time to talk and I got to learn some things about my care provider.

HappyUP!!! - 5 iron on 18
Why it happened - I relaxed
Why it makes me happy - I hit a bad drive. My opponents had 9 irons or wedges in. I struck one of the better irons from the fairway I had hit in some time. While it didn't snuggle up for a birdie, it got me on the green....which let me make a par.....which secured my bets.

HappyUP!!! - 5 iron on 4
Why it happened - I put a pass on it
Why it makes me happy - while it was in the air, it had a chance to be an ace. It ended up being about 3-4 feet for a relatively easy birdie.

HappyUP!!! - pitch on one
Why it happened - I "picked it" with spin
Why it makes me happy - I had a borderline impossible chip. I hit it to the right of the pin, it grabbed like it had hooks, and then rolled down the slope to a gimmie. I hate starting with a bogey and this shot saved me.



JollyJottings

Pitch on first hole
Sandy on three
5 iron birdie on four
Up and down on 5
Putt on 8
Pitch on 12
Birdie on 14
5 iron on 18
Winning the big bet
Brekko
Passages from a book

HappyUP!!! Day 941

HappyUP!!! - my speech today
Why it happened - I was scheduled at Toastmasters
Why it makes me happy - when you have the right message at the right time to the right people, it is exactly what a speaker lives for. I delivered right on the money today. It makes me feel like I put this gift to good use today

HappyUP!!! - new fellow Toastmasters
Why it happened - we have been growing
Why it makes me happy - the new people are taking roles with responsibility....and knocking it out of the park. If an experienced Toastmaster had come to our meeting today, she would think that this is one experienced group. She would be blown away that the vast majority of these people have been members for less than two months.

HappyUP!!! - seeing a hole out eagle
Why it happened - my opponent hit a great shot
Why it makes me happy - OK....it was on the last hole...one swing of the club took a for sure win to me and turned it into a loss. That's not a HappyUP!!! but it was a great shot to see.

HappyUP!!! - a birdie and a double skin
Why it happened - I hit a great wedge and a lovely putt
Why it makes me happy - we had $220 in the pot.....and I got $41 back for my $20 buy in. I love to win dough on the course.

HappyUP!!! - nearly holing a bunker shot
Why it happened - I hit it in the bunker in the first place...and then put a good move on the next shot
Why it makes me happy - it wasn't a difficult shot but that doesn't mean that you won't blow it....especially on a day when my short game SUCKED!

HappyUP!!! - a work offer...not a job offer
Why it happened - a friend thinks a lot of me
Why it makes me happy - my friend put an interesting proposition on the table for me to think about.....and my curiosity is peeked. This could be just the thing that may work EXTREMELY well for me.

HappyUP!!! - meeting with the librarian
Why it happened - she needs a program
Why it makes me happy - I love to share public speaking tips and techniques with others. In January, I'll get another chance to do that....and earn a few dollars for our club. Win...Win...Win

JollyJottings

My Speech
Fellow Toastmaster's Speech
Two guests
A great meeting
Getting lab work done
Meeting with a librarian about a program
An interesting work, not job, offer
Birdie and a double skin
Two birdies
Seeing an eagle from the fairway
Playing with good players
Birthday lunch in process
Sandy par and winning the hole

HappyUP!!! Day 940

HappyUP!!! - phone calls...e-mails....Facebooks...texts
Why it happened - today started the actual Month of Festivals celebrating 50 years on the orb
Why it makes me happy - anytime you have any kind of dialogue with friends, it's a good thing. With electronics, it just expands the vibe.

HappyUP!!! - dinner
Why it happened - sis-in-law put it on
Why it makes me happy - that was some awfully good eating going on....too much eating....but it was quality. Delicious

HappyUP!!! - seeing my best friend
Why it happened - my bro snuck him into dinner
Why it makes me happy - we have been running different schedules....hadn't seen him for awhile...plus I was only expecting the family. His card was a crack up......a REAL crack up.



JollyJottings

Brekko
Scrubbing floor
Getting a bunch of housework done
Dinner
Seeing my best friend
Phone calls....e-mails....Facebooks.....texts

HappyUP!!! Day 939

HappyUP!!! - HiJinx on the final hole
Why it happened - my partner hit his second shot into the mud
Why it makes me happy - see the attached pictures! I tried to tell him, "you have to hit the shot with conviction." It's what makes the mud and splatter go more toward the hole.....and the ball too. I think some conviction was lacking as the ball did not find the green.....and the mud found my partner. Funny stuff

HappyUP!!! - sandy on the last hole
Why it happened - my iron shot came up just short
Why it makes me happy - my partner was obviously little help on the hole when it was all coming down the line. While my bunker shot was easy, it doesn't make it automatic. I knocked it out to within "gimmie" range. It's great to come through in the clutch

HappyUP!!! - finding stuff
Why it happened - stuff gets lost
Why it makes me happy - I thought I had lost a golf glove that I had only worn once....found in my golf bag. I thought my cell phone was misplaced....found in my golf bag. I was searching for my golf ball a few times today....for the most part, I found it....along with some quality, like new balls to boot. Finding stuff saves you dough and inconvenience. HappyUP!!! as I am all about both of those

HappyUP!!! - birthday wishes
Why it happened - tomorrow, I turn fiddy
Why it makes me happy - I made it....and I am looking forward to a great day tomorrow.

HappyUP!!! - Morning Pages
Why it happened - I was re-reading a book last night
Why it makes me happy - the morning pages are something I do from time to time. As I sit on the precipice of fifty, I decided it might be a good time to do this exercise for a bit again. It made me think of the one thing that would really make me happy for my birthday....and I am doing it!

JollyJottings

Winning some bets
Two birdies
HiJinx on the final hole
E-mail from a friend
Solheim Cup
Decent round of golf...last one