HappyUP!!! Day 216

HappyUP!!! - a lazy morning
Why it happened - I put in a long hard work day yesterday
Why it made me happy - I laugh when I hear "9-5." I don't have an "established time" that I go to work or leave work...I'm in management. I can say that going in at 9 is a rarity. I took my time this morning...did a little casual watering...I caught the President's speech. Yes, I have a lot to do at work....but some days, though rare, it's good to give yourself the gift of time.

HappyUP!!! - handling a tense situation
Why it happened - we are trying to get some big rules changed
Why it made me happy - I had to help get some people back oan task. It takes a cool head, ears that really listen, and a degree of understanding where the people are. It was a good piece of work.

HappyUP!!! - a car admirer
Why it happened - I was getting gas
Why it made me happy - the person pumping petrol next to me how I liked my car. He told me how he wants to get one. I helped him get closer to his dream. Now, truth be known, any car including my own isn't that exciting to me....but I am an aberration. I could have told him, "it was OK," but that would detract from his ride here on the orb. I felt good after the fill up.

HappyUP!!! Day 215

HappyUP!!! - breakfast with a friend/adviser
Why it happened - he made the call
Why it makes me happy - who knows who gives you the best financial advice in this world. The important thing is a guy that gives you great service, cares, and is someone that you trust. His job is to maintain my relationship but, through that, we have become friends. I enjoy our meetings

HappyUP!!! - positive signs from a recruit
Why it happened - I used a third party to intermediate
Why it makes me happy - I could have done this myself but I thought. THIS person, though I know them, may want to talk to my recruiter, a third party...someone he doesn't know. It was the right call on my part whether it turns into a new hire or not.

HappyUP!!! - great conversation with a recruit/friend
Why it happened - I dogged the guy
Why it makes me happy - I'd love to have this guy on my team. I don't know whether it will happen. If he leaves his company, he will come over to me. In the meantime, we had a friendly business conversation.

Donner Lake...."Who's For Lunch?"

That's a bad old joke!

I still remember - my trip to Truckee, California, 30 years ago. It was a time before tacky T-shirts were all the rage. There it was, in the tourist shop emblazoned with the title statement above with a picture of a family of settler's looking off in the distance.

Truckee has two claims to fame - there are times of the year when it is the coldest place in the United States. It was also the place where the Donner party ran into a little issue as they attempted to settle out into the West.

I can just imagine them arriving from somewhere - that you can see on the other end of the lake in this picture. They knew they were a little behind schedule. They saw this lake for the first time and probably said, "what a nice spot!"

Then, some bright guy in the group probably looked up to where I was standing to take this photo and said something like - "uh....excuse me....I think we are screwed!"

The Power of Positive Thinking - hadn't been written yet but there was probably a person that replied, "you are always so negative. It is what it is. If need be, we'll just hunker down, camp by the lake, and the trip is just going to take us a little longer than we planned."

Of course, not knowing this freak little basin that they were caught in, - the second guy was on point as well.

Most of you are probably aware of what happened from there - they couldn't find enough food to fend off the extreme cold winters. Starvation set in. Cannibalization of the dead to survive began.

I wonder what the conversation was like - before someone actually carved into that first "meal"? NO, that is not a gross thought! YES, it was a tragedy, but someone had to think about it first, be brave enough to think about suggesting it, and then actually broach the subject. It HAPPENED!

Next thing you know it - the people are digging in!

While I didn't stop this time - there is a monument there that I would encourage you to spend some time with so you can become a little more familiar with this unique piece of American history.

HappyUP!!! Day 214

HappyUP!!! - meeting with an employee
Why it happened - it was overdue...and I needed to get some status
Why it made me happy - for legitimate reason, we hadn't been as in contact as we should. It was great dialogue.

HappyUP!!! - big issue decided
Why it happened - a meeting was called by someone to get it done
Why it made me happy - the decision brings challenges. The decision wasn't my favorite. But, a degree of ambiguity was taken off the table and we can all move forward.

HappyUP!!! - phone chat with a friend
Why it happened - we needed to discuss a Toastmaster's issue
Why it made me happy - he is a long time member of our Toastmaster's Club. I mentored him long ago. He has grown a lot through Toastmasters. We are definitely equals in our speaking abilities...he is probably even better...no matter. It just reminded me of those calls years ago when he was soaking up information.

HappyUP!!! Day 213

HappyUP!!! - lunch with a friend
Why it happened - I made the call
Why it makes me happy - we are old friends that have sometimes run afoul...really afoul. Yet, we are in the same industry and long ties dictate that we should always be friends despite differences that we have at times. It's good we stay connected.

HappyUP!!! - Monday morning meeting
Why it happened - it's on the calender
Why it makes me happy - the leader of the meeting is no comedian....he is a serious man...which makes it that much funnier when he says something funny. You just don't see it coming. Today, he was in fine form.

HappyUP!!! - belated birthday surprise
Why it happened - that crazy staff of mine
Why it makes me happy - it makes them happy to embarrass me.....plus we could all use a little extra attention. The fruitbasket cake was awesome too so that didn't hurt!

JollyJottings

Taking tomatoes
Monday meeting
Manager consultation
Lunch

HappyUP!!! Day 212

HappyUP!!! - solving the NY Times Sunday Crossword
Why it happened - I got some help
Why it made me happy - I stopped by my bro and sis-in-law's house. We were just sitting there and we morphed into tackling this project. It was great fun just to be together and figure this behemoth out.

HappyUP!!! - breakfast in Truckee
Why it happened - I got an invite
Why it made me happy - I hadn't been up to the Squeeze Inn in quite some time. They have about a million omelettes....but only one with my name on it, the Hot Weed. Give me that Chili Cheese omelet every time and a happy tummy is sure to be the result.

HappyUP!!! - health diagnostic
Why it happened - I weigh in every Sunday but I did blood pressure too.
Why it made me happy - my weight was back to where it was when I left on my trip....that was a neat trick to be gone for 8 days, not work out, and not put any weight on. Between the omelet this morning and a Blizzard this evening, we'll see about next Sunday! Nah...I'll be fine. Now that the birthday is over, I'll be back hitting the regimen tomorrow. My blood pressure was 96 over 66 this morning upon arising....it was around 106 over 70 when I went to bed last night so things are looking good there too.

HappyUP!!! Day 211.......Adoption

HappyUP!!! - the stork arrived...my new baby

Why it happened - I spent some time on the project

Why it makes me happy - a voice in the choir has been replaced. I learned a lot in the process. I learned that my ear can hear the difference between mahogany and rosewood. Brand marketing wasn't the driver of my purchase. Service and my ear were. I went from a Taylor....to a Breedlove....to a Martin....and back to the Taylor. The Taylor has a high end that my others don't. While I like the warmth of my other two acoustic guitars, I didn't need another 6 strings emitting that tone. Plus, I have an upgraded ability to play with my amp.

HappyUP!!! - the Fifth String Guitar Store
Why it happened - I have purchased there before
Why it made me happy - though I didn't deal with the owner this time and get my commensurate stories on guitars, two of his employees tagged team me and gave me the information and space to make an intelligent purchase.

HappyUP!!! - Chema Salinas
Why it happened - I met him at the guitar store...on his last day there
Why it makes me happy - he is a business and communication studies graduate student. He will be teaching at my alma mater, Sacramento State, soon. He has loved his time at the Fifth String but now it is time to finish up his studies. We had a great discussion about communication in business, his area of study, plus he was extremely helpful in my purchase. It was nice to be around someone excited about where he is going, where he has been, and where he is today. A HappyUP!!!er

HappyUP!!!...SlideItUP!!!....wait....SlideItDown!!!

How much of a HappyUP!!! is this? - a 500 foot slip and slide.

You know you have thought about it - maybe you even have tried it to a lesser degree.

This story is so cool - multi-generations of family, ideas powered by beer and bulldozers and, at the end of the day, a heck of a lot of fun!

For more pics and info, you can find it here

QuoteUP!!! 4....Tony Robbins on Movement

"Motion creates emotion"

-Anthony Robbins

What do you feel like? - your feeling is the manifestation of your emotions. Your emotions can be manipulated (that is not a bad word). You can override the natural state you are in by MOVING. It doesn't require running a marathon either.

Try something stupid - well, you will think it is stupid. Right now, start to chuckle, then giggle, then laugh, then laugh hard, then side-splittingly move into a bust of the gut. Continue in "bust-a-gut" for as long as you can.

Then - stop.

How do you feel compared to how you felt before? - depending on how much you went for it in the exercise, be cognizant of how long you stay in a changed state from when you began. Motion can be as simple as laughter. It can be a jump up and down and a fist pump. It can be 10 pushups. It can be a brisk walk around the block. It can be a stroll. It can be a quick run up the stairs.

Oh...one note on the laughter exercise - you are probably saying, "that's stupid, forced and contrived because nobody said or did anything funny. It's fake." No, what is fake is your belief. Laughter is laughter. I looked it up in the rulebook. There is no rule that says that you have to have an outside stimulus to laugh. If you did the exercise, you just proved it.

It's funny - if you did the exercise, you are feeling better right now. Admit it. You feel better. Yet, you will probably never do this again. We are a strange breed of cats. Most, if not all of us, would like to feel better. Even if we feel good, we want to feel better. Laughter is something that was given to us just by being born. It's free. It can be done on a seconds notice. It can be done anywhere. It has nothing but positive after-effects. It makes us feel better so it provides the answer to the issue of wanting to feel better....

...yet, left to your own devices - you won't do the laughter exercise again.

Instead - you will turn to alcohol, gambling, sex, watching TV or any of other 'socially acceptable" addictions to self-medicate from whatever pain is in your life.

Laughter - the best addiction that there is.

HappyUP!!! Day 210.....Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday to ME!!! - I'm not a big birthday person. With me just coming off the road trip yesterday, I was not in much of the mood to "make something happen." Still, it was a nice day.

HappyUP!!! - the Breedlove guitar
Why it happened - I was willing to step out of brand
Why it makes me happy - I lost my Taylor guitar. Taylor is a big brand name. You can't go wrong. Great instruments. When I was in Bakersfield, I was trying a Taylor. The sales guy was a GREAT guitar player. He was behind the Breedlove guitar. I came up to Roseville and was trying a couple of Taylors. The salesperson here said, "it's a great guitar. I own this one." It was a Breedlove. I am kind of fixed on the Taylor but I sat there with that Breedlove. It had a low end and a warmth that I actually could feel. It resonated with me. I could literally feel it move through my skin. I was allowing myself to feel outside of my Taylor brain. I left the store for a meeting. I went back to by the Breedlove BUT nobody wanted to help me today. Oh well, off to another store tomorrow. The HappyUP!!! was that I actually was feeling the instrument.

HappyUP!!! - my new salad vessel
Why it happened - it was my birthday and I have a great admin
Why it makes me happy - she had hand thrown a cereal/salad bowl for me earlier this summer. She knew how much I liked my water vessel that she made for me at Christmas.....and she followed it up with a nice salad bowl.

HappyUP!!! - happy birthday e-mails
Why it happened - my boss's staff broadcast to the world it was my birthday
Why it made me happy - I usually keep my birthday low key. The e-mail exchanges that were going back and forth regarding my birthday were comical.

That Sinking Feeling

(A special post for my friends over at SundayScribblings)

Travelling, especially business travelling, can put one out of synch especially if you do it like I do it. I travel some but not enough to call myself a pro by any means. There is nothing wrong with getting out of your routine once in awhile. I believe it is highly desirable.

(My lost baby and my lead singer laying it down)

Last week, I hit the road early on a Thursday morning to drive to a business event. It was about a 5 hour drive to the coast. The business event was more fun than work so it was something to look forward to. The catch was that on Monday I had to be about 2 hours inland from the

coast. Once I would get to that destination, it would still put me 5 hours from home. It made no sense to me to drive all the way home on Friday night just to get up on Monday, work a few hours, and then make virtually the same 5 hour drive back. So, it was a weekend at the coast.

Then, my boss invited me to play golf with him at his club on Sunday afternoon. This would take me away from the coast a little earlier than I had planned. I decided that, since I was leaving the coast early, I might as well make it real early. I decided to tee it up at a great golf course on the coast, play the round, and then travel over the two hours to my boss's club for another round of golf.

I started to load up the vehicle at about 5:30 in the morning. It was still dark outside. The small hotel lot had been full the night before and I had to park across the street. I grabbed a light handful of things and went to my car. Upon reaching my rental vehicle, I set everything down so I could open the door. I loaded my few things and backed the car up so I could bring it to the front of the hotel. This would allow an easier loading of the second group of items.

I went to my hotel room. I made a sweep around the room like a detective to make sure nothing was forgotten. Satisfied nothing had been left behind, I exited and started the traveller's waddle down the hallway with a wheeled suitcase in tow and a bag or two over my shoulder.

I stopped and said, "some detective you are. Do you have your guitar anywhere in your midst, Nutster?"

What a dork! I got out the magnetic card, made a few swipes, and the door popped open. I went to where my guitar had been but no longer was.

And I got that sinking feeling.

"Uh oh. That first load to the car. I had my guitar in my hand. When I backed up, I remember hearing a strange little kind of noise."

The traveller's waddle now became a comical jog. I flew through the lobby and tossed my items into the Xterra. I fired the 4x4 up and screamed across the dark parking lot readying myself for the ultimate horror that I had run over one of my precious babies, my Taylor CE614 guitar. As I got to the empty parking stall that had been mine, I stopped the car and shined my lights on the darkened spot expecting to see my guitar in a crumpled mess.

But there was nothing.

My poor guitar had laid there in the dark for only 15 minutes in the predawn hours but it was now gone. Resigned to the fact that I would never see it again, I only ache for closure and to know it's condition.

I hope my baby lived and it's sturdy case protected it from my early morning brain fade. I long that whoever picked it up can put it to better use than the clumsy hands that had held it previously.

Moral of the story: watch your children. It only takes a few moments of negligence for them to be gone.

(Don't feel too sad, however. While I lost my child just a week ago, I am gleefully dashing from guitar store to guitar store in search of adopting an upgrade! While the loss was sad, we mustn't dwell in the past!!!! Plus, today is my birthday so I get a new UPGRADED toy!!!!)

HappyUP!!! Day 209....HOME!

HappyUP!!! - walking into the house
Why it happened - I have been on a business trip, with a little pleasure mixed in, for 8 days
Why it makes me happy - you know the feeling. You have been gone...and you walk into your house. Now, the house was at 90 degrees so it was a bit stifling but it was still home.

HappyUP!!! - the drive home
Why it happened - I had to get home somehow...and a phone list
Why it makes me happy - it was almost a 5 hour drive...on terrain without much scenery. It flew by. I might has well have been at the office. I had a solid phone list to get to on the way home. Time flies when you are on the phone.....just ask new lovers about that.

HappyUP!!! - 3 promising...very promising recruiting calls
Why it happened - as I have been saying, our company is attractive
Why it makes me happy - I said it yesterday so I will save type. This one is always going to make me happy because it is so important to my job.

HappyUP!!! Day 208

On the road and working -not much personal time so the HappyUP!!!s are going to be work related today.

HappyUP!!! - a call back from a hot recruit
Why it happened - she is becoming concerned about where she is working
Why it makes me happy - recruiting is an interesting game. It is kind of like dating when you don't know where you stand. The call that I got today was a good sign....a very good sign.

HappyUP!!! - the amorous couple
Why it happened - uh...."the call of nature"
Why it makes me happy - I don't know if this one made me happy as it cost me a few winks of sleep but it sure was funny. I am on the road and there was no doubt that only a thin wall seperated me from a couple of people HappyingUP!!! It was funny! ...last night at 11....and this morning at 6!

HappyUP!!! - three new recruits
Why it happened - the industry is driving people on a flight to quality
Why it makes me happy - good people...and many of them....considering working in my organization and bettering their lives. It's why I work...it is one of the things that gives me meaning.

HappyUP!!! Day 207...Still in Bakersfield

HappyUP!!! - 9 holes after work with my boss
Why it happened - he invited me
Why it made me happy - we whipped it around in less than an hour and a half. My boss played some great golf with two birdies. The evening was pleasant and no one else was on the golf course. It was a nice conclusion to the the day.

HappyUP!!! - taking a conference call and presenting on behalf of my boss
Why it happened - I was asked to step in
Why it made me happy - there were some big wigs on the call from another business line that we support. I prepared a little bit and delivered. No stuttering. No "um's" and I gave them what they wanted to hear.
I earned some brownie points on that one for sure.

HappyUP!!! - I get to come home a few hours early on Thursday
Why it happened - my part of the facilitation wraps up by noon and the lead facilitator cut me loose
Why it makes me happy - are you kidding? It is a 4.5 hour drive home. I'll get to make business calls during business hours to help pass the time. I will also get home by 5 or 6 rather than 8 or 9. It will be like a regular work day!

JollyJottings

9 holes of golf after work with my boss
My presentation on a conference call
Learning that I get to go home early on Thursday
A new search engine trick
Facilitating training
More opportunities at work
The people at training

HappyUP!!! Day 206....Waking Up in Bakersfield

It doesn't take long - to figure out why Bakersfield has a history of traditional country singers hailing from it or coming from it. It's the only real "oil town" in California. Oil has a mystique about it that just seems to breed a lot of things that make country music...

...that and a lot of dust! Let's HappyUP!!!

HappyUP!!! - sleeping in
Why it happened - not much sleep the night before, 36 holes of golf, and being in the sun all day
Why it makes me happy - it's kind of cool to know that I can still sleep 8 hours on occasion. It was a quasi day off for me so I was out of routine and not running to a calender. Waking up at 7 on a Monday didn't throw me off schedule.

HappyUP!!! - meeting Dustin of JD Hardy and the Sinners
Why it happened - I was guitar shopping
Why it makes me happy - Dustin has a record deal. They had to drop "and the sinners" from their band name to please the record label. Who knows...they could be playing the Bible Belt someday. The CD is coming out Sept 2 and Dustin wrote the first single. They are going out on tour. The label has invested in them. He's going to chase that dream. He may make it....he may not. He knows it but he's making that run. It was cool to be in his presence. Plus, he gave me some "pickin" tips as well as some good guitar advice.

HappyUP!!! - tripping to and picking at two guitar stores
Why it happened - I found them on line
Why it makes me happy - I got to do some picking. One store was within walking distance of the hotel. The other was only 8 minutes away driving. I gathered some data. It all eases the pain over the guitar that I lost (may it Rest In Peace.....or be in the hands of someone that is a better player than myself)

HappyUP!!! Day 205

HappyUP!!! - 36 holes of golf
Why it happened - I decided golf was the name of the game today. I got up early and played a golf course I may not get a chance to play again....it was "extra golf" (though I think that may be an oxymoron)
Why it makes me happy - it's golf!!! It is very rare that I get a chance to tee it up this often

HappyUP!!! - golfing partners
Why it happened - I'm lucky?
Why it makes me happy - the morning round, I was taking what I get. Whomever is at the course is who they put me in with. I played with another single and two other guys who knew each other. They were all decent golfers and very enjoyable company. In the afternoon in a town two hours away, I played with my boss and two of his friends. Great guys to hang out with.

HappyUP!!! - dinner at home
Why it happened - my boss invited me over to his house for dinner
Why it makes me happy - it was a delicious dinner. No, I didn't NEED to get seconds or the dessert but, it was so good that I had to. While it wasn't my intent, it was also a very polite thing to do.

HappyUP!!! Day 204...Saturday at Pismo

HappyUP!!! - a room with an "OK View"

Why it happened - I told the hotel....I want a room with a view

Why it makes me happy - oh, please! Isn't there a phrase about pictures being worth some amount of words?

HappyUP!!! = golfing at Avila Beach Resort

Why it happened - I decided to walk on as a single and tee it up

Why it makes me happy - I don't even want to tell you how gorgeous the weather was here today. This Central California coast will spoil you. I mean....NICE! The course was kind of cute. It was a decent test of golf. I actually broke 80 for the first time in a loooooong time! I'm also happy that I wasn't the guy in the picture to your left. That is not supposed to be part of the golf course! I took this picture from where I had CRUSHED a drive (a HappyUP!!!....a rare HappyUP!!! lately) which left me only a 5 iron second shot into this par 5. It actually was a perfect drive in length and placement



HappyUP!!! - that drive I was just talking about

Why it happened - I did what I was supposed to do

Why it makes me happy - my golf swing is starting to come around. I used to be able to play a pretty mean game of golf many years ago. It has been hard trying to find my swing. This drive was out there about 300 yards and it was laid out perfectly between the two big rock hills that the fairway went through. You literally could not drop a golf ball in a better spot. The drive also had a little draw (right to left spin) which tells me that I am on the right track. More golf tomorrow!

Where's Tom Hanks?

I found this on the shoreline - he must be nearby, right?

HappyUP!!! Day 203

HappyUP!!! - a morning walk on the beach
Why it happened - I got up and went
Why it makes me happy - I was the only one there. The sound of the waves lapping up on the sand. The smell of the salt. Even the pungent aroma of the seaweed up on the shore. Waves breaking in rhythm is the ultimate white noise.

HappyUP!!! - an unexpected golf invitation
Why it happened - I ran across a co-worker in the lobby of the hotel
Why it made me happy - this guy is a local. His house is in a gated community that had a nice golf course. I was in the lobby of the hotel on my way out to play some golf. He said, "hey, let's go play at my place!" It was cool. The golf course had some great greens. It was in awesome condition. I got to get some time in with a business contact. The weather was awesome as well.

HappyUP!!! - breakfast with a friend
Why it happened - we were both hanging out at the hotel
Why it made me happy - conversation. This is a common HappyUP!!! I have known this co-worker for years but we don't get a chance to talk very often. Today, I learned about his grandfather's immigration from China. Very interesting stuff!

HappyUP!!! Day 202.....the Ocean

Day one begins of my working/pleasure trip - and what fulfilling day it was. A great day. An over the top day of joyful experiences and things to notice. The top 3 for HappyUP!!!s will need to be picked at random because they were so plentiful and superb that few stand out above the rest

HappyUP!!! -seeing the Ocean
Why it happened - I had a meeting to go to on the coast
Why it makes me happy - have you ever taken a drive, gone through miscellaneous terrain, and then...BOOM...there it is: the Ocean! It's that first view. It's those initial seconds. I love that

HappyUP!!!-Extreme Hummer Ride
Why it happened - it was our scheduled activity
Why it makes me happy - have you ever ridden with 5 coworkers in an open top Hummer with a trained driver going for it over the sand dunes on a gorgeous day by the ocean? If not, you won't get what I am talking about. It was crazy. Sand flying everywhere. The wind blowing. Racing straight up sand dunes that are like mountains, making a 90 degree turn at speed, riding perpendicular to the face of the hill with the hummer sliding sideways, while you are going, "why isn't this thing tipping over?" Exhiliration

HappyUP!!! - pool time with my peep's
Why it happened - we needed to get the sand off of us after that hummer ride
Why it makes me happy - the sun and wind combination was perfect. There was no where on this planet that had a better combination for laying there and enjoying the sun. It was a sensory experience that you only get a few times a lifetime (well, unless you live in a really ideal spot and lay in the sun a lot).

JollyJottings

Vc Mail from a close friend
Recruit's return call
Another recruit's return call
Yet another recruit's return call
A recruiter found another great prospect
A possible favor/accomodation
My company
Time with my boss in the hummer
Dinner out on the wharf
Peach cobbler (oops....diet deviation)
Stocks were up!!!
Nice resort I am staying at
A golfing invitation