HappyUP!!! 642......Boo!

HappyUP!!! - goblins
Whyit happened - it's Halloween
Why it makes me happy - I like the entire concept of kids having to step out, dress up, follow orders ("say trick or treat), and be rewarded. It's kind of like training seals! I also like the costumes...they crack me up. I'm always home on Halloween to hand out candy.

HappyUP!!! - errands
Why it happened - I didn't golf today
Why it makes me happy - I had really been putting some things off. Today, I made up some ground. It's a relief to take care of the knicky knackies of life.

HappyUP!!! - an inquiry
Why it happened - they got my number
Why it makes me happy - we'll have a guest...and potential new member....showing up at our Toastmasters meeting on Tuesday. We are in growth mode so this is exactly what we are working toward.

JollyJottings

Call from SK
Call from SC
Help at the golf store
Getting my microphone situation handled
A call from a guest for Toastmasters
A substitute speaker
Birthday dinner
HappyUP!!! buttons packaged
Toastmaster promo package

Halloween Treat Giving Guide

OK.....you're going through the annual dilemma - how many of those little beggars are going to show up at my door this year? How much candy do I buy?

Have no fear - this is why you come to this blog.....for practical ways to live your life.

(NOTE - it's kind of funny....364 days of the year, kids are taught not to talk to strangers....let alone take candy from them. I digress....)

First off - buy lots o candy. You don't want to be one of those dorks who shuts down the lights or leaves out a sign, "sorry....all out of candy...see you next year." If I was a trickster, I'd be seeing your house again LOOOOONG before next year. I'll remember who you were. You would have been better off not playing. Also, as you are buying, think "durables"...I'll explain in a moment.

What if it might rain? - a great question....timely too. We are definitely looking at the possibility of rain in my world this year. This is why it is critical to buy candy that YOU like. A lot of my friends say this is a bad strategy for the waistline so take that into consideration...like I SHOULD but don't.

Go light in the beginning - I know....you are now in front of your first beggars. They are sooo cute. Wait right there, tiger. Before you give a big handful of your precious resources to that little princess, keep in mind that this event is an educational program so you can learn the concept of rationing. If you run out, you run the risk of an eggy house. I just repainted my house.....EGG FREE ZONE. You can't get egged for being a little tight on the treats...

....That's the law - if you only handout a couple of tootsie roll midgets and you get egged for it, the kid that did it can be strung upside down and waterboarded while waiting for sentencing.

Lead with the crap - you know, the caramels, butterscotches, those red and white mint things....these are the items that you bought to stretch your budget. Now, if all you bought were those red and white mint things, just go shoot yourself now. Those are NOT Halloween candies....they are breath mints. They are OK as a supplement to "cut" in with your other treats.

See the picture above - those kids are going to have to come in big numbers before any of them see those Nestle Crunch Bars.

Hold back the durables - see the Smarties? Smarties are the all time great candy. I firmly believe the last Smartie roll was made in 1953. Somewhere, there is a big warehouse full of these. You hold these as backstock because, in the event of a light turnout, you can throw these in the basement or cupboard for next Halloween ....or the Halloween after that....or the one after that. (Yeah, right....like you can lay off those Smarties yourself). Anyway, save the things that can keep for the very end......CHOCOLATE does NOT keep!

Finally - remember that the Nutster is getting screwed in this deal. I don't have kids so Halloween is a total loss for me. When I was a kid, I had to bring back more than my parents bought.....another lesson you can learn with Halloween...foreign trade.

HappyUP!!! Day 641....Vrooooom!

HappyUP!!! - the Brum by Dirt Devil
Why it happened - I saw an ad and said, "that's exactly what I have been looking for."
Why it makes me happy - OK, see that little item on the left. It does the same thing as the item on the right plus something else.....it sucks up the dirt as you go. It's cordless too. It's a broom and a dustbuster built into one. When you have miles of Marmoleum, this is a God's send. Sweeping is a dream! No more of that "line" that the dust pan always leaves either. I got mine at BestBuy...it will set you back $80 but, if you have a sea of laminate, it's a



HappyUP!!! - lunch invite
Why it happened - my friend e-mailed me
Why it makes me happy - I haven't seen this friend in forever. It was so great to get the e-mail and to put a very enjoyable lunch on the calender for next week!

HappyUP!!! - golf
Why it happened - my buddy sprung it on me
Why it makes me happy - we weren't going to play but my buddy changed his mind. It was great to watch him shoot his best round at our course. The bar has been raised (well....lowered...in golf, less is more). I am going to have to shoot a 70 to match his effort today. At the same time, I played OK and got in a solid score. We played in a little rain at the end which was kind of fun. I hit a phenomenal shot from just off the green with my hybrid and chipped in. I knocked a wedge within 3 feet of the pin on another hole. I got up and down from a hazard. There was room for improvement but some very high quality golf shots out there.

JollyJottings

Rain
R shooting 70
Me shooting a good score
Chipping in
Getting a round of golf in
Getting my insurance handled
Timing on the paint job
Timing on the garden
A delicious pastrami sandwich

HappyUP!!! Day 640...It's Hole In One Month..

...if you watch the Golf Channel - (and who doesn't), you would know that October is Hole In One Month.

In honor of that - I did my best today. This is how close I came from about 175 yds in cold morning weather. This leads to my first....

HappyUP!!! - hitting a great shot that DIDN'T go in
Why it happened - I took an extra club because of the cold weather
Why it makes me happy - first, I hit a great shot and it gave me a tap in birdie. Second, I was playing alone. With no witness, the ace wouldn't have counted. I have been playing golf for over 35 years. I have seen about 5 hole-in-ones but have never had one. Because I have a lower handicap, the odds are more in my favor than a lot of people that have had one. With this in mind, it would be worse to have a hole-in-one that nobody saw than to not have one at all.

HappyUP!!! - the painting is done
Why it happened - my painter has been cranking along
Why it makes me happy - the house is looking great now that it has all been put back together. Look for a before and after picture sequence in coming days. The final touch was the new house numbers. You'll see what I am talking about.

HappyUP!!! - three birdies this morning
Why it happened - I hit some good shots
Why it makes me happy - it was cold out there this morning. I had been on a birdie drought. Any day that I get three on the tough course I play on is a good day.....especially when it is cold and the ball isn't going that far. The birdies led to a solid score....another thing that I needed and another reason to be happy.

HappyUP!!! - e-mail from my friend
Why it happened - my friend reads the blog
Why it makes me happy - the info that I got was singled out for me specifically and meaningful.

HappyUP!!! Day 639

HappyUP!!! - Toastmasters
Why it happened - it's Tuesday
Why it makes me happy - this was an "off" week. We had an executive meeting to discuss progress on our club growth initiatives. The club is low on members. This has been the first time in over 20 yrs the club has been in existence that we have had official exec meetings...it's a nice change and an exciting project to work on.

HappyUP!!! - Prop 8 decision
Why it happened - Diane Feinstein weighed in
Why it makes me happy - Prop 8 is the gay marriage initiative. I believe in allowing people to do what they want to do. I have gay friends. This made me want to vote "no." I also believe in the traditional form of marriage and don't believe there is a need to promote the alternative. That would be a "yes." Enter Dianne and her liberal statements and drops the discrimination card. I HATE the discrimination card. It looks like "yes" will win in my household. Sorry, my friends with alternative lifestyles, your advocates hired the wrong spokesperson.

HappyUP!!! - chat with my friend
Why it happened - I shot T a text
Why it makes me happy - we had an open loop. The conversation closed the loop with both of us feeling better. Friendship maintenance...it comes with friendship....and it's a good thing.

JollyJottings

Prop 8 decision
Stock market
Golf
Front door
Chat with my friend
Toastmasters

HappyUP!!! Day 638

HappyUP!!! - only a week away from a grocery store within walking/biking distance of my house
Why it happened - who knows....they actually are running behind
Why it makes me happy -....wait, does it make me happy? Now that Whole Foods is FINALLY opening, does anyone have the dough to shop there? I don't know about you but a seperate trip to the Dollar Store for those "other items" has become cost effective for me. Still, I was very happy when I passed by here today and saw that a full service grocery store would FINALLY be in my neighborhood


HappyUP!!! - lunch with my ex-admin
Why it happened - it was a belated Boss's Day present
Why it makes me happy - I LOVE my ex-admin (in a HEALTHY WAY....get your head out of the gutter). We had such a lovely lunch and chat. Being around her almost makes me want to go back to work (I said ALMOST).

HappyUP!!! - hitting range balls
Why it happened - my best friend's brother called me up
Why it makes me happy - he was looking to me for golf tips. I really do like to help people with their swings...especially people with a clue. This guy has some. He has a few things to go and work on. Additionally, I always swing better when I am explaining the golf swing....it's like the one time when I listen to my own instruction!

HappyUP!!! Day 637

<----gratuitous silly picture (I really hope a miracle happens and we see her for 4 years and not Barry Pelosi)

HappyUP!!! - being out on the course
Why it happened - I went
Why it makes me happy - I have taken it easy and not played due to a back issue....not today. It was absolutely gorgeous out there. The morning chill fading to perfect temperatures....teeing off with a sweater and peeling it off. That is a good day

HappyUP!!! - the "geriatric" swing
Why it happened - see back situation
Why it makes me happy - I have played golf for 36 yrs. "Swing easier to hit farther" is a big "duh." Today, due to my back, I decided to "do pretty swings." These were like bunting.....and, guess what? The driver went about as far as full on effort....yet I had more control. When...when....when? will I learn? It was a HappyUP!!!

HappyUP!!! - great e-mail exchange
Why it happened - I have some great distant friends
Why it makes me happy - I love it when I know things are going well with the people I don't see often.

HappyUP!!! 636

"A heart's image lies within each person. It is what we truly reveal when we fall helplessly in love for then we are opened to display who we most truly are, giving a glimpse of our soul's genius"

-James Hillman, The Soul's Code

HappyUP!!! - James Hillman
Why it happened - I was laid up a bit today and could catch up on some reading
Why it makes me happy - Hillman is a tough read but is heralded as a modern day William James. As my back was hurting a bit, I did some reading that I had put aside. He's tough to read...but worth the work. This HappyUP!!! is about insight into soul.

HappyUP!!! - second story painting
Why it happened - we keep plugging along
Why it makes me happy - we are getting closer and closer to the completion of the project. Two stories of the green and white is looking even better than one. Tomorrow, the garage gets finished and we start working on the accents. Why is this a HappyUP!!!? We all like new stuff......this is like living in a new house.

HappyUP!!! - breakfast with the family
Why it happened - I wasn't golfing today
Why it makes me happy - I hadn't seen my friend and his family (my adopted family) for about a month. It was great to get back together and see them again. I need to adjust my tee times and make this more regularly. Being with people you love is what life is about.

JollyJottings

Breakfast
Talking with my friend
Neighbors weigh in
Phone conversation with a new friend
Lovely day
Poetry forum
Stretching

HappyUP!!! Day 635....Let's all go to...

....the clown museum - doot doot do do do do doot doot do do (work on the cadence and you should start hearing circus theme.....where are those elephants?).

Is this what it would look like - if we did go?

Just wondering

Also wondering - why I was so lucky to have so many reasons to give me periods of happiness today. Just an exceptional day.......and without a golf course involved? Who would have thunk-it? No way to limit it to three today.


HappyUP!!! - paint color
Why it happened - today was the final "D" Day for the body color decision
Why it makes me happy - I made the decision the other day....and then changed at the last minute this morning. It was an AWESOME decision. The new color choice was perfect. My friend, Max, assisted. My painter's wife assisted. It was a committee decision....one time when a committee was actually useful!

HappyUP!!! - the unveiling
Why it happened - the first floor is done except for some accent colors
Why it makes me happy - my painter does a great job...very thorough. He primed the entire house. He sprayed the trim color....and then masked over the trim. The body got sprayed today. Then, this afternoon, the masking came off to unveil the full blend and what the new look for my house will be. I am REALLY going to dig it....and I'm not usually into that sort of thing. Wait until the accents are added!

HappyUP!!! - a present
Why it happened - my buddy bought me something
Why it makes me happy - I have the new Coldplay CD now. I have their last two CD's and I am not sure I would have gotten around to buying this one. There is an excellent groove to this one.

HappyUP!!! - text from a friend
Why it happened - I texted first
Why it makes me happy - I needed to clear something up......and now it is. "Open loops" bug me so, when one is closed and closed positively, it's a definite HappyUP!!! (Have you noticed how many HappyUP!!!s have to do with communication?)

HappyUP!!! - visit from my friend, D
Why it happened - D was on the way home from the golf course
Why it makes me happy - D is into decorating houses and LOVED my new paint. D got the tour of the place and was in wonderment regarding the potential of my home....and offered to help me with some of the decorating if I needed it. I HATE decorating....but like the final outcome so it's good to have this help in the back pocket.

HappyUP!!! - breakfast with my guys
Why it happened - we needed to get together
Why it makes me happy - these guys are former co-workers. They mean a lot to me. I am thankful that I all of my relationships of so many years aren't just washing down the stream.....it's easy to happen. We had a great breakfast.

HappyUP!!! Day 634

HappyUP!!! - morning golf shots
Why it happened - I got out there before the herd
Why it makes me happy - it's a little tougher to play when it is chilly...makes for a tough start at our tract. Hole number 12 was a bit off track until I stuck a wedge 3 ft...HappyUP!!! Pulled a tee shot on 13....and hit a miraculous flop shot and saved par....HappyUP!!! 14 was playing long and tough.....used the hybrid to put my second shot just short and then used it again for a "chip" that I rolled up into gimme range for an easy par. .. HappyUP!!! On 16, I flushed a 6 iron....HapppyUP!!! when you consider the last 5 times I played this hole I hit it in the pond!

HappyUP!!! - tee shot on 9 (pictured to the left)
Why it happened - I took notice
Why it makes me happy - this was different than the above. I hit a drive but I couldn't see where it landed. It looked like it was headed for the sandtrap which would be an almost certain bogey at best. When I got up to the trap, I saw that the ball had carried the trap....I savored and celebrated the moment. I play with a lot of guys who would just let that pass. I enjoyed enjoying it....and hit a second shot within 10 ft of the pin.

HappyUP!!! - beginning of a new song
Why it happened - I used a recent experience
Why it makes me happy - it reminded me where my creativity comes from....taking my experiences and then exaggerating them. The next thing you know, a story is created....and a song is written.

JollyJottings

Drive on 9 this morning...and second shot
Hole number 12...birdie
Par saves on 13 and 14
Making a putting discovery
6 iron on 16 this morning
E-mail from a friend

HappyUP!!! Day 633

HappyUP!!! - choosing the paint
Why it happened - deadline
Why it makes me happy - it's OVER! See yesterday's post.

HappyUP!!! - dropping in on a meeting
Why it happened - I made it happen
Why it makes me happy - I think I'll end up playing a couple of rounds of golf with a guy I haven't teed it up with in forever.

HappyUP!!! - brekko on Friday
Why it happened - I got an e-mail
Why it makes me happy - I love these guys and really look forward to breaking bread (slammin pancakes) with them.

JollyJottings

Choosing paint
Dropping in on a meeting
Coffee with my friend
Setting up brekko for Friday
Confirming golf for the next 4 days
E-mail from a friend
Conversing with my painter

Marmoleum

"What the heck is Marmoleum?" - is a question that I frequently get when people ask me about my flooring.


When people are at my house - they usually dig the flooring and ask what it is.

Usually, when this discussion takes place - we aren't at my house.

The subject came up again the other night - and I thought, "we aren't usually at my house but we usually have access to a computer."


I thought I would throw this post up - so, in the future, I take all of my feeble attempts at describing what Marmoleum is out of the game....because, well, it's not a fun game.....

....OK....I end up stumbling on my tongue.

Marmoleum is usually found - in commercial applications. It comes in planks like I had installed but comes in large sheets as well (which are really good for commercial installation).

It comes in different colors - I like the grey because I not only like grey but I find that it hides the dirt and, hence, does not need to be mopped as often as a different color (which definitely fits my lifestyle...c'mon...do you really
think the Nutster is a mopster? I didn't think so)

You can see - that Marmoleum tucks nicely into the walls with some trim nailed over it. It also blends into contrasting floor coverings.

Marmoleum - there it is.

HappyUP!!! Day 632...Peppers & Paintchips

I had a bittersweet moment today - which can be a HappyUP!!! if you look at it correctly.

I started pulling up a few plants from the garden - I don't talk to other vegetable gardeners but I have to think that it's generally a sad moment when you have to pull up the plants that have provided such wonderful sustenance over the past months. Which leads to...

HappyUP!!! - appreciation of sustenance
Why it happened - I did some light gardening
Why it makes me happy - I took a moment to realize how lucky I am to have a patch of ground with good soil and to be able to grow such wonderful food. I didn't pull up
the peppers. God bless them, they are still going strong. I picked some sweets, bells, and hot fresno's. I chopped them up, added a little broccoli (from the store) and melted some cheese over them in the wok in celebration of a wonderful summer of sustenance.

HappyUP!!! - Toastmasters
Why it happened - it was an "on" week
Why it makes me happy - I heard two great speeches. Our new member gave his first evaluation and did a solid job out in critiquing a speaker who is pretty darn good. I am already seeing his growth....which is richly satisfying.



HappyUP!!! - putting the bio and obligatory headshot together
Why it happened - I volunteered to scare myself to death
Why it makes me happy - as I put together the items for the person running the comedy night I got roped into, it reminded me that it is a good thing to stick yourself out there on occasion. I can see that it is very easy to get a touch complacent about things once one is retired. It may be why everyone keeps saying, "you'll be back to work." While I am not so sure of that, I am sure that I am going to be finding new things to stretch myself.
(..and, no, this probably won't be the headshot but I cracked myself "gooning off" with my camera)



HappyUP!!! - lunch at the Blue Nami
Why it happened - I took one of my ex-admins to lunch
Why it makes me happy - I hadn't had sushi at this place before.....and it was pretty darn good. More importantly, it was nice to visit with one of "my girls" (yes, I know that is so "not-PC".....but it is a title that they gave themselves and still wish they had). I hadn't seen this one in months and it was nice to catch up on what has changed in her life....and it all sounds for the better.

HappyUP!!! - drinks with a long time acquaintenance
Why it happened - we made it happen
Why it makes me happy - I have probably known this person for 20 years but never had the chance to sit down and chat a bit....and I learned a lot. It builds the relationship (duh!) and works towards solidifying another long term friendship for the books

Last Minute Painting Help....

Here is a reach out - to any friends and regular readers who have more of a taste for exterior design than I

As you can see - I am all primed and almost ready to go.

The question is - what colors do I paint my old craftsman home?

We have to decide - 1) a body color 2) trim color (the eves....possibly the bricks) 3) an accent color for miscellaneous 4) the door will probably end up being a shade of red

The only other factor - is that the body has to to be a light color due to heat absorption. I also can't do light grey because my neighbor that I share a driveway with already took that color and I don't want things to look like the family compound.
<------check out that intricate woodwork in the window














From one side of the front












From the other side of the front as you walk up to the digs

HappyUP!!! Day 631

HappyUP!!! - phone call from my buddy
Why it happened - he was checking in with me
Why it makes me happy - it's good to know that you have someone that calls just to see how you are. It also is a reminder that I could do a bit more of that myself.

HappyUP!!! - sleep
Why it happened - no alarm clock today
Why it makes me happy - I don't want to be lazy.....but I also love it when I get a BIG night's sleep. I must have gotten almost 9 uninterrupted hours last night. From someone that has had insomnia issues (hopefully in the forever past), a full night's sleep is something to be grateful for.

HappyUP!!! - paint choice
Why it happened - I put some grinding to it
Why it makes me happy - I am heading to crunch time to get this done. The house is almost entirely prepped. I had spent some time on it....usually leading to frustration. Today, I saw something I liked. I showed it to my painter....he agreed as well. I think it's DONE! (Of course, tomorrow is another day!...LOL)

HappyUP!!! - Toastmasters materials arrived
Why it happened - I ordered them
Why it makes me happy - this will help us in our club building....these couldn't get here too soon.

HappyUP!!! Day 630

HappyUP!!! - morning golf
Why it happened - I golf....constantly....intentionally
Why it makes me happy - I've played too many days in a row so this morning really wasn't about a great score. It was just about being out with the guys and cutting up a bit. THAT definitely got accomplished in the first 9 holes ....then Boz dropped out and took the cart with him. It was great to walk 9 holes on a glorious morning. I stood on one tee and just soaked in the scenery like it was the first time I was out there....and thought about how lucky I am. I also had an EXTREMELY delicate little chip/pitch shot end up right next to the hole....I gave myself a few attaboys for that one.

HappyUP!!! - golfing bingo is over
Why it happened - Rickster birdied the last hole that he hadn't birdied
Why it makes me happy - the game was to see who could birdie all of the holes first. Rickster had 1 left and I had 3. Quite frankly, I was tired of playing those three holes as many times as I have and reminding myself that I have never birdied them. Watch me birdie them all in the next week!

HappyUP!!! - drive time
Why it happened - I decided it was a good day for a Sunday drive (it was Sunday, after all)
Why it makes me happy - I haven't been playing a lot of music around the house. I found some CD's in the car that I took that I haven't heard in awhile. Good music...gorgeous weather....grabbed some dinner....just driving....it was a sweet way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

HappyUP!!! Day 629

HappyUP!!! - getting my stuff back
Why it happened - I left my stuff behind
Why it makes me happy - ever left important stuff behind? Like a camera and your cell phone? You know that sinking feeling you get when you realize that the stuff is no longer in your possession? I got that today. I made a phone call to my "stuff leaving place"....stuff was found...and I went back and got it. In that moment when I got it back, it was a HappyUP!!! of relief.

HappyUP!!! - competitive golf
Why it happened - my club was short handed
Why it makes me happy - I played in the Scratch League today. No handicaps. Just go out and play on the team. While this wasn't a major tournament, I didn't see me progressing to this stage until next spring. I held my own.

HappyUP!!! - the first hole
Why it happened - see "competitive golf"
Why it makes me happy - even in casual golf, the first tee brings on some nervousness. I definitely felt them on the initial tee up today......and blasted a drive straight down the middle. I then hit a wedge within 10 ft of the hole. I hit a lot of great shots today but the start was what I remembered the most.

HappyUP!!! Day 628....Here comes the bride...

May I introduce you to the new Mr and Mrs - uh.... hmmm...well....

I'd love to - but I have no idea who these people are

While we used one of our other golf partners - to snap these pictures with my camera....

I did notice that the wedding photographer - took a couple of pictures of me and my buddy, R, along with the newlyweds.

Just think - years from now, this young couple will be thumbing through their wedding album and fondly say, "who the hell were those two guys....and why did they take pictures with us?"

You know - it cost me so little to be part of a couple's lifetime of memories. It makes me wonder why I don't share myself more.

HappyUP!!! - the wedding photo
Why it happened - they were on the bridge at our club when we were making the turn between nines.....and I was prepared with my camera and devious mind
Why it makes me happy - I cracked myself up.....and my golfing partners....I even think the bride and groom were relieved to get a little break from the photo shoot. I wish my photographer would have told me to take my earpiece for my phone off however. That's it! He's fired....sure, he can still play golf but he can no longer be my dresser.
(I really hope that the sweaty smell I detected when this was taken was coming off my golf buddy)

HappyUP!!! - hitting the chip of all chips
Why it happened - I hit the ball where I shouldn't have....
Why it makes me happy - .......then I had to figure out how to get myself out of this little jam. This is the beauty of golf. You have improvise sometimes. I was sitting in a very difficult situation. Then, I thought, "what if I take my wedge, drag it back along the ground, don't set the club with my wrists like usual, sweep through, make the ball rake up the clubface, fly the trouble spot, and then stop really quickly due to the weird backspin this stroke is going to create?" This isn't a shot I practice (...but will now). I hit it perfectly. The ball cleared the trouble, bit, and rolled up to the cup and rested with the ball HANGING on the lip BEHIND the hole (that means that this impossible shot that I was only trying to get within 6 feet SHOULD have fallen in). The round of golf was far from spectacular but this shot was a keeper....and a learning experience.....and why I play golf.

HappyUP!!! - phone call from a friend
Why it happened - we traded messages
Why it makes me happy - we had a great chat....so much so that we agreed that we should get together to exchange more meaningful conversation. I love meaningful conversations and now I have one coming up.

I'm a Flippin Genius! I'm a Flippin Genius!

"Genius means little more than the faculty of perceiving in an unhabitual way"

-William James

There you have it - right from the mouth of the father of modern psychology.

Go to the people that know me - and ask, "hey, you know the Nutster pretty well. Do you think he observes and perceives things in ways that are unhabitual?"

You WOULD - get a resounding, "Yes!"

OK...to be fair - I think you would have to substitute the word "unhabitual" with the word "different" for the crowd that I hang out with. I like the word "different" better anyway.

So....there you have it - like it or not....I'm a Certified Genius.

Don't worry about it getting to my head - it's really no news flash to me....but I have never flaunted this status upon anyone. I just do what I do.

The more important aspect of this post - are you a genius? Are you holding back your genius to "fit in"?

We have enough "habitual" people - I need you to be....the world needs you to be....YOU need you to be....the genius that you really are.

"Everyone is born a genius, but the process of living de-geniuses them"

-Buckminster Fuller

If you are short of HappyUP!!!s - at the end of today. Consider recording the discovery, re-discovery, or reminder of your genius that you have just been provided.

HappyUP!!! Day 627...Dedicated to the Ladies of CNBC

HappyUP!!! - a stock market rally (and why you see a picture of Erin Burnett and Melissa Lee...a couple of HappyUP!!!'s any day).
Why it happened - because it was way down yesterday?
Why it makes me happy - after a butt whipping yesterday (that is a Wall Street term), it was good to get a little bit back today....especially when we were 400 down on the Dow until it reversed 800 points to finish 400 to the good. For today, it puts a little extra money in everyones pocket.....something that the country needs.
NOTE: I did say "for today"

HappyUP!!! - scratch league invitation
Why it happened - I was hanging around...and our pro shop was desperate
Why it makes me happy - competitive golf.....with no handicaps.....straight up....mano y mano....against guys I don't know.....team counting on you.....lots of gut churning. I got the nod today for Saturday's match against three other clubs. Each club is taking their best 5 guys (or, better put, the best 5 guys they could get) and their pro and having it out. I'm really not quite ready for this type of event but, hey, when is someone ever ready. This is similar to the type of competitions I played in a quarter century ago.

HappyUP!!! - my ex-admin
Why it happened - today was Bosses Day
Why it makes me happy - she e-mailed me and wants to take me to lunch. How sweet is she? How good did I feel? HappyUP!!! to the max.....and lunch on Monday!

HappyUP!!! - meeting with an old friend next week
Why it happened - we finally got it together
Why it makes me happy - this is an old industry friend. We are going to get together for a drink and trade some war stories Tuesday. You can't beat that....something to look forward to.

JollyJottings

Talked with RH
Early golf
Stock Market
Playing with Wah
Scratch League
The Girls of CNBC
My ex-admin
Meeting next week