HappyUP!!! - Day 1008

HappyUP!!! - trick or treat
Why it happened - it's Oct 31
Why it makes me happy - big turnout of all kinds of little ones at the door. They are so darn cute that it just gets to you.

HappyUP!!! - Monster Scramble
Why it happened - my club puts on events
Why it makes me happy - anytime all the regular members get out at one time to knock it around, it's a fun outing. You get to visit with peeps you don't see all the time.

HappyUP!!! - gorgeous day
Why it happened - it's the fall
Why it makes me happy - I appreciate every single one of these days...fall is everything and I was out in it for most of the day.

HappyUP!!! - a lot of quality shots
Why it happened - I keep swinging well
Why it makes me happy - I may have some of my best golf of the year coming in November



JollyJottings

HappyUP!!! Day 1007

HappyUP!!! - very solid round of golf
Why it happened - I was swinging very well
Why it makes me happy - it's been awhile since I saw this level of potential poke through. 73 from the gold tees at my place is pretty good shooting.....especially with a penalty stroke, a 3 putt from 14 feet, and missing two very, very short birdie putts.

HappyUP!!! - the driver on 8, 17, and 18
Why it happened - I had worked on a drill on the range
Why it makes me happy - I'm usually the short hitter in my group....by a considerable distance...especially when I mishit the ball. Today, I was with or past my pals.....especially that bomb that went off on number 8. It's a heck of a lot easier game when you have shorter irons into the holes.

HappyUP!!! - Toastmastering the speech contest
Why it happened - I was asked to do it
Why it makes me happy - I put some thought into the job....many don't and I don't know why. These contests can have some dull moments and I think that I helped be a little spice to the sauce.

HappyUP!!! - getting into the Merchant of Menace's pocket
Why it happened - (see shot 73 above)
Why it makes me happy - this guy has owned me over the last couple of months. He paid back a nice part of the dough I "loaned" him this year.

JollyJottings

Breathtaking weather
MC-ing the Division speech contest
73
Stuffing some wedges
Driver on 8......17.....18
Two putt on 16
TM Speech Contest

HappyUP!!! - Day 1006

HappyUP!!! - beating Publice Enemy Number Two
Why it happened - I had to post some pretty good numbers
Why it makes me happy - this guy has been beating me up tooooo many times in a row. While it wasn't very deep, it was good to get in his pocket today

HappyUP!!! - 5 birdies in 27 holes
Why it happened - some good wedges and good putts
Why it makes me happy - bagging numerous birdies means that you are getting the ball where you should....and holing the putts. The nice thing is that there could have been many more.

HappyUP!!! - stock market
Why it happened - who knows...didn't see today coming
Why it makes me happy - a few too many days of getting beat up lately. Tonight, I celebrate a day when things got abruptly turned around....almost 200 in the Dow.


JollyJottings

27 holes
5 birdies on the day
Birdie on the first hole
Sandie par on 16
Stock Market
Baby Elephant Walk

HappyUP!!! - Day 1005

HappyUP!!! - two birdies
Why it happened - I hit some very nice shots
Why it makes me happy - I got it up and down with the wedge twice when I needed to in very windy conditions

HappyUP!!! - par on 18
Why it happened - great drive and crafty second shot
Why it makes me happy - tough wind blowing on a tough driving hole. My main opponent had already hit it deep down the middle. Pond left...enviro area right...wind blowing left to right hard......and I striped it past him. I hit a deft little second shot that got me my par and saved me some SERIOUS dough

HappyUP!!! - dinner with my friend
Why it happened - my friend was in town
Why it makes me happy - my friend bought! OK....besides that....I don't get to see this person very often but we had a nice visit and a delicious dinner

HappyUP!!! - good errands trip
Why it happened - I planned it out
Why it makes me happy - ever route yourself just right.....get in and out of everywhere when you want to....and have just enough time to get to your non-errand venue? That was my morning...efficiency is always a HappyUP!!! for me.

JollyJottings

Two birdies
Par on 18
Long drive on 15
World's greatest bogey
Coffee
Doing some mentoring
Meeting my friend for dinner

HappyUP!!! - Day 1004

HappyUP!!! - visit from the District Governor
Why it happened - we invited him....we won an award
Why it makes me happy - while I know Joe, I think it was special for all of our new members to
have such a dignitary visit

HappyUP!!! - a new member
Why it happened - he came unannounced
Why it makes me happy - I think our club is going to be back to charter strength within a couple of weeks. Energy and excitement abound

HappyUP!!! - a couple of great speeches
Why it happened - see above
Why it makes me happy - I got a history of the telephone and a rundown on the life of someone with ADD......all in entertaining fashion.....before 8 in the morning.

HappyUP!!! - visit from a buddy
Why it happened - my bud was in the area
Why it makes me happy - always great to visit with a friend

JollyJottings

Finding a banana
A new member
A visit from our district governor
A speech on ADD
A speech on the history of the telephone

HappyUP!!! Day 1003

HappyUP!!! - golf on a Monday
Why it happened - saw the weather calling for heavy winds on Tuesday
Why it makes me happy - I don't usually play on Mondays but my golfing buddy was able to slip out. The weather....ohhhhhhh...the weather. Upper 70's...possibly got to 80. Even got a little sweat going packing the sticks over the shoulders. The walk felt good.

HappyUP!!! - bunker shot on two
Why it happened - a lot of skill on that one
Why it makes me happy - I got a bad bounce...ended up on the downslope of the trap....almost no green to work with. I slid that wedge under that ball with a quick "whip". The ball came out low, soft, spinning....and darn near went in the hole. Gimmie. Turning a bogey into a par is one of the great joys of the game


HappyUP!!! - Darcy Farrow by John Denver
Why it happened - a buddy invited me to come play some guitar with him
Why it makes me happy - he wants me to learn this song. While I am OK with John Denver and he was an IMMMENSE talent, I don't know much of his non-hits. This little song is very sad but it's so well done that, when you play it and sing it, you just feel good.


JollyJottings

Coming across a book I hadn't finished
Darcy Farrow by John Denver
Clean comforter
Sneaking in Monday golf on a gorgeous day

HappyUP!!! - Day 1002

HappyUP!!! - being able to golf
Why it happened - who knows
Why it makes me happy - that was one aggressive massage yesterday....I wasn't sure what today would be like but I was OK. It may be one of those delay things....the second day is the sore one. I'll let you know. In the meantime, I was happy to be able to swing it today.

HappyUP!!! - visiting with a buddy
Why it happened - my bud needed a favor
Why it makes me happy - always great to lend a hand and get to do some visiting

HappyUP!!! - ripping out the cup
Why it happened - I hit the shot
Why it makes me happy - second hole at 8:15....it's a little cold....147 to the pin with a slight wind against. My buddies said, "sure, hit the 8 iron...you'll come up a bit short but it is better than being long." I proceeded to land the ball into the side of the cup, ripping the hole apart! Gimmie birdie....partners silenced....hole won....HappyUP!!!

HappyUP!!! - wedge on 6
Why it happened - I was at a good distance
Why it makes me happy - 83 yards from the pin.....60 degree wedge....struck perfectly....to about a foot from the hole....gimmie birdie

HappyUP!!! - bogey on 18
Why it happened - I was scrambling
Why it makes me happy - with the dough on the line, my three wood off the tee was a dead pull left into the pond. After a drop, I was only 300 yards from the green. Damn! I loaded up the three wood....a gutsy play considering the terrain. I nailed it...put it in a good spot....had 65 yards to the pin.....hit it to the backstop and brought it back to 3.5 feet....made the putt, tied my opponent, made 5 bucks on the day versus losing 25. HappyUP!!!

HappyUP!!! Day 1001

What a banner day!

HappyUP!!! - outside presentation
Why it happened - our group got an opportunity
Why it makes me happy - I was able to involve three of our newer club members. They got to speak outside the cozy confines of the club....always a stretch. Our program went well and everyone got a lot out of it.

HappyUP!!! - seeing my buddy and his band
Why it happened - I grabbed a buddy and off we went
Why it makes me happy - Dom and Rockslide play some great 70's and 80's covers.....I mean they shred it. Hadn't seen them for a long time.

HappyUP!!! - two hours of massage
Why it happened - I signed up
Why it makes me happy - I didn't realize how fast two hours would go by. The gal I went to had bars on the ceiling to support herself while she did manipulations with her feet.....she worked on my bad elbow......this was some good stuff.....best massage I have ever had....totally different style.

HappyUP!!! Day 1000

I can't even believe it - I started this odyssey to support my speaking engagements around the Science and Principles of Happiness

Just wanted to let people know - I walked the talk

Experts in the field - have said that, if you do what I have been doing too many days in a row, it becomes monotonous and loses it's purpose

I understand....perhaps nobody in the world can understand better - about what they were talking about....

But I took it beyond what they referenced - and reached the other side of complexity.....to the simplicity on the other side...

Look for my Reflections on One Thousand Days of HappyUP!!!s next week - in the meantime, let's look at this day.....

HappyUP!!! - getting up and down on 18
Why it happened - I made it happen under pressure
Why it makes me happy - it was a tough little pitch shot....and a pressure packed 5 foot putt on the last hole........and I saved myself some serious do-reigh-me. Accomplishment....performing under the gun....HappyUP!!!

HappyUP!!! - our club winning the Smedley Award
Why it happened - we are on the grow
Why it makes me happy - there were only TWO clubs in the entire District.....DISTRICT....that got this award....and we were one of them. Booyah!

HappyUP!!! - confirming plans for tomorrow night
Why it happened - my buddy is playing some music
Why it makes me happy - I am grabbing an old buddy and will be dragging that person up to Auburn to see my friend's band play at a dive bar. It's a little out of my character but am looking forward to it.

HappyUP!!! - dinner outside
Why it happened - a buddy suggested Suede Blue
Why it makes me happy - this place used to be Carvers. I did a loan for the bartender when this place opened. It finally changed ownership umpteen years later. This was my first trip there since. We ate outside which was awesome....more awesome was the singer/guitar player doing Dave Matthews and Jack Johnson tunes on an absolutely perfect night to be consuming a delicious meal under the stars.

JollyJottings

Winning the Smedley Award
Earning the Early Bird reward
Lovely e-mails with an old friend
Squared away for tomorrow's presentation
Absolutely STUNNING weater
Fun texts with my friend in Monterey
Confirming plans to see my buddy play tomorrow night
Dinner with a good buddy
Making a 30 dollar putt on 18...getting up and down
Having fun teasing a friend about tonights high school rivalry
Teasing with another friend over texts

HappyUP!!! Day 999

HappyUP!!! - volunteers stepping up
Why it happened - we made some inquiries
Why it makes me happy - me and another person were doing a program on Saturday. It would have been a lot of work for me. We got two people to help us.....what a load taken off

HappyUP!!! - e-mails from buddies
Why it happened - they were thinking about me
Why it makes me happy - both will end up resulting in going out to eat next week

HappyUP!!! - icing and hanging
Why it happened - no golf today
Why it makes me happy - I was a good boy and took some care of my golfer's elbow.



JollyJottings

Icing and hanging
E-mails from buddies
Friendly phone calls
Beautiful weather
Volunteers stepping up

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.