HappyUP!!! Day 506

HappyUP!!! - a skin!
Why it happened - I birdied a hole no one else did
Why it makes me happy - it's always cool to do something that no one else can. Today, no one else could birdie the first hole at the Dayton Valley golf course today. THAT little feat paid me some cash which makes me happy as well.

HappyUP!!! - my driver
Why it happened - I took it back a little slower with a little more upright turn
Why it makes me happy - I had about 5 straight really bad rounds. Part of it had to do with a very suspect driver. If you can't put the tee ball in play, it makes it tough to score. I got it in play today.......deep.

HappyUP!!! - recovery shots
Why it happened - good vision and commitment
Why it makes me happy - I am noticing that, when it comes to the short game, I hit better shots when they are more difficult. Today, I hit two GREAT and challenging pitch shots. This takes a degree of mastery....a mastery that I once had and has been missing in my comeback. I can build off of this. That makes me happy

HappyUP!!! Day 505

HappyUP!!! - me and my partner won our individual and team matches
Why it happened - my opponent didn't play well
Why it makes me happy - I played like crap but I got the "W".....just win, baby

HappyUP!!! - my partner and I won our sidebet
Why it happened - see the above
Why it makes me happy - after taking a drubbing at the gaming tables, it's nice to win a bet!

HappyUP!!! - scenery
Why it happened - we were golfing
Why it makes me happy - one doesn't equate the Carson Valley with beauty. We were playing up on the side of the mountain. We were on one green when one guy said, "this is like looking out over a zero edge pool,"...and it was. It was a beautiful morning.

Bonus HappyUP!!! - a couple of comments
Why it happened - I "chunked" one
Why it makes me happy - there I am, standing on the par 3 attempting to hit over the water and I hit about 3 inches behind the ball. It goes right in the pond. One of the other player's was not sure what club he should hit that would be enough to get to the green. "Hey, what did you hit?"....he asked. "A trout," was my reply. Everyone busted a gut over that.....you had to be there. It makes me happy when I can give someone a tremendous laugh....particularly at my own expense and not someone else's. I made another one when we got to the course that was definitely a "had to be there," so I won't bore you......but it was hysterical!

HappyUP!!! Day 504 - Sunday at the Bubba Cup

HappyUP!!! - Bubba Cup
Why it happened - I was invited
Why it makes me happy - it's about 40 guys playing golf in Carson City. MY golf sucked today......but it was still a good time.

HappyUP!!! - US Open Golf
Why it happened - it always does...and I always watch
Why it makes me happy - it was athletic excitement at it's highest and most dramatic. Tiger knocking in the 12 footer on the last hole to force a playoff. Rocco Mediate was looking like he would come out of nowhere to actually win a major championship.....and he was his affable self the entire time. Tiger will likely slaughter him tomorrow but Rocco picked up a lot of fans today. I would say 50% of the people in the bar I was at were rooting for him and not Tiger.

HappyUP!!! - Lake Tahoe
Why it happened - we had to drive by it this morning
Why it makes me happy - when you don't see big nature every day, the first glimpse is always a momentary HappyUP!!! to me....and, I think, to most people. It may be only for a few moments....and I am having another moment about it right now.

HappyUP!!! Day 503 - Pre-Father's Day

HappyUP!!! - golf with brother and nephews
Why it happened - Father's Day
Why it makes me happy - think about it. 4.5 hours with my brother, my 30 yr old nephew, and my 25 yr old nephew....all doing the same thing and enjoying each other's company. My golf was absolutely horrid....but who cares?

HappyUP!!! - coffee with my friend
Why it happened - coffee just happens
Why it makes me happy - we killed a couple of hours at Starbucks hanging out...and BS-ing

HappyUP!!! - songs from a friend
Why it happened - he e-mails me tunes
Why it makes me happy - this was a pretty cool soundtrack. It was all instrumentals. I would read the title and, as I listened, I was able to make up a story line even though there were no words....all based on the music. It was quite moving.

Bonus HappyUP!!! - my friend from Minnesota e-mail
Why it happened - he is a swell guy
Why it makes me happy - in addition to the soundtrack, he had a lot of good things in his e-mail that made me smile. He had taken the time to put some heartfelt compliments over my way...and they made me think. Sometimes, others see things in you that you get blinded of yourself.
JollyJottings

Breakfast
Coffee with my friend
Golf with my brother and nephews
Landing a friend to take care of cats
Dropping off the key and squash
A dozen golf balls
US Open

HappyUP!!! JokeItUP!!! 1 - Bob and Bessie

My friend sent me this picture of himself - I had never seen him in a hat....or sunglasses for that matter. I had never thought of him as a guy that would wear anything but a baseball cap.....no shades because he wears glasses. I haven't seen him in years....maybe he had Lasik surgery done.

I share that - because it reminded me of a joke. Isn't it amazing how our minds work. In my case, I get this cool picture........and off to the races my head goes.

An elderly couple, Bob and Bessie, have been married for many years. Bob has always wanted a real pair of authentic cowboy boots. Finally, he breaks down and finds a stunning pair on sale. He struts into the house proudly sporting his new purchase.

"Bessie, notice anything new about me?" he puffs

"Nope. You look the same as every other day," Bessie retorts.

This really ticks Bob off so he storms into the bedroom, strips down buck naked except for the boots and re-enters the room Bessie is in.

"How about now, Bessie? Do you notice anything different now?" he aggressively challenges her.

"Nope. It's pointing down.....just like yesterday......just like the day before," she replies.

"It's looking down because it is admiring my new boots," Bob says proudly.

"You should have bought a hat, Bob. You should have bought a hat."

HappyUP!!! Day 502

HappyUP!!! - Finding a new feature on my recording deck
Why it happened - I hit some buttons....curiosity
Why it makes me happy - I can now apply a whole bunch of effects to my guitar and to my voice....that I had no clue about! I have owned the deck for years and did not know about this supercool feature. It's like I got a free machine today.

HappyUP!!! -Dinner with my buddy
Why it happened - I made a call
Why it makes me happy - we had a TON o LAUGHS....I mean a BIG TON of side splitting, bent over, expel-liquid-through-your-nose laughter

HappyUP!!! -US OPEN
Why it happened - it's in honor of the HappyUP!!! 500 coming up on Tuesday
Why it makes me happy - here comes Tiger....it should be an exciting weekend

JollyJottings

Breakfast with a friend

Recording a couple of songs
Great e-mail from a buddy
Meeting a friend's little sister

HappyUP!!! Day 501

ONLY 5 days left - until the HappyUP!!! Five Hundred! You must be beside yourself.

The USGA (United States Golf Association) - is even holding it's big annual Open right now in honor of this event!

Speaking of which......

HappyUP!!! - the US Open
Why it happened - see above (...and that it happens this same weekend every year)
Why it makes me happy - this is the first time I could watch during the week.....I watched so much that I actually got up and was tired of it...that's blasphemy. I love the OPEN!!!

HappyUP!!! - hitting balls with my nephew
Why it happened - he called me
Why it makes me happy - it's always good hanging a bit with the nephew. Especially when we are doing something that we like.

HappyUP!!! - something to work on
Why it happened - my nephew gave me a suggestion
Why it makes me happy - I think I can make this swing mechanic actually work.....it's actually something that I WAS working on. Homeostasis had set in, however. Today, I was back at the hip rotation on the downswing... hard and fast! Just in time for an upcoming tournament.

JollyJottings

Backyard chipping
Call from and ex-employee
Seeing an old friend's daughter
Coffee
Call from my best friend
A great e-mail......which led to learning something new and a blog post
Google 411

HappyUP!!!.....SaveItUP!!!....Goog411

When you use your cell phone - and hit 411, you're carrier probably charges you at least a buck.

A FRIGGIN buck - in some places, it can be $1.50-2.00!

Even if you are on a calling plan - you are probably paying that.

TOO MUCH dough - for free information

Program "Goog411" - into your speed dial. 800-466-4411 is the actual number.

I tested it out this morning - with a local restaurant. It was not quite as efficient as AT&T but it wasn't $1
inferior.

I know....I know....- you are saying, "Wow...I get so much good info at Nutter's Notes. Why do I forget to check it regularly?" You can subscribe to the blogs feed and have every entry e-mailed right to you. Of course, this won't allow you to comment but it will keep you in the know!

HappyUP!!! Day 500.......FIVE HUNDRED!!!

You made it! - I made it! We made it! This was a 30 day experiment.....that has turned into a habit...a good one. Here are a few things that I know based on 500 days:

Almost every day - I get up and am thinking, "I'll be looking for HappyUP!!!s today."

I enjoy the things that make me happy more - because, I enjoy them like I would have before PLUS I immediately think, "that's a HappyUP!!!" It enhances the value

I notice more things that make me happy

When I have trouble thinking of three HappyUP!!!s - at the end of the day before going to bed, I think, "tomorrow, I need to look a little harder. I know there are things out there everyday. I may be slipping a bit."

Enough for now - let's get to today's HappyUP!!!s"
HappyUP!!! - finding the Jawbone
Why it happened - I looked
Why it makes me happy - I "moneyed up" a few weeks ago and got the Jawbone bluetooth device for my cell phone. This is in prep for the California hands free law that goes into place next month (a rather ridiculous law....if you can't hold a phone to your ear, you shouldn't be eating a burger and/or drinking a coke while applying makeup either....it's the dialing that is the risk). Anyway, the Jawbone is the first bluetooth that really works. I lost it...like I lost others that I tried. I had just about given up when, "Eureka!!!",........the HappyUP!!! moment

HappyUP!!! - nice coffee
Why it happened - retired people go out for coffee
Why it makes me happy - I just had a very nice conversation with a friend that I don't usually have coffee with.

HappyUP!!! - squash bowls
Why it happened - I decided to make some
Why it makes me happy - I used zucchini, onions, and basil from the garden....and turned it into a nice little meal.

JollyJottings

Call from an ex-employee
Squash
Nice coffee
Call from another ex-employee
Chipping
Finding the Jawbone

ClearItUP!!! Your House is NOT an Investment

Housing is responsible for 25% of Gross Domestic Product - can you see the government coming out and saying, "Hey, buy a house...it's good for the economy."

Of course not - which is why they don't

"What do we do?" - is what some bright guys sitting around a table ask.

"Hey, I know," - exclaims a really bright guy, "let's call it the American Dream of Homeownership? We'll make it seem like you have only 'made it' once you buy a house. Heck, someday people will buy bottles of water. They'll eat this up like candy. "

I have to applaud the government - and the entire industry. The American Dream promotion has been one of the best marketing campaigns of all time. My background is marketing. I have to doff the cap to whomever came up with this gem of propoganda.

The home you live in - is NOT an investment. This was a hard point for me to get across in the days of staggering appreciation...but I was saying it. "No, housing keeps going up...it's an investment," was what I would hear.

Of course, how many people - sold the house they lived in when the market was up....and then sold and rented? Nobody! OK...maybe a few did but they "lucked" into it. Maybe a divorce at the peak of the market forced them to sell and they didn't purchase again. Few people were willing to go back to renting and trade in and out of their own house like you would a stock.

It's a lot easier to say it now - as, depending where you are, you have seen the value of your home drop by 20-35% (or more) over the last three years.

In the Big Tomato (that's Sacramento for those of you out of the know) - we are coming up on three years. The peek of the market hit at the end of June 2005. The foreclosures started hitting the market toward the end of the first quarter of 2006.

"What is a house? Is it a bad thing?" - of course not. I am bullish on homeownership. If you can afford one and you plan to be there for 5 years, get in. Sure, values could drop a bit more but it's hard to buy at the bottom. When the rebound hits, it hits quick and you end up being lucky to buy at the levels today. You still have some time but I would be out there ready to go......NOW.

A House is A FORCED SAVINGS ACCOUNT - if it appreciates, that is the interest you get. Yes, you get a tax deduction. Do the comparison to rent and factor taxes in and owning actually could save you in monthly payment right now. Of course, you are going to spend money on other things that you "just have to have" in your house (hence the Home Depot picture).

A House is a Home....- or it can be. That's your job. This is the emotional factor of the equation that I can't advise you on. For me, it's a place to keep my stuff**.

My job - is to set the emotion aside.

**....and a place to grow my stuff at Nutster Farms

HappyUP!!!....Squash-IT-UP!!!

You've seen this before - it's a new picture of the same thing.

The little known 8-ball zucchini's are in - and being harvested out back in Nutster Farms

Guaranteed to be Salmonella Free - OK...it is not a guarantee but I really don't think there is any in there. The innards were sauteed....the shells were par-boiled... and the entire mess was thrown into a 350 degree oven.

So, what is in this year's bowls - you gut the 8-ball. You chop the guts up. I chopped some yellow squash in too. I chopped fresh Nutster Farms Basil in. Garlic as well. You throw in a little (a little) corn-starch in as well as some freshly cooked rice (NO....I did NOT cheat and use the minute rice. Long, grain brown). These will absorb the liquid. For grins, I tossed some frozen corn in.....why not?

Bake at 350 for a 20 minutes - but throw some grated cheese...in this case, freshly grated Parmesan....for the last 5 of those 20 minutes.

I'll probably dress up - with some black olives on top when I do the reheat.

Welcome to your meal!

QuoteUP!!! 7 Oscar Hammling

"Often the greatest enemy of present happiness is past happiness too well remembered"

-Oscar Hammling

"Man, those were the good old days" - is one of the first things that came to mind when I saw this passage.

What is it about us that makes us look back so wistfully? - .....and with such a bad memory? I can guarantee you that those times in the past were filled with significant hardships and inconveniences.....just like today's are which is what fueled that "good ol days" quote in the first place.

Let's go with the "good old days" story - anyway. Today is going to be "the good old days" someday.....right? (This is where you nod your head approvingly). These are. How do I know this? I think it is because Carly Simon said so in the song "Anticipation"!

OK.....though she did say it - Carly hasn't had a hit in awhile so perhaps the days of "Anticipation" really are her good old days. Still, it is true. Today will be your "good old days." Tomorrow will be a good old day as well.

Do a full court press once in awhile - have you ever seen how, in a close basketball game, the intensity level rises in the fourth quarter. It can also happen at other times when one team wants to "sneak up" on the other team. One team will really raise their game and pour it on for a bit. In cycling, you will see this when a group of guys does a breakaway and tries to accelerate and put such a gap between themselves and the peleton (the rest of the riders left in the pack) that the pack can't keep up.

You can't do the press everyday - you'll burn yourself out. Pick one day a week....or every other week....to really go out and make today a SUPER HappyUP!!! Day. You may need to make up some reusable reminder cards and post them around or wear a rubber band around your wrist. Attack Happiness.....focus on it....be silly ....be serious if your happiness involves that. TURN UP THE VOLUME for ONE DAY.

I tell you what - I am the guinea pig here. I am committing to it today.

Obviously - I will be letting you know about it tonight.

These really are - The Good Old Days

HappyUP!!! Day 499

HappyUP!!! - call from a contact
Why it happened - he was networking
Why it makes me happy - good guy to stay in touch with. We had a good conversation. I'm really glad he called me.

HappyUP!!! - getting information
Why it happened - a friend helped me out
Why it makes me happy - I got to visit with my friend......and the information that I really needed.

HappyUP!!! - convertible driving
Why it happened - I took the convertible
Why it makes me happy - when it is going to be in the 90's later in the day, there is nothing better than a top down drive at 8 in the morning. I was noticing it.....BIG TIME this morning.

JollyJottings

Toastmasters
Getting info
Reading
Invitation
E-mail from friend
Convertible driving
Basketball game
Call from a contact

HappyUP!!! Day 498

HappyUP!!! - dinner
Why it happened - I got an invitation
Why it makes me happy - the food was good and the company was enjoyable. That's just good living there.

HappyUP!!! - call from former employee
Why it happened - the person had a question
Why it makes me happy - it feels good when I can answer a question with a better answer than what this person received....plus, we'll probably go to lunch this week.

HappyUP!!! - e-mail from former employee
Why it happened - we stay in touch
Why it makes me happy - I keep learning things.........and they make me darn glad that I am retired! I also like my former employee's being friends. I hope it stays that way forever.

JollyJottings

Dinner
Lunch
Call from former employee
Dealing with a stock transfer
Dealing with a county worker
Invitation

HappyUP!!! Day 497

HappyUP!!! - e-mail from a friend
Why it happened - I get e-mails
Why it makes me happy - I am now heading to a social engagement that will be pretty cool

HappyUP!!! - golf confirmed
Why it happened - I applied
Why it makes me happy - I'll be playing with a guy I have known forever but never had the opportunity to play with. It is going to be great next week

HappyUP!!! - friend will do me a favor
Why it happened - I called and asked
Why it makes me happy - I should have the information that I need tomorrow...which will help another friend of mine. It's a beautiful world.

HappyUP!!! Day 496

HappyUP!!! - lunch with a friend
Why it happened - my friend suggested it
Why it makes me happy - I hadn't seen this guy forever....a tremendously nice guy and former employee. It was great to catch up and find some things about him I never knew. I learned some interesting info as well.

HappyUP!!! - breakfast
Why it happened - it was Saturday
Why it makes me happy - the usual banter was as good as ever

HappyUP!!! - lemonade with another friend
Why it happened - my friend and I set it up
Why it makes me happy - we had a real conversation......the ones that real friends have. They aren't always fun but sometimes people have some things to put out to others. You don't always plan these conversations...you usually don't....they just go there. It was good stuff.

HappyUP!!! Day 495

HappyUP!!! - golf
Why it happened - tournament day
Why it makes me happy - this was just a fun tournament. I got to play with one guy that is an old friend who I hadn't been with in forever. We got to have some great discussion riding in the same cart. I knew who the other two guys were but had never played with them. It was just a great time

HappyUP!!! - the raffle
Why it happened - I was at the golf tournament
Why it makes me happy - it's great to win something....doesn't matter what it is....I just dig winning free stuff. In this case, it was a golf club.....not even one that I could use.....so I gave it to a nice lady before I left the tournament.....which made it a bonus HappyUP!!!

HappyUP!!! - dancing
Why it happened - I got drug into it
Why it makes me happy - dancing usually doesn't ....but this setting and everything was cool.

HappyUP!!! Day 494

HappyUP!!! - golf invitation
Why it happened - who knows
Why it makes me happy - I took a buddy to the airport. I am driving back home...nice day....top down....nothing planned. The phone rings, "hey, how about golf late this afternoon at Catta Vedera?" All I can tell you was that was a HappyUP!!! moment. The invitation just came out of the blue....beeeeyoooooouteeeeeful.

HappyUP!!! - lunch with a friend
Why it happened - my friend had some things to drop by
Why it makes me happy - we had a very enjoyable visit...extremely pleasant.

HappyUP!!! - golf
Why it happened - see above
Why it makes me happy - still not scoring well....at all. I hit some nice shots including two really stupidly good "up and downs" where there was NOOOOO WAY one is going to get up and down. The putter was working a little better but still has a way to go. It's better than it has been.

HappyUP!!! Day 493

HappyUP!!! - Giants Game
Why it happened - a buddy invited me
Why it makes me happy - I get down to about 1 ball game a year...or every other year. Because it is such a novelty, it's always a treat. Even though the Giants lost, it was a good game. There is something about seeing that green ballfield when you first get into the park..it's clean....it's nice. It's Happy!!!

HappyUP!!! - time with friends
Why it happened - see above
Why it makes me happy - I got to spend quite a bit of time with one friend who I picked up and took to the game. Then, at the game, I got to see two other friends that live in SF. I hadn't seen one of them in forever. It was good catching up.....and I got a nice invitation for an event later this month.

HappyUP!!! - something to pray for
Why it happened - my friend told me about something that could happen tomorrow
Why it makes me happy - my friend has been struggling a bit. Tomorrow, there is some news that could come that could REALLY make a big difference. I will be praying for that news to be favorable....hard.


JollyJottings

Mistake works out in market
EZ drive to friends house
Dinner
Something to pray for...hope friend gets good news
A happy e-mail
A very pleasant phone call

HappyUP!!! Day 492

Plan NOW....Plan NOW.....Plan NOW!!! - you have two weeks. How and where will you be celebrating the HappyUP!!! 500?

Come on, Now - you know that you want to. I will be celebrating by GOLFING ("FORE!!!") in lovely Carson City, Nevada.

I should be back that evening, however - just in time to ink Day 500

Many will be planning trips to exotic locales - don't leave this to the last minute. Hotels will probably be booked out...if they aren't already.

HappyUP!!! - smackin spuds
Why it happened - I have some credits on my range card
Why it makes me happy - I do a lot of HappyUP!!!ing about golf around here. I actually enjoy practicing as much as playing. Today was the first time that I went to the course STRICTLY to practice. I knocked about 100 balls around (that's kind of lite), flipped about 100 chips, and slapped 60 putts. We'll see if it pays off.

HappyUP!!! - invitations
Why it happened - Uh....hmmm....because I'm popular???
Why it makes me happy - well, it kind of does and it doesn't. I'm really happy because I got two, count em, TWO golf invitations today. One is at the super EXCLUSIVE Winchester Country Club....well...la deee dah. The other was to play in a prize laden tournament. It's nice to be thought of...."they love me, they really love me." Unfortunately, both invitations were for this Friday and I already have a tournament to play in that day! Drats. Oh well, it is better for lots of love to rain down on the Nutster than none at all.

HappyUP!!! - pesto
Why it happened - I grew basil
Why it makes me happy - it's my first batch of the season. I think it is going to make a fine dressing for my
eggs in the morning.

JollyJottings

Top down on a gorgeous day to Spud City
Barbequed Rosemary (that I grew myself) chicken
Finding a putting key
Finding a chipping key
Talking to my buddy
Talking to another buddy
Banging some good 6 string

Who Wants To Be My Friend...I Know Who...YOU!

So....I grew a whole bunch of this. "What to do?...what to do?...
What in the world do I do?"









I get a few friends together....
...and a lot......I mean A LOT....
(did I mention LOTS)....
of HAND Chopping








......and I will be having PESTO eggs in the morning.

(Stop on by....what does that one chick say? "Yumm-OH!")

HappyUP!!! Day 491 - Monday

HappyUP!!! - Yoga
Why it happened - I put the CD in
Why it mades me happy - THAT is a workout....I am not claiming that I got all the way through it. I am feeling it tonight in a good way. We'll see what tomorrow brings. I can work this is a few times a week.

HappyUP!!! - Study and transcription
Why it happened - I made myself
Why it makes me happy - I am transcribing a great book I read last year, Happiness by Matthieu Ricard. It reminds me of things and things and thoughts that I need to have to maximize my happiness levels. There is no question that happiness is an effort....particularly when you are single. Many times, your partner will do some things that stimulate you. Either the partner does something that creates happiness or you are doing something for your partner that makes you happy. Yes, there is plenty of room for unhappiness there. A single can have an advantage....if the single works at it.

HappyUP!!! - Chipping
Why it happened - I needed the practice
Why it makes me happy - when I come across fundamentals in an area that I have struggled, it is a HappyUP!!! In this case, it's sweep the grass back and through AND seeing the grass AFTER you hit the chip. This should boost my confidence on the links

JollyJottings

Yoga
Reaching out for golf
Confirmation of golf
Reminder of upcoming game
Squash soup

HappyUP!!! Day 490

HappyUP!!! - a lovely lunch
Why it happened - took advantage of an opportunity
Why it makes me happy - a crepe....outside under the umbrella's....on a lovely day....with enjoyable company.

HappyUP!!! - a new song
Why it happened - a moment of inspiration
Why it makes me happy - the song isn't that good...but you have to write a lot to get any quality. This is two in the last week. There is something inside trying to crawl out.

HappyUP!!! - crookneck squash
Why it happened - I planted and watered
Why it makes me happy - it was delicious in the wok with a little oil, a little soy sauce, a bit of rice, and some cheese over the top.

HappyUP!!! Day 489

HappyUP!!! - group of guys golfing
Why it happened - it was my buddy's 50th birthday
Why it makes me happy - there is a strange thing that happens when multiple groups of guys that know each other get together to play golf. Even if you don't know some of the guys, it's like you already do. Afterward, you get together and meet up for a beer or two....or a lemonade. It's just nice....and man fun.

HappyUP!!! - GOLF
Why it happened - see above
Why it makes me happy - it was another GORGEOUS day to be out in the sun....absolutely perfect weather . Mid 70's to 80.

HappyUP!!! - my playing partners
Why it happened - they had to put me with someone
Why it makes me happy - I knew two of the guys from a long time ago. It was great to see them . I had never played golf with them so it was nice to spend the time. I played crappy but one of them didn't (see photo to the left) and he got the prestigious trophy.

HappyUP!!! - bowling
Why it happened - it was all part of the 50th B-day
Why it makes me happy - I hadn't done it in a long time. It was fun. I even bowled a 150 which is respectable.

HappyUP!!! - bowling accompaniement
Why it happened - I took a friend along
Why it makes me happy - the person is good company, wasn't doing anything tonight, and gave me someone to talk to that I knew amidst some strangers.

HappyUP!!! - breakfast with my unofficial family
Why it happened - every Saturday
Why it makes me happy - it's a very nice grounding.

Let's look at this - breakfast with my unofficial family, golfing with a nice bunch of guys on a gorgeous day, bowling and a birthday party with a good friend in tow. Life is pretty good for the Nutster!

HappyUP!!! Day 488

HappyUP!!! - drinks
Why it happened - a buddy set it up
Why it makes me happy - I got to see a couple of ladies that I hadn't seen in awhile. It wasn't pleasant to hear what they are going through. The HappyUP!!! is that I got to use my compassion skills.

HappyUP!!! - call from another old friend
Why it happened - he went out of his way
Why it makes me happy - he called me regarding my retirement. We had a great conversation. He is going to get me down to his house outside of San Fran in June. This means we will be taking his boat to somewhere cool for lunch. It will be a fun day.

HappyUP!!! - e-mails
Why it happened - I do e-mail?
Why it makes me happy? - I got some good ones today....exceptional. They lifted my spirits on a day when I didn't need them lifted...they cranked the spirits stratospherically.

HappyUP!!! Day 487

HappyUP!!! - dinner
Why it happened - I get hungry?
Why it makes me happy - I got to spend some face to face time with an old friend. You'll find that the Happiest of my HappyUP!!!s revolve around meeting with people. This was a rare HappyUP!!! and one of the best. I hadn't seen this person in 4-5 years. We could have spent even more time than we did.
Bonus to this HappyUP!!! - speaking with my friend's daughter. My friend rang her up after dinner. I hadn't spoken with this young lady in forever....she's all grown up, through college, and has a cool job working for the governor's office. They do grow up fast!

HappyUP!!! - e-mail from another friend
Why it happened - I noticed that she had been "in town"
Why it makes me happy - this friend lives in Paris. I noticed from her blog that she had just been in San Francisco. I shot her an e-mail guilting her for not calling me for lunch. She said she is coming back in July. We'll get that lunch in then. It's something to look forward to. I once heard a phrase that life is about having something to do, someone to love, and something to look forward to. It's something that has always stuck with me.
HappyUP!!! - haircut
Why it happened - it was time
Why it makes me happy - it was a packed house down at the barber shop today. While I can't say that hanging around that crew on a daily basis would do anything but get you in trouble, it's a fun place to drop by once a month. No, you won't find Old Floyd in there clicking the scissors...it's a little younger and edgier crowd. It's not my normal environment....it's good to get out of normal (whatever normal is)_.

HappyUP!!! Day 486

HappyUP!!! - a dinner invitation
Why it happened - I'm popular?
Why it makes me happy - we are going to have some great conversation

HappyUP!!! - call from former co-worker
Why it happened - she just heard that I had left
Why it makes me happy - she is a good gal. I enjoyed working with her. It was nice of her to call. It's not that I need it but it's nice to hear that my conduct and professionalism was appreciated.

HappyUP!!! - pickin it on the front stoop
Why it happened - my neighbor caught me outside
Why it makes me happy - he's a banjo picker. I showed him one of my guitars. We got done talking. He went back to his house. The weather was PERFECT.....72 degrees with a slight breeze. It was nice to sit out and play .....and write a new tune.

JollyJottings

Call from former co-worker
Talking with my neighbor
Pickin it on the front stoop
Dinner invitation
Good day in the stock market

HappyUP!!! Day 485...Tuesday of a Short Week

Short week? - wait a minute.....every week is a short week for us retired folks. It doesn't mean I can't be happy for those of you who have fewer days to get to until the weekend comes.

HappyUP!!! - Toastmasters presentation
Why it happened - a member asked me to help him out
Why it makes me happy - I nailed it......on a topic I knew virtually nothing about prior to doing a little bit of research. I was able to take a somewhat technical topic (glaciology and the matter in which they melt) and break it into an easily understandable format.


HappyUP!!! - invitation accepted
Why it happened - I threw the invite out there
Why it makes me happy - I am going to a friend's gig on Saturday and now it is going to be more interesting

HappyUP!!! - 21 mile bike ride
Why it happened - I got off my fanny
Why it makes me happy - I got out there....it's been awhile since I rode. I actually bonked a little bit which made my protein shake on the end of the ride a HappyUP!!! in itself. This is just a step in introducing exercise back into the lifestyle.



Jolly Jottings

Toastmasters Presentation
Toastmasters Guests
Toastmasters
Invitation accepted
Chipping
Gigantic invitation
21 Mile Bike ride
Smoothie after Bike ride
Bonking/exhaustion
Lunch set up

HappyUP!!! Day 484......Muck OFF!

HappyUP!!! - mucking a pool
Why it happened - I was just so attracted to it I couldn't resist.
Why it makes me happy - while this wasn't my motive, I now have unlimited access to this pool for the year. The real happy part....helping my buddy out. I know how tackling tough projects on your own can be. We knocked out a bunch of this one today and we will be swimming soon! Good bye golfer tan!

(I thought about bottling that green liquid at the bottom of the pool. Hey, I hear that consuming algae is all the health rage these days. And, yes, THAT pile of MUCK that is in the foreground was IN the pool prior to the mucking).

HappyUP!!! - Mucking time
Why it happened - it is how my life is structured
Why it makes me happy - I honestly had nothing better to do today than to muck that pool. How good is that? To some of the judgemental sort, I can already hear, "get a life." My only answer is, "did you do something better than this today?" I ended up with the gratitude of my friend and a place to swim (soon).....and I got to get a little tan while I soaked up some Vitamin D to boot.

HappyUP!!! - a gorgeous, top down day
Why it happened - I didn't have anything to do with it....other than I was driving the convertible
Why it makes me happy - running errands is like HEAVEN on a NorCal day in the 70's. It's like your "to do" list can't be too long..........well, other than that pesky $4.50 a gallon for premium!

HappyUP!!! Day 483.....There is Good in the World

HappyUP!!! - I got my babies back
Why it happened - good kids
Why it makes me happy - I left a couple of wedges by the 18th green at a public golf course on Thursday. For those of you who don't understand that, wedges are highly desirable items for golfers to have. On a public course, you are not likely to ever run into the golfer who these clubs belonged to. In other words.....adios, wedgemigos! There were also a couple of teenagers playing in the group behind us. I will leave the stereotyping to you as to whether they are more or less likely to have turned my babies in than an adult. The fact is.....they turned them in. They looked like they were serious golfers....who may have seen that these were serious clubs. Who knows the real "why" behind it. The next time someone tells me that "no one ever turns lost clubs in at a public course," I know what I am going to say.

HappyUP!!! - squash...and peppers...and carrots
Why it happened - they were ready
Why it makes me happy - while not an abundance, I did a little harvesting today. First crop?....how can you be anything but happy?

HappyUP!!! - tri-tip
Why it happened - I dropped off carrots
Why it makes me happy - my bro and sis-in-law insisted that I stay for dinner. Carrots for tri-tip? Nice trade! ....and a HappyUP!!!!

HappyUP!!! Day 482

HappyUP!!! - a great breakfast
Why it happened - it happens most Saturdays
Why it makes me happy - we had some interesting discussion as usual

HappyUP!!! - getting in contact with an old friend
Why it happened - we stumbled across each other
Why it makes me happy - while it is a friend, there is more possibility there....it's not everyday that you think about the possibility of someone moving into that innermost circle.

HappyUP!!! - rain
Why it happened - who knows?
Why it makes me happy - the ol' Nutster Almanac says that rain on Memorial Day weekend means a very pleasant summer......just what I was looking for this year.

HappyUP!!! Day 481

HappyUP!!! - getting the lowdown
Why it happened - I made a phone call
Why it makes me happy - I have a good idea of what I am going to do with a key decorating item. Getting the house a little closer

HappyUP!!! - picking up the car
Why it happened - the car was ready
Why it makes me happy - I really like the couple that own the shop that works on my car. I even forgot my wallet. No problem...car is not in hoc. They even remembered to fix my brake light....which I had forgotten to mention to them when I took the car in

HappyUP!!! - chatting with my friend
Why it happened - he called me
Why it makes me happy - he's doing well....which was a little bit questionable. His welfare uplifted me.

HappyUP!!! Day 480

HappyUP!!! - golf with two old friends
Why it happened - I set it up
Why it makes me happy - it was great to spend some time with these guys......and keep my golf partners in check and up to date. The network keeps building.

HappyUP!!! - great golf shots
Why it happened - I still have some skills
Why it makes me happy - my score was no HappyUP!!! but I am hitting some fabulous shots. I hit some punch shots from the trees that were incredible. I pured an 8-iron. I hit another perfect 8-iron. I hit a cut 3-wood from 230 within 10 ft with a strong cross breeze blowing....no one can hit a shot any better than that. This is why I play golf. You can go an entire round and not hit any of these shots. Now....I just have to get that putter squared away.

HappyUP!!! - helping a friend recruit
Why it happened - he asked me
Why it makes me happy - I have all of these contacts....I have people that are ready to make a move....I might as well put my skills to the benefit of someone. Who better than a friend.

HappyUP!!! Day 479

HappyUP!!! - coffee with my friend
Why it happens - it happens every Wed
Why it makes me happy - I have a new job....airport ride! OK...that's not the HappyUP!!! but it's all cool. We just had a nice chat today

HappyUP!!! - chatting with an old friend
Why it happened - I called him
Why it makes me happy - this is a friend and former colleague. Why/how do we let YEARS slip away between us and good friends/people? No matter....this was a great call....and potential business opportunity

HappyUP!!! - a nap
Why it happened - I was tired
Why it makes me happy - had a touch of the insomnia last night. The afternoon afforded a nap opportunity so I took it.

QuoteUP!!! 8 -Nutser

If you find comfort in chaos, you will not find peace to be a fruitful friend

-Nutster

Wow.....now I am off quoting myself - what do you think about that? NO! That was a rhetorical question so zip it and stick to what the above means to you.

I'll start you off - I have run across people that are living a frantic life....too much going on.... they complain about it.......

....yet, without the "unwanted disruption" - they would go out and create some more...it is all that they know.

Do you know anyone like I am talking about? - what is up with that behavior?

HappyUP!!! Day 478...Tuesday, May 20 2008

HappyUP!!! -Lunch with my girls
Why it happened - it will be a regular occurrence
Why it makes me happy - my two admin staff love me and I love them. While working, I was not much of a lunch guy...I don't think we ever went to lunch. We had a lovely time.


HappyUP!!!-Decorating help
Why it happened - I took advantage of someone
Why it makes me happy - one of my friends gave me a ride afterwork. When she dropped me off, I asked her to give me some ideas on how she thought my house should layout. She had some pretty good ideas. It's time to make things happen!

HappyUP!!! -Hearing another's pain and seeing transparency
Why it happened - interesting things bubble up during table topics
Why it makes me happy - Toastmasters can be more than just a place to improve speaking. The club becomes a community of friends. While the member didn't totally breakdown, she almost did. It is at these times when we see a human side of people.......and can offer whatever it is that we can to help. The ultimate HappyUP!!!

JollyJottings

A tremendous feeling of gratitude and appreciation - it was like euphoria. The cloud just moved in and enveloped me and I drank it up
Starting a new song
Starting a new speech
Toastmasters
A call from my friend P
Anticipation of Thursday golf
Freedom to take off and golf tomorrow if I choose
Gorgeous weather
Trip to car mechanic

QuoteUP!!! 6.....Hindus on Pleasure

"Pleasure is only the shadow of happiness"

-Hindu Proverb

I would challenge you to spend some time conjuring upon that - and bring back to me what you find.

HappyUP!!!! Day 477

HappyUP!!! - zapping a toleration
Why it happened - I went with a tip
Why it makes me happy - there is one less unfinished part of my house....and it was easy to fix

HappyUP!!! - call from a friend
Why it happened - people care about me
Why it makes me happy - this person was just checking in on how I was doing since retiring. A lot of people are thinking this is going to be tougher on me than I think it actually is. It is good to be cared about.

HappyUP!!! - studying happiness
Why it happened - I decided to take my interest seriously....well, more seriously
Why it makes me happy - I am not sure what direction this will go in. It is going to need some structure. This is one of those times that I think you must move forward.....even if you aren't exactly sure where the destination is.

HappyUP!!! Day 476....Recuperating Sunday

HappyUP!!! - sleep
Why it happened - oppressive heat and a futon pad
Why it makes me happy - to the faithful here, you know that my sleeping has been encumbered for the last 8 months or so. I can't count on it like I used to. Due to an electrical malfunction and 100 degree heat which has not cooled that much at night, I have thrown the futon pad in front of the screen door to find the coolest situation that I could. Miraculously, both nights I have done this have produced very pleasant slumber (except for the person wandering by singing "Hey Jude"........who the heck chooses "Hey Jude" as their nocturnal wanderings anthem anyway?"

HappyUP!!! - tightening the screws
Why it happened - the electrician was here
Why it makes me happy - it seems to have worked. The issue could have been as simple as my main breaker being a little loose. Plenty of AC on yet another 100 degree day here in the big tomato. It was also cool (no pun intended) to get my electrician out here on a Sunday.

HappyUP!!! - lunch with my best friend
Why it happened - he was hungry?
Why it makes me happy - he had just come from putting his dog down. We didn't talk about it much....but I know that he loved his puppy. He had the dog for over 13 years. Besides the dog, my friend and I never have a conversation that is uninteresting.....meaningless? Oh yeah...plenty of those. Entertaining? Always. I was doubled over in uncontrollable laughing mode at one point....always a HappyUP!!!

JollyJottings

Sleep
"Tightening the screws"
Electricity
Lunch with my best friend
Reading/Napping with my cat
A Good Book

HappyUP!!! Day 475

HappyUP!!! - closest to the pin...again
Why it happened - I will be modest.......I'm GOOD!
Why it makes me happy - my brother and I did not do well in our tournament. The dough brought in for "stuffin it" a couple of times took a little bit of the steam off of the loss. Plus, it feels good to have hit a couple of exceptional golf shots.

HappyUP!!! - finding an electrician who will come out tomorrow
Why it happened - I think a breaker may have fried
Why it makes me happy - tonight, I will create some sort of adventure by not being able to live in my house.....it's 6:30 and probably still 100 degrees outside. For one night, it will be an adventure.........it could have been two nights but my electrician buddy is going to take care of me in the a.m.

HappyUP!!! - life
Why it happened - I live one?
Why it makes me happy - last night my power was out so it was sweltering.....but I McGyvered a solution to get some sleep. My bro and I didn't play well in our tournament...but had a good time. I then came home to another power outage that I thought was fixed this morning. It seems like this would be a bad day.......but, for whatever reason, I feel very lucky to be in a position that none of these things are big deals. These are luxurious problems to have and I am just feeling extremely grateful today.

HappyUP!!! Day 474

HappyUP!!! - an opening birdie
Why it happened - I put a couple of good shots together
Why it makes me happy - today was round two of the Sunsetter Golf Tournament. My brother and I needed to make a move. I got us off on the right foot so we had the momentum going. It was a definite HappyUP!!! (at least while it was happening).

HappyUP!!! - bread
Why it happened - it comes with dinner sometimes
Why it makes me happy - who would have suspected that, at a banquet-type dinner, we would be served one of the best dinner rolls that I have ever had in my life. I'm not kidding. This was PERFECT bread.

HappyUP!!! - dinner company
Why it happened - I have enjoyable friends
Why it makes me happy - we had very enjoyable mealtime banter. One of my friends was tagging along with me. Dinner got over and we decided to take the long road back home and do some top down driving on a warm Spring evening. Did I say Spring? Technically, it is but it's been over 100 degs the last two days. Anyway, it was still a nice night to just go for a drive and continue chatting about life.

HappyUP!!! Day 473....Bad Lies and Brownies

Today was round one - of the Sunsetter Invitational. Last year, I made a posting about one of the worse lies on the golf course I ever caught. You can see it here
(Scroll down past the cute photo's)

<------This is not my ball - which could be a HappyUP!!!

Unfortunately - it was my brother's ball and he is my partner. That's him...he's walking in the direction that he wants to hit the ball....he's right handed....it was a problem.





Meanwhile - here is my ball across the fairway. Not a very good lie either but playable....especially when just TWO SHOTS LATER on the par 5....the ball would be in the hole for....

HappyUP!!!! - an eagle
Why it happened - I played a great shot
Why it makes me happy - today was a struggle on the links. It was hot.....and windy. It was over 100 degrees. This is unseasonably warm in Sacramento. I haven't had an eagle in FOREVER. For you non-golfers - go ask a golfer what an eagle is and let them tell you if that would be a HappyUP!!!



HappyUP!!! -brownies
Why it happened - I have a nice neighbor
Why it makes me happy - the neighbor lady kittykorner across the street saw me outside and whipped over with some brownies. One.....just the gesture that someone is thinking of you to bring you brownies should be a HappyUP!!! Two......they are DANG good....and sans NUTS! I love female brownies! Moist...moist...moist.

HappyUP!!! - a weird occurrence in the stock market
Why it happened - can't pinpoint this one
Why it makes me happy - while no major trader, all of you know that I like to do a little investing. Today, every single one of my stocks was up. In the long run, this daily phenomenon means nothing. In the framework of this blog, I got a little kick out of this. It was kind of like seeing a rainbow or a full moon.

HappyUP!!! Day 472

HappyUP!!! - GOLF!
Why it happened - today was a practice round for the tournament
Why it makes me happy - it was great company...my brother, our friend, and a guy that I used to play a lot of golf with back in my younger days....hadn't played with him for years

HappyUP!!! - SUSHI!
Why it happened - my sis-in-law wanted sushi
Why it makes me happy - it was great to sneak out to dinner. I hadn't had sushi in some time.

HappyUP!!! - seeing a former co-worker
Why it happened - he was playing a different hole on the golf course
Why it makes me happy - I hadn't gotten a chance to talk to him when I left the company. He had heard the story and he pretty much got the straight scoop.....which makes me happy.

HappyUP!!! Day 471...Tuesday

HappyUP!!! - a summer home
Why it happened - I double clutched
Why it makes me happy - I had the twin bed on the truck going to the dump. Then, I said, "hey, for the summer with no AC upstairs and a couple of 100 degree days coming up, why not get the sideroom setup as a basement downstairs?" The room isn't in total shape but the bed is made.

HappyUP!!! - ground made underground
Why it happened - I got on it
Why it makes me happy - it won't take a lot more for me to get that basement in shape. I got my guitar cases moved down there where they belong.

HappyUP!!! - wireless modem
Why it happened - I made a phone call
Why it makes me happy - I didn't realize my home laptop even had the right port for my wireless modem card. I called the peeps at Verizon. They hooked me up. Now, I will have the flexibility to move away from my printer which I rarely use. This is going to give me some nice flexibility.....both at home and on the road.

HappyUP!!! - Talkin with my buddy
Why it happened - we took a couple of minutes after Toastmasters
Why it makes me happy - we talked about life issues......this guy has become quite a friend

Authentic Happiness...The Genius of Dr Seligman

Let me do a Public Service Announcement - and throw a plug in for one of my favorite sites on the internet thing. This site could be very important to you.

Martin Seligman's Authentic Happiness - is a place that I go to about once a year. There are some excellent diagnostic tests that you can take to see where you are at in the grand scale of happiness. Best of all, they are FREE! FREE! FREE! I love it when something is FREE....but has tremendous value.

It's probably not as important - to compare yourself to others. As a matter of fact, I really don't recommend it. Use the tests to give yourself a starting point.

You can find out your Signature Strengths - just make sure you answer the questions how you really feel things are.....don't answer them with what you think are the "correct" answers. The correct ones are the honest ones.

I have put myself out as the human guinea pig - for this HappyUP!!! project. Why stop now? Here are my Signature Strengths and how they have varied a little bit since the last time I tested. Here is where I land today:

1. Judgement, Critical Thinking, and open-mindedness - this was number 2 in Sept of 2006....and I would say it is in line with how I view myself and others view me)

2. Perspective and Wisdom - this was number 7 in Sept 2006

3. Caution, prudence, and discretion - this was the same as before

4. Honesty, authenticity, and genuineness - up from number 6. I like to think that I am fairly transparent so this would be consistent

5. Gratitude - which was number 15. I can see why this one has taken a leap up the scale. I am in a very enviable position in life now......and I fully know it and appreciate it.

So, which strengths took a dive - over the last year and a half?

Forgiveness - was my number 1. It now comes in at number 12. I believe I forgive......but I do not forget. This is something that is important to me. Perhaps I need to be cognizant of this and go out of my way to do a little extra forgiving.

Other than that - my old numbers 4 and number 5 (creativity and fairness/justice) made a slight move to number 6 and 7.

All in all - not a lot of change. It is an unbiased source putting something into words what many of us have trouble articulating....talking about ourselves.

That was Signature Strengths - let's move on to the Authentic Happiness inventory. Being the author of the HappyUP!!! blog, I would love this one to come out on top. Yet, I have taken the test three times now and I have to answer honestly. Here is where I fall on a scale of 1 to 5:

3/26/2006 - 3.25

4/1/2007 - 3.83

5/12/2008 - 3.33

What does one take from that? - between the times of test 1 and 2, I started doing some work on myself in the area of Positive Psychology (this is not Positive Mental Attitude...it is the Science founded by Dr Seligman and based on his groundbreaking work that sent the psychological community on it's ear). Now, in the last 8 months, I was at battle with my employer until I finally had to terminate them from that position.

My retirement has been something I knew would come - but it just came upon me recently. I LOVE the people that I was proud to serve...they were called my employees. This saddens me a bit right now. There is a vacuum that I am preparing to search a filling for. At the moment, I am marinating. There is nothing happening. I am used to things happening. I think it is natural that my Happiness Quotient has taken a little hit.

The significant thing - is that, despite this major life event, I am still happier than when I started the process.

"But Nutster, you are only in the 3's. The highest you have ever been in is the 3's. Shouldn't you be higher to be the HappyUP!!! guru?" - wow....you guys ask great questions. Tough....but fair. The answer is a resounding "No." Even Dr Seligman himself is not a high scorer. It's not about where you are on the scale.....it's all about doing the work to move up the scale.

Some people have a higher and lower - natural disposition to happiness. As the founders of our country knew, happiness is a pursuit.

A pursuit - tells you that it requires effort. My observation is that, short of a "rock bottom" type of experience, people don't change that much. They may think they do.....but we are our own worst critics. It takes work....

....like a daily discipline - hmmmm......can I think of any........wait a minute....it's coming to me......how about something like this? It could be just what the doctor, Dr Seligman, ordered.

"Green" or "White Trash"?....if you must label

Obviously, I don't live under the thumb of a Homeowner's Association - because "they" don't go <------------for this kind of thing. There is one hoity toity HOA - near me that doesn't even allow you to have your garage door open for more than an hour or two. I don't think it would be much of a HappyUP!!! for me or the HOA if I lived there. That probably has something to do with why I don't.

I am rather obstreperous - in that way.

It was a lovely morning - good shade to minimize water spotting.....

...and my lawn got the water - instead of the gutter.


No tire tracks left when done - it felt like the right thing to do.

....somehow, there is probably a Jeff Foxworthy joke in all of this - speaking of which, why do you think he is so popular? People need to make fun/belittle other people. By knocking others down, they feel that it elevates them. The "hoity's" probably love him for that.

It's not my particular style -nor does it seem to be in keeping with the ways of the only Authority I answer to either.

...and why so the rednecks love Foxworthy? - They are what they are and are proud of it. They're making fun of the hoity's every time they laugh.

To each his own - the only thing I care about is that I didn't waste any precious resources.

HappyUP!!! Day 470...Welcome to Monday!

<-------Hey, before we do today's HappyUP!!! installment, take a moment to take in my neighbor's flowers....absolutely brilliant!!!


HappyUP!!! - meeting with a recruit
Why it happened - he called me and wanted to meet today
Why it makes me happy - I was able to give him some true unbiased advice. I have no affiliation at the moment. Sometimes, the best advice is to stay put, look for the flowers in your own garden (not your neighbors), and wait to see what happens





<-----speaking of one's own flowers, mine are looking pretty darn good as well. It's a beautiful thing HappyUP!!! - meeting with my advisor
Why it happened - it was time for an annual review
Why it makes me happy - he gave me some news that was pretty much along what I had planned.....and some valuable other insights that I need.








HappyUP!!! - a clean car
Why it happened - I had a leisurely morning before a couple of appointments
Why it makes me happy - doesn't your car run better when it is clean?

HappyUP!!! Day 469

HappyUP!!! - the Players
Why it happened - this is the weekend for it
Why it makes me happy - I don't watch golf on TV.........except for the big tournaments. While the Players isn't one of the Majors, it is darn close. Today's event lived up to the billing. It was a great piece of drama that unfolded.

HappyUP!!! - good sleep
Why it happened - who knows
Why it makes me happy - my sleeping patterns have changed. When I fall asleep easily and sleep all through the night, it's a HappyUP!!!

HappyUP!!! - a golf tip
Why it happened - I was paying attention during the Players
Why it makes me happy - I have a tournament to play in this week. I picked up something today on TV that I had forgotten about. I went out to the backyard and gave it a try. Voila! One more step toward getting my confidence back.

HappyUP!!! Day 468

HappyUP!!! - learning a new word
Why it happened - a friend sprung it on me
Why it makes me happy - first, I am a bit of a word freak. Second, when a word is found/created that takes something that you had to describe and defines it in one word, it's a quirky little HappyUP!!! for me. Today's word is quatopygia. Latin.....quatio means to shake. Greek....pyge means buttocks. "My, what an interesting quatopygia that woman has." See, it even sounds a lot nicer than what most guys say...or think. I think my mother would be proud of me today.

HappyUP!!! - coffee
Why it happened - I called my buddy for some info
Why it makes me happy - he was at a coffee house about 5 minutes from where I was at. I buzzed over and we kibitzed for an hour on a Saturday afternoon.

HappyUP!!! - the first pepper
Why it happened - it's how God works
Why it makes me happy - my plants seemed to get off to a slow start this year. Who knows.....maybe it wasn't that slow....it just seemed that way. I think worrying is a part of the gardner's makeup.....and optimism too. The worries are being allayed. I saw my first pepper...and my first tomato....both develop this week. Everything will be all right.

JollyJottings (HappyUP!!! contenders)

Breakfast
Coffee
Young ladies at coffee
The first pepper
Apostolos dinner
Poem from a friend

Telephone

(A special post for my friends over at
SundayScribblings )

This was a significant week - it was the first week of my retirement....well, at least my first retirement. I figure if share can reserve the right to enjoy multiple retirement tours, I deserve the same thing.

Plus, I'm not even 50 yet - there's a lot for me to do out there in this world.....and a lot of people that would really appreciate the unique talents that I bring to them. I may not be able to avoid working again...even if I want to. It has only been a week and people are crying for me to come back into the industry working for my competitors.

I had an interesting thing happen this week - involving the telephone. Over the 20+ years of being a hard charging business person, my golf game fell into extreme disrepair. I used to play competitively and had acquired a degree of talent. Over the last few years, it would have been hard to know that unless I told you.

One of the things I am going to work on - in my retirement is to see how quickly I can get my game back to the level it once was. I am a lot older so that is a negative....BUT the technology of today has me hitting the ball a lot farther than I used to.

I played a round during the week this week - and I had an epiphany. Even though I had a lot of Paid Time Off while working, I rarely played during the week. When I did, I would put my cell phone on "stun" mode. I would check during the round to see who was calling and try to ascertain whether they needed a call right back. For the first time in forever, I played the other day and didn't look at my phone at all.

I also didn't finish the round - and rush to see the calls that I had missed and all of the e-mails that I was now behind on because I was "playing hookey."

It was an EXTREMELY liberating feeling

My first cell phone - was a transportable model. If you remember, these were about the size of a phonebook. They had a full size handpiece. I remember taking that to the golf course and throwing it into the cart. I got such a ration of crap that day, "leave the office at the office," or, "tell the commanding officer we need more ammunition out here on the front line, sergeant."

As technology made the portable phone smaller, almost all of the people that I have played golf with in past year's - operate in a similar fashion to how I did. They are constantly checking for messages. Sometimes they take a call and delay the rest of us. Perhaps the cell phone has allowed them to get out on the golf course more
than they would have in the past.....

....but are they really THERE - on the golf course fully enjoying what the setting and the game can provide? Even if they are on the weekend taking personal calls, are they present?

Which takes me a step deeper - where else do we take our cell phones and iPods and Blackberry's? Do they allow us to be more mobile?....or do they dilute the experiences that we can have "in the now" that take a little bit of more than casual attention to notice. Does the technology create a degree of mindlessness?

And, because I am a thinker - I have to go to the next step. Take away the cell phone, the iPOD, the Blackberry. Would it make any difference? Would the void be filled with boredom or wonder for you?

HappyUP!!! Day 467

HappyUP!!! - a lovely drive
Why it happened - I took the long way
Why it makes me happy - I could have taken the route for a 50 minute drive. I took the hour and a half route with the top down......70 degrees.....trees.....foothill mountains....ahhhhhh.

HappyUP!!! - a lovely lunch
Why it happened - I needed to spend time with a former employee
Why it makes me happy - this person was very important to me at the job that I left. Circumstances prevented us from talking off line. We ate outside and it was a great day for that.

HappyUP!!! - picking up my car
Why it happened - it needed some work
Why it makes me happy - I got off relatively cheap. I thought it would cost me 2.5 times what it did. How many times do you take your car in and come out of it for less than you thought? THAT is a definition of a HappyUP!!! You'd notice if it was 1.5 times more....appreciate it when it is less.

JollyJottings

A lovely drive
A lovely lunch
Breakfast
E-mail from a buddy
Got out cheap on a car repair
Nephew driving my car

HappyUP!!! Day 466

HappyUP!!! - the call from my brother
Why it happened - he needed a fourth for golf
Why it made me happy - hey, I am in full on golf mode right now....if you have a tee time, I'm playing!

HappyUP!!! - golfing
Why it happened - see the call above
Why it made me happy - once again, I played MUCH better than my score....and my score was better than my recent history. This is some very good trending. I seem to be regaining some of my form and confidence.

HappyUP!!! - phone call and e-mail
Why it happened - I am in staying in touch with former workers
Why it made me happy - I am able to help them and guide them through some tough times. I also think that part of them reaching out to me is to make sure that I am doing well. Their concern for me is very special.

HappyUP!!! Day 465

HappyUP!!! - lunch with a friend
Why it happened - I didn't get to say goodbye when I left work
Why it makes me happy - I got him settled down and convinced that things will be fine.

HappyUP!!! - lunch on the river
Why it happened - it was the venue I chose
Why it made me happy - there was a point during our lunch on the Sacramento River with a slight breeze blowing as we overlooked the water when I said, "dude, do you realize that you could wander the entire planet right now.....and there is not a more perfect spot to be than we are sitting right now." Absolutely gorgeous.

HappyUP!!! - made some headway
Why it happened - I took a minor moment
Why it made me happy - I have a junk room out back. It's probably not as scary as yours but there is plenty of clutter there. Rather than make it a project, I decided I would take 15 minutes of micro-movements and make some progress. I don't know what it is about clutter and I.....I just can't keep it out! I'll attack again tomorrow.

HappyUP!!! Day 464 - A day of riches

I left my employer of over 20 years on Friday. It was not an easy decision. It was a shock to many. Through this, I have really learned some things about certain people...some regrettable....others incredible. I will remember the incredible and capture them in a separate private journal in the morning. It is impossible to pick THEE HappyUP!!! today

HappyUP!!! - an e-mail
Why it happened - the person needed to reach out
Why it made me happy - I got some scoop as to what is going on at my former employer.

HappyUP!!! - a vc mail from P.O.
Why it happened - he heard I had left the company
Why it made me happy - he thanked me for giving him the opportunity to provide for his family in a way that he didn't think possible. Whoa!

HappyUP!!! - on going correspondence with P.S.
Why it happened - P is walking me through the exit process
Why it made me happy - he gave me some inspiration.....and a thought....that, when I put with the thought I had last week, gives me a project to work on that is going to be FUN!....and right up my alley.

Bonus HappyUP!!! - talk with a former employee
Why it happened - I called him
Why it made me happy - he left our company after transferring. He went into another line of work. He thought so much of me that, even though he is miles away, he said that he would tell someone in his organization to come looking for me if I wanted to enter his field. Wow!!!! I must have done something right when he was under my care.

JollyJottings

P's e-mail he sent to someone about me and to always take "the high road"
A call from Cathy
A call from Scott
A call from P.O.
A message from T
Corresponding with DG
Talking with C
Talking with S.C.
On going e-mail trades with P.S.
Toastmasters
T at Toastmasters