HappyUP!!! Day 369

HappyUP!!! - recruiting dinner
Why it happened - I made the call
Why it makes me happy - I really enjoyed getting to know this person on a business and personal level. The dinner was excellent. The conversation better.

HappyUP!!! - vendor call
Why it happened - who knows...totally out of the blue
Why it makes me happy - I have been underutilizing a piece of technology for some time. I kept meaning to call this company. This person appeared out of nowhere.

HappyUP!!! - ride to the airport
Why it happened - my car was at the airport
Why it makes me happy - when you are a single person, getting awkward rides during the day can often be a challenge. Today, I got lucky....I even got some errands in that required another driver to be involved. I got a ride, errands done, and good company.

JollyJottings

Vendor call
Recruiting dinner
Ride to the airport
Getting truck serviced
Picking up glasses

HappyUP!!! Day 368....Salad Daze

HappyUP!!! - another salad for lunch (see HappyUP!!! Day 361 for an updated photo).

Why it happened - I went for salad at my meeting I was at

Why it makes me happy - it would have been easy to have a delicious sandwich and fries. This was a better choice. How good does this thing look? A nice helping on top of a bunch of lettuce and fruit......delicious.

It almost made up for the 3 cookies I had in the afternoon!


HappyUP!!! - driving home
Why it happened - I had to get back from Bakersfield
Why it makes me happy - I ditched my rental car and got a ride back.......4.5 hrs of drive time goes by much faster with company.

HappyUP!!! - fed cut
Why it happened - the fed did what it needed to do
Why it makes me happy - who knows where our economy goes from here? The important thing is the Fed is now caught up (almost).......they are in the zip code. It won't cure all of our ills but this move was needed.

HappyUP!!! Day 367

HappyUP!!! - my salad
Why it happened - lunch was served
Why it made me happy - I'll have the picture up soon and you will know why. It was a beautiful presentation. Plus, the crab/shrimp salad at lunch with the mangoes was FABULOUS

HappyUP!!! - a conference call
Why it happened - I was at a meeting
Why it made me happy - corporate revealed numbers that back up what I have been trying to say all along. Finally, somebody may listen

HappyUP!!! - a visit to the TV store
Why it happened - we were having dinner there (don't ask why I had dinner at an appliance store....it was fun and delicious)
Why it made me happy - I found a knowledgeable guy who found me a swing arm for a project I am doing. I thought I would need it fabricated. This will save me some dough.....and allow me to go bigger on the TV!

HappyUP!!! Day 366

HappyUP!!! - a stagecoach

Why it happened - I had a meeting downtown where there was a museum in the lobby

Why it makes me happy - c'mon....take a peek at the picture. Even if you have seen this a million times, doesn't this just put a smile on your face? If for no other reason, YOU don't have to ride in one of these to get where you need to go!

HappyUP!!! - GPS

Why it happened - I packed my Garmin

Why it makes me happy - I got into the rental car at 10:30pm last night in Bakersfield. My eyesight for night driving is not that sharp. Mix in no confidence for where I am at and you end up with no confidence driving. That little Garmin took me right to my hotel....and I was in the middle of nowhere for awhile.

HappyUP!!! - Love in the Time of Cholera

Why it happened - I bought it

Why it makes me happy - this is the second book I have read from Gabriel Garcia Marquez. My plane was delayed so I got to read a lot yesterday. The words that this man uses are pure poetry. Perhaps this has something to do with this being a Nobel Prize winner. Perdition, plebiean, pestilential stench, perverse lucidity, frofundity, insolence, insipid (one of my favorites), imperious, propitious (another favorite), profligate, etc. Yet, amidst these words, the story is enhanced and never lost. It is an incredible story.

HappyUP!!! Day 365

HappyUP!!! - started a new book
Why it happened - I bought it
Why it makes me happy - it's a little different than my normal reading. It was a nice thing to do on a kickback Sunday morning. The book also has some excellent lines in it that will work their way into my vocabulary

HappyUP!!! - grocery store
Why it happened - it needed to happen
Why it makes me happy - I finally remembered to get some critical things that I have been missing. Trader Joes makes a cleaner that has a cedarwood smell...it's awesome. My kitchen is smelling clean again. Maybe the HappyUP!!! is the smell of the kitchen

HappyUP!!! - weight
Why it happened - it's Sunday
Why it makes me happy - I held 168 for the third straight week.....and I have not been trying that hard. I am probably off to a bad start for next week based on a little garbage eating today. The important thing is that 7 pounds are gone and have been for three weeks. A little re-motivation is in order so I can make a push at 160.

HappyUP!!! Day 364

HappyUP!!! - President's Breakfast
Why it happened - I'm President
Why it makes me happy - it's good to go sit amongst my Toastmaster's peers. I enjoyed the person that spoke. He had a few practical ideas on leadership. I also became acquainted with some new people.

HappyUP!!! - finding someone's checkbook
Why it happened - I was at the bank before hours making a deposit
Why it makes me happy - NO.....it's not because I started writing checks! Knock that off. I put the checkbook in a deposit envelope and placed it in the night drop. I am sure the customer will get a call and be relieved.

HappyUP!!! - my GPS
Why it happened - I used it rather than mapquest
Why it makes me happy - I kind of knew where to go. This little gadget took me right there. I am also looking forward to throwing it in the suitcase for my upcoming trip to Bakersfield. Trust me....that's a town you don't want to be lost in!

ONE DAY TO GO...

....and I have save a surprise! - you all know that tomorrow will be 365 days of HappyUP!!!'s.

I knew this day would happen - well.....365 days ago! I have partnered with the NFL to arrange for a special Pre-Posting extravaganza!

In honor of 1 year of HappyUP!!!'s - the NFL will hold it's marquee Super Bowl game right before my 365th consecutive posting.

I know...I know - you are going, "Nutster, how did you pull that off?" Hey, it wasn't as hard as you think. In no sport is it more important to HappyUP!!! than pro football.

Sure, you may think the guys are intense - and you would be right. Who says that you can't be happier in that intensity. As a matter of fact, wouldn't you perform better in you were happier?

Of course you would - so, here is my prediction. Tomorrow's winner between the Patriots and the Giants will not necessarily be the favorites. The winner is going to be the team that seems the happiest at kickoff....and at halftime.

Speaking of halftime - I also arranged for Tom Petty to provide those festivities as another celebration for the Super HappyUP!!! that will be tomorrow. I pulled out all of the stops.

So, grab your chips - and a soda.....right after the game and wait for that final posting of the HappyUP!!! year. The Patriots went 18-0....big deal! They had an off season and 7 days between most games. HappyUP!!! is an everyday season.

HappyUP!!! Day 363

HappyUP!!! - breakfast
Why it happened - I do this with a subordinate once in awhile
Why it makes me happy - we covered some serious business stuff today.

HappyUP!!! - two cancelled meetings....and great meeting material
Why it happened - who knows....the people in power realized that there were better things to do than these two meetings?
Why it makes me happy - TIME back to me! There is nothing better than time from a cancelled meeting. It is like you are given LIFE back to you that you had written off.

HappyUP!!! - great news on recruiting front
Why it happend - I made a call
Why it makes me happy - I would love to land this one. This person is just what we need!

HappyUP!!! Day 362

HappyUP!!! - coffee with a pal
Why it happened - I called him
Why it makes me happy - this guy is in the industry. An old friend. We just got to compare some notes for an hour and reconnect.

HappyUP!!! - great recruiting appointment
Why it happened - I made a call
Why it makes me happy - he's a quality guy....and excited to talk to me.

HappyUP!!! - took a difficult conversation
Why it happened - had a situation at work
Why it makes me happy - I didn't want to have this conversation but I moved on it. It's done and not hanging over my head for tomorrow.

HappyUP!!! Day 361

HappyUP!!! - one of the best compliments I have ever received
Why it happened - I forecasted a most unlikely event....that is becoming likely
Why it makes me happy - it was the person that I received it from. This person said, "I have been telling people you might be the smartest person in the world." While he didn't mean that literally, it was high praise.... especially from this person.

HappyUP!!! - a recruiting appointment
Why it happened - I kept leaning on my people
Why it makes me happy - we'll have an offer letter out tomorrow and add a GREAT person to our team.

HappyUP!!! - the stock market was up
Why it happened - for today, we believe that we might have hit a bottom
Why it makes me happy - you try not to worry about the stock market. It can't rule your life. The immediate past period couldn't help but get your attention.....attention that you would rather not use.

JollyJottings

Coffee with my friend
Drop in visitor at coffee
Finding a stock split
Figuring out a financial quirk
Discovering an error in anothers piece of work....and helping my employee
A recruiting appointment
A recruiting appointment set
An e-mail from an acquaintenance
One of the best compliments I have EVER received

HappyUP!!! Day 360

HappyUP!!! - a particular stock was up
Why it happened - the Fed's rate cut
Why it makes me happy - I got my 401k over-invested in this one. I caught up in a sector being slammed. While tomorrow is another day, it was cool that their was an increase today. Nice change of scenery.

HappyUP!!! - meeting with an internal partner
Why it happened - he was out here from the upper mid-west for a meeting tomorrow
Why it makes me happy - I think my managers got some benefit from the face time. This guy can help us.

HappyUP!!! - a strange phone call
Why it happened - I don't really know...it is why it was strange
Why it makes me happy - it was good to connect with this person for a couple of different reasons.

HappyUP!!! Day 359

HappyUP!!! - an impactful presentation
Why it happened - I was asked
Why it makes me happy - I was called on to do something by someone. I went and did it. The word got back to this person just HOW well I did. It's not about me doing good....I gave the people a feeling of empowerment which is critical to what they are undertaking.

HappyUP!!! - another great presentation
Why it happened - I am called on every Monday to do this
Why it makes me happy - I gave understanding and education. I assisted people another thing to think about.

HappyUP!!! - a great e-mail
Why it happened - I sent a great e-mail
Why it makes me happy - I got a little piece of endorsement that I was looking for. I didn't get it all but I got enough to move forward.

HappyUP!!! Day 358

HappyUP!!! - busting out an old friend

Why it happened - I was watching football

Why it makes me happy - my lil Marshall lead 10 amp was something I gave myself over 10 yrs ago. It's a versatile little amp with a lot of throat. I thought that it was busted. Today I said, "perhaps it was all the electronics that I was trying to run through it." I brought it down by the TV, dusted it off, and fired it up. PERFECT! My Fender Amp is just too big. I can't crank it up enough to drive the amp without driving the neighbors out of the neighborhood. The lil Marshall can get plenty dirty without the volume. I hadn't used this for so long that I had given it up for dead. It's like I got a free amp today.

HappyUP!!! - scooping up the bro and sis-in-law
Why it happened - they needed to get back from the airport
Why it makes me happy - it's always nice to be picked up at the airport. I am sure they appreciated it. It's always a HappyUP!!! when you do someone a good turn.

HappyUP!!! - weight
Why it happened - duh.....it's Sunday
Why it makes me happy - I held out another week at my post cleanse weight. While I have been trying to be good "post-cleanse", a couple of Dairy Queen Blizzards have found their way back into my diet.

HappyUP!!! Day 357

HappyUP!!! - got a great e-mail
Why it happened - I tossed out an invitation
Why it made me happy - good times ahead

HappyUP!!! - Springsteen tickets!
Why it happened - I took a chance on line when they went on sale
Why it made me happy - c'mon....the boss! I'll be seeing him in April. It's something to look forward to.

HappyUP!!! - guitar "fixed"
Why it happened - I made the drive to store
Why it makes me happy - first, I found the problem this morning. It was just in time to take my axe with
me when I was heading downtown for another reason. Downtown is where the music store is. The guy there
fixed the problem in an instant......he wrapped the batteries for the pickup with a post it note. No shipping my axe off to who knows where.

HappyUP!!! Day 356

Only 16 days left - have you booked your room in Paris?....will you be celebrating in a villa in Tuscany? It's probably too late to make a reservation.

When 1 year of HappyUP!!!'s are upon us - the people who have been planning will already have taken up all of the places in the streets for dancing.

That's OK - you can celebrate in the comfort of your own living room.

HappyUP!!! - all reviews practically done
Why it happened - I am grinding them out
Why it makes me happy - it is just a relief every time I get one done. If you are a supervisor, you know what I mean. If you aren't, there is no way you could get it.

HappyUP!!! - grinding out the annual trainings
Why it happened - it was Friday afternoon. I had a few minutes. I turned it into an hour and I am well on my way to having this annual chore done.
Why it makes me happy - we have to take the compliance refresher courses every year. It's a good thing. It's a wonderful reminder to all of us to do the right thing. It's just a great feeling when you finish them. Though I have a few to go, I knocked some pesky ones off today. Relief.

HappyUP!!! - sitting with the auditor
Why it happened - the auditor was doing one of my branches today
Why it makes me happy - I like our auditor. I learn things about the company so I always make sure that I do a debrief when the audits are done.

HappyUP!!! Day 355

HappyUP!!! - the Dow Jones drops 300 poi.........ooops! Not a HappyUP!!! but it is a testimony to the HappyUP!!! process. If all I was focused on was the stock market, it would be a bad ending to the day.

HappyUP!!! - call from a colleague
Why it happened - he said he would call
Why it makes me happy - he has some good ideas to help get through this market

HappyUP!!! - call from a friend
Why it happened - he returned my e-mail with a phone call
Why it makes me happy - I got caught up with this person. We hadn't talked in forever. He is doing great. He said he would do me a favor. He also is going to make a custom item for me when I need it.

HappyUP!!! - budgeting should be easy to do
Why it happened - I have no idea
Why it makes me happy - it is going to be a tough year. "Making budget" should be one less thing to worry about and have to manage......there are enough other things to work on.

HappyUP!!! Day 354

HappyUP!!! - interview
Why it happened - we are always looking for people
Why it makes me happy - I think we found a solid "doubles" hitter today. We just keep building the team.

HappyUP!!! - knocked out some reviews
Why it happened - I forced myself to sit down to that computer
Why it makes me happy - my HR "In Box" is close to empty. I would really like one more push tomorrow and empty it. It will quickly refill but I now can see that an empty in box would feel great.

HappyUP!!! - indoor kitty
Why it happened - I heard a scratch at the door
Why it makes me happy - it's a little nippy out there. I don't usually let the outdoor cats in. I had Shadow in tonight.....and then back in....hey, I think she is still in. Even though she is not used to it, my bet is she is going to pop up and snuggle down next to me to sleep tonight. I could do an entire posting on the therapeutic qualities of a cat purring.

HappyUP!!! Day 353

HappyUP!!! - Toastmasters
Why it happened - it's Tuesday
Why it STILL makes me happy - after 20 yrs. I wrote and gave a great talk. I heard another great talk. We had a very interested guest. The list goes on and on

HappyUP!!! - part two of my physical
Why it happened - I go and get an annual
Why it makes me happy - blood work, blood pressure, cholesterol were all in good shape. So was that "other" part.....hey, the world makes you think that every other guy has a prostate issue. You can't worry about that or you would go crazy. You can celebrate when, at least this time around, you aren't the other guy.

HappyUP!!! - home decorating solution
Why it happened - I had the TV setup guy come out
Why it makes me happy - we came up with an innovative solution that is going to work perfectly!....should save me some dough, too!

HappyUP!!! Day 352

HappyUP!!! - calling people about compensation
Why it happened - it's bonus time
Why it makes me happy - they were both getting more than they expected. I could hear the joy in their voices. That joy was precious to me.

HappyUP!!! - having my idea presented to my peers
Why it happened - my boss thought it was a timely suggestion
Why it makes me happy - I felt like I had been crying wolf for a few months about a problem. Finally, we are on the road to getting the issue solved.

HappyUP!!! - finding out about a subordinates comp
Why it happened - the comp came out right....the first time
Why it makes me happy - I thought that I was going to have to fight for one of my employees to get paid correctly. When the info came out on the website today, it was correct the first time. All I had to do was hit an "approve" button and pick up the phone (see first HappyUP!!!). Sometimes, you have to appreciate when the anticipate worst doesn't happen. Did I say "sometimes"? You should do it everytime!


JollyJottings

Meeting with client
Meeting with a subordinate
Assisting with getting a deal fixed
A nice no rush morning before going to the office
Good eating
A fun e-mail project with a friend
Calling a subordinate about compensation
Finding out about a subordinates compensation
Having my idea presented to my peers

HappyUP!!! Day 351....Jan 13....LohriUP!!!!

HappyUP!!! - going to a Lohri celebration....the celebration of the bonfire.

Why it happened - one of my employees is East Indian and they celebrate this festival

Why it makes me happy - their community gets together in a joyous celebration to their God. They are giving thanks to the harvest. In the case of the one I went to, it had the added joy to celebrate that a male son was born since last Jan 13th. Joy and GREAT food are always a HappyUP!!!


I had to go here to get the real story - most of the young people couldn't explain it to me. The older folks knew it so well that they couldn't dumb it down for me....plus there was that pesky dialogue barrier.



HappyUP!!! - women out dancing with each other at the Lohri

Why it happened - it seems to be a tradition

Why it makes me happy - this starts to look very similar to how we anglos do it. The women want to dance so they go dance with themselves. Plus, look at those beautiful outfits. A gorgeous site.








HappyUP!!! - all the men were at the bar

Why it happened - it's what men do at functions like this

Why it makes me happy - it doesn't matter what language we speak. We are all the same. The women go dance with themselves why the men pound cocktails. It's like a world unifying concept!