Things to be Happy About: Part 2

When I first started this blog, I wrote an entry titled "Things to Be Happy About: Part 1."

The "Part 1" assumes a "Part 2." And I'm finally getting around to it. Kind of like George Lucas finally putting out the sequels 30 years after the originals.

The concept for this blog comes from the book titled 14,000 things to be happy about, by Barbara Ann Kipfer. Some of the items in the list are my own, and some of them are from the book, but they happen to make me happy too.

The smell of a good cup of coffee
The smell of unburned tobacco
Snow days
Jobs that allow for snow days
Warm clothes fresh out of the dryer on cold days
Getting all of your old photos scanned into your computer
Caramel Corn
New shoes
Strawberries from your own garden
Raspberries....regardless of the source
Eating sunflower seeds
Chili on a chilly autumn day
Free books
The time 12:34
The time 11:11
Campfires
Talking like Forest Gump to your wife, Jenny
Cheese sticks
Eating chicken skin (Yes, I said it. No, I don't regret it. Make your own list.)
Surprise love notes in your work bag
Good ventriloquists
A brilliant observation
Finally "getting it"
Getting the inside joke
Party pants
Watching our children succeed
Presidential breaking news announcing "We got him."
Suit coats
The National Register of Historic Places
Weird Al Yankovic videos
Stumbling across an old friend on Facebook
Doing a good deed
The color green
A new shirt
Famous friends
Dark chocolate frosting on graham crackers
Pillow talk
Wildly successful ebay sales
A great find at a garage sale
A new CD by your favorite band
Naps
Not setting your alarm
Daydreams
Learning something new from your child
Passing on a family tradition
Creating new traditions
Combination shampoo and body wash
Barstools
Ibanez guitars
Haircuts
A tin can full of change
Watching favorite childhood movies
New car smell
Rock concerts
Learning a new word
Peanut butter pie
Chocolate mousse pie
Pepperidge Farms chocolate layer cake
Free apps
Pooh-isms
Going home again
Good grade cards
Funny things kids say
Unexpected money
Overtime pay
Santa Claus
Twist cones
Playing catch
Monkey bread
Clean sheets
Leg lamps
Kraft Easy Cheese
Velveeta
Amish Baby Swiss
Old wavy windows
Potato skins
Deep dish stuffed crust, meat lovers, cheese lovers pizza
Thick sliced pepper bacon
A computer that boots in less than 2 minutes
Sunlight shining through the leaves in a woods
Calzones
Doing nothing
$400 worth of software obtained legally for $65
The feeling you get when you get a new book
That feeling you get when you first hear about a new book coming soon from your favorite author
That feeling you get when you first hear about a new album coming soon from your favorite band/artist
Monticello
Digging your elderly neighbor out on a snowy morning, especially when he/she doesn't know about it
Stumbling across deer in the woods
Brach's pink lozenge candies
Canon fire at Civil War reenactments
The back deck overlooking the mountain stream at your room at Zoder's Inn, Gatlinburg, Tenn.
Barbecue ribs with homemade barbecue sauce using a honey and brown sugar base
Cottage cheese
Popcorn
Breakfast for dinner
Water chestnuts wrapped in bacon and cooked in barbecue sauce

So there is my list of more things to be happy about. Will there be a Part 3? How many movies were in the Lord of the Rings trilogy? How many movies were in the Back to the Future trilogy. How many trilogies were in the Star Wars series? If I do it right, I'll return.

In the meantime, what makes you happy?

I'm a Lucky Guy

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my Golden List.

Last week, I wrote about my appendectomy.

Since my surgery, some amazing things have happened, making me realize how blessed and lucky I really am.

First and foremost was my sister- and brother-in-law coming through for us at midnight on Friday night to take the two-year-old while we went to the emergency room. Jenn didn't pick him up and bring him home until almost bedtime Sunday night to let me recover. Heidi and Ryan kept him for almost 48 hours, and both Jenn and I needed that!

Laura surprised me with a visit at the hospital.

Some fences were mended...and other fence repairs are in the works.

Mom and dad each made a special effort to make me meals.

Mom helped me get to a doctor's appointment and drop off paperwork, and brought all sorts of fun stuff over to the house.

My mother-in-law called me special from Illinois to check on me.

My friend Kyle went out and got me coffee from Grounds for Thought one night, mowed my lawn, called me, and stopped in to visit.

My grandma sent a coupon and money for me to get lunch one day, which I will save for a day when my doctor tells me I can drive.

My co-workers sent me a total of three (3!) cards and a HUGE bag full of snacks, and a gift card. I'm pretty sure I know who did the shopping, too, because of the kinds of snacks, and how we pick on each other about Starburst.

One co-worker (who I have only recently started talking to outside of the work setting) and her husband bought me a book AND a CD to keep me entertained while I am at home recovering.

Jenn, although she has been on my butt telling me everything I can't or shouldn't be doing, has only been looking out for my best interests. She has done more work around the house that I am comfortable admitting, and her unwavering willingness to help me and take care of me is the best gift ever.

I feel pretty worthless this week, in terms of contributing, and I'm humbled by all of your care, concern and giving. But I have to admit, I have completely enjoyed the pampering, and just lying around reading books and watching movies. So far, I have finished two books, started and finished a third, started a fourth, made some good progress in two more, and am about to start another.

I have also had a chance to write two blogs, edit two upcoming blog entries, and start contemplating yet another one. And I have watched two movies. I'm debating starting a third right now.

Thanks to ALL of you!!

Things to be Happy About: Part 1

A couple of weekends ago, Jen, the boys and I took a trip up to Lake Erie to relax and just BE for once, without running around or feeling like we have to accomplish something on the never-ending list of things to do.

Jenn surprised me by bringing along a book titled "14,000 Things to be Happy About," and had me read some entries out loud while she drove. It was a fun process and got us talking about what makes us happy...the little things. It's nice to think about those things in our own lives to keep us centered.

It's been a long, rough 6 months for me and my family, so we decided to blog our own lists. This is a short list, and I will add more in new entries over time.

So here it is: Greg's

Things to be Happy About:

• New school supplies. Weird thing to start out with, I know, but 'tis the season. I love the sound and smell of brand new notebooks and pens, and picking out exactly what you need. No, we aren't in need of anything right now, but Evan is, and it's fun to go shopping for this kind of stuff.
• A healthy family...especially when you don't have health insurance!!!
• Opportunities. Being layed off, I can do anything I want. What do I want to be when I grow up? A dispatcher!
• The opening riff to Poison's "Look What the Cat Dragged In" live. The crunchier the guitar the better. It literally gives me shivers of pleasure and excitement every time I hear it.
• Jimmy Stewart movies. Jimmy was an amazing actor and an amazing man. I strive to be like him, but I don't want to be an actor.
• Arena rock. I love 80s hair metal!!!!!
• Finishing a really good book
• Freshly-brewed coffee: Which I am drinking as I write this.
• An hour of silence.
• Satisfaction from a job well-done. The bigger or harder that job is, the greater the satisfaction.
• Watching your children reach their milestones as they grow up.
• (A corollary) A baby's one-toothed grin.
• A clean house.
• The cracking of the spine of a new book being opened for the first time.
• A to-do list with all of the items checked off

That's my list for now. I hope to add more in a future post.

-Greg