"What Makes You Happy?"

As you may or may not remember, last week I had posted about things that made me personally feel sad. Well, we're doing a complete 180 here this morning and now I would like to run down a few of the things that get the ol' mojo working:

1. Staying up late on nights I don't have to work the next day.

Now this may seem more like a junior high quirk, and I agree. But some things never go away I guess. I really enjoyed setting up my collection in the garage during my vacation week. Usually I'd stay up till 1:30 or so. Was I accomplishing anything? Ehh...who knows.

2. Buying toys.

Hey, who didn't see this coming right? I really searched myself one day and kind of wondered why I enjoy it so much. Here's what I came up with. It wasn't like I was deprived of anything growing up. In fact I had quite a lot of toys that would probably be worth some money today. But I took the Transformers apart with a screwdriver to kind of unravel the mystery of how they worked. Unfortunately, the myserty is still preserved as not only did I not see how they worked, but now I couldn't get them back together again. Now at the time I was outgrowing them anyway, but man I wish I had stored them all properly. Maybe this regret has manifested itself to the point that would explain my paranoia about opening anything ha ha. Sometimes I wonder if there's any point to it. Sometimes I check out everything I have and take a little pride in it.

3. Seeing my kids smile.

This one is kind of a no-brainer eh? Nothing makes me happier then doing something for them that makes them happy. Even something as small as going to the QT (our local gas/convienence store) and getting a Slurpee or going to the park is usually all it takes. They're so much fun at this age and I would like to enjoy as much of it as I can. Of course, when they hit 14 or so their wants and needs will take a little more money and a little less Slurpee ha ha.

Oh, and by the way, I GOT THE JOB! I had interviewed three times at TransAmerica Insurance over the course of the last month and last night as I was heading home they called me and offered me the position. 30% raise plus no weekends/no holidays and an office that's actually professional, not like this goofy place. My first day is October 8 so now I have to decide if I want to go out to Richardson (hour and a half away) for three days or just take the week off. I don't think we can afford that though...(sigh)...but man, nothing's bringing me down today. I've pretty much goofed off today which, hey, I've earned it. I really have.



Emmy: "Look Dad, we helped you fold the laundry!"

Me: "Um...yeah...I'm sort of going to go ahead and disagree with you there..."

Zach: "Emily is about to write on my head Dad...what should I do?"

Me: "Easy...put a legal pad on your head and hope for the best!"

Zach: "You're really a lot of help, you know that?"

"What Makes You Sad?"

How about that for a cheery topic eh? Normally I try to steer clear of anything that might bring me down on here but for some reason I feel some of these issues must be brought up so that I can better understand them. Lately there have been a few things on my mind that kind of hit home with me.

1. My grandfather dying in 1997.

Now everyone dies, this is no big surprise. But for him it was the first time a family member had passed away. Plus it was right away so no one got to say good-bye. He had smoked pretty much his whole life and it finally caught up to him when he just stopped breathing. I know Emmy and Zach would have just loved him. I knew from a long time ago that cigarettes were a long road to nowhere, but there are family members that smoke, knowing this is the path they are following, but they don't care. Isn't it funny how smokers care more about when they get to smoke next then saving their own life?

2. Emmy isn't enjoying first grade as much as I'd like her to.

Lately I have had to drop her off crying which man, if you've never done that before, is NOT easy. She had a great kindergarten but as we all know, things change and there's not really that much choice but to roll with it. I asked her what was wrong and she said "I just miss you is all" and hugs me. I'm really hoping she will start to enjoy her day a little more and not feel so sad in the next few days. But I totally get it. There was one time when Mom was late picking me up from 1st grade and I was standing there just crying my eyes out because I felt so alone. I tease her about it every now and then by making it seem like it was a constant neglect ha ha. But for that one afternoon it was a hard life. This same mom is watching them this weekend and I told Emmy this morning "The next time you feel sad, just think about this weekend and how much fun you're going to have" and it seemed to work a little. We're planning a Friday night "Ranger party" since the game comes on at 9pm.

3. My department is closing this week.

If I really felt content working here, I might feel sad about leaving. But I don't. For the last two years and 73 days I have performed my duties that other companies would pay a lot more for. I kept asking myself why I stayed as long as I did. To be honest, it isn't a hard job. At least to me. It took me a while but I finally realize my earning potential and this place doesn't even come close to meeting my expectations. But I enjoyed the people I work with and maybe that had something to do with it. But man, if I get this other job, it's an automatic 30% raise, which hopefully means new car.

On Friday I will post about the happiest things in my life. What gets my blood flowing...what do I look forward to...what am I looking forward to...things like that. Life isn't supposed to be one big depress-a-thon right? And I'm not depressed at all. But there are some things I would love to change...and knowing it just isn't possible is hard for us to accept.


Since I hardly ever put a picture of ME on here, here is one of me at a karaoke bar we went to for Cari's birthday. Someone handed me a tambourine and off I went! Even though I'm grinning like an idiot, I still had a lot of fun that night.

What makes you sad? Have you tapped into that part of yourself that you thought you had tucked away? Do yourself a favour and release it. Even if you cry a little, or a lot, you're doing yourself a world of good.

"A New Toy"

So Cari takes Emmy to Toys 'R' Us to use some of her gift cards she got for her birthday...and she comes home with this "American Idol" karaoke machine. It has 12 pre-loaded songs and the other players even get to play judge. So we broke it out to see who would "win"...


Emmy: "I hear the train a comin'
It's rolling round the bend
And I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when,
I'm stuck in Folsom prison, and time keeps draggin' on
But that train keeps a rollin' on down to San Antone..
When I was just a baby my mama told me. Son,
Always be a good boy, don't ever play with guns.
But I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die
When I hear that whistle blowing, I hang my head and cry.."

Me: "Um...wow...you even got the baritone voice down! Okay Zach, let's see ya top THAT!"


Zach: "I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine, I walk the line

I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you
Because you're mine, I walk the line..."

Me: "Um...well, ya nailed it man...what's going on around here anyway?"

In the end both of them were winners...as Simon would say, "You weren't horrible."

If you noticed a theme in the previous songs, it's because this week back in 2003 Johnny Cash passed away at age 71. I never really gave him a second thought until we rented "Walk The Line" with Joaquin Pheonix and Reese Witherspoon. Man was that a great movie. It had everything, from romance to great tunes. My cousin Josh is really into them and now I know why. He really has an ear for music. As I'm typing this David Letterman is reading his "Fun Facts" and one of them was "Due to accidentally washing his clothes in hot water, Johnny Cash was briefly known as the 'Man In Gray'". LOL. What are the odds?

I wonder how different my life would be if I pined for someone I never thought I would have. Lots of self-doubt, some regret I'm sure. I was never one to wait around for something like that. Better to give it all ya got from time to time, and this would be one of those times. I consider myself very fortunate to have found someone that has provided me two awesome kids and a reason to not only wake up in the morning but to look forward to it.

Cari's birthday is tomorrow. I previously mentioned some gift ideas but they all took either a lot of money or a lot of time. So I got her something I hope she will like. She already knows where I got it but would never guess what it was heh heh. Since we're squeezing in lyrics today, here are some from my fave group (Beatles):

"A friend says that your love
won't mean a lot
And you know that your love
is all you've got
At times things are so fine
and at times they're not
But when she says she loves you,
that means a lot."

"A friend says that a love
is never true
And you know that this
don't apply on you
A touch can mean so much
when it's all you've got
When she says she loves you
that means a lot."

"Love can be deep inside,
love can be suicide
Can't you see you can't hide
what you feel when it's real..."

"A friend says that your love
won't mean a lot
And you know that your love
is all you've got
A touch can mean so much
when it's all you've got
When she says she loves you
that means a lot."

I love you Cari...happy birthday. We may play bingo tomorrow night!!

"Labour Day BBQ!"

Yes, it was that time of year when the Overalls and various family members related to us Overalls gathered at Grandpa's house to enjoy a little lunch, a lot of tea, and some stories. One thing I learned was that Uncle Dean collects guns. A LOT of them. I know he's a police officer and everything, but he's not exactly disproving the myth that all cops are obsessed with guns. Will be sure to be on my best behaviour when I go to his house lol. Here are a few pics:



Me: "Hey Uncle Dean, the burgers look great!"
Dean: "Thanks! It's not everyday you hit an animal with your car plus provide lunch for everyone!"
Me: "You...hit a cow with your car...?"
Dean: "Who said anything about a cow?"
Me: "Um...maybe I'll just have a salad..."



Dad: "Let's see, no Grey Poupon, no fancy plates, and only store brand hot dog buns!? No no no, this simply will not do!"
Me: "Who are you, Martha Stewart?"
Dad: "Yes...yes I am..."
Me: "Oh my...now I'm worried."



Dad: "Wow...could we possibly look any cooler?"
Grandpa: "YES!"
Zach: "I think I'm getting a seperated shoulder."
Dean: "Must...keep...smiling..."
Me: "I think Dean's trying to pick my pocket. If he needs $3.00 that bad, it's all his."

Cari's birthday is next week. The 15th to be exact. I'm searching for what I can get her that will show her how much she means not only to our family, but to me personally. When someone does as much for you as she does, it's practically impossible to repay her in full. But maybe this is my chance to do something really great to show her how truly invaluable she is to us. I could...

-have her face englazed on a complete set of plates
-subscription to TV Guide
-a day at the spa

I'll really have to think about this one. Lots of good choices there.

Sometimes family is all we have. Everyone likes to brag how their family is far more abnormal then anyone else's. I know I used to. Until I read in the Ft Worth Star Telegram(our local paper) about a dad who made his son sleep out in the back yard with no shoes and only a dilapidated trailer camper for shelter. This had gone on for about four days when finally a neighbor called the cops. When they asked him why he was doing it the dad said "discipline". Are ya kidding me!? You wanna discipline your 12-year old son, you take away his stereo. You have him clean the house. You have him volunteer at a local charity. But you don't do what this guy did. The boy had flea bites for crying out loud. If you ever read Dear Abby, you'd hear about some of the horrible things family can do do each other. I won't go into it but you know what I mean. But my family never did anything horrible to me. Unless you consider bad jokes and meandering about career choices torture lol. I never really thought about how fortunate I was until just recently. On Labour Day. No one had any secrets they were keeping, no grudges being held, just a nice afternoon.

Zach fell and hit his head at the babysitter's yesterday. We were driving him to the ER and on the radio came on "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M. Thankfully he didn't need stitches, just a dab of SuperGlue (no kidding) and a Band-Aid. Sometimes the radio gods know what they're doing.

What is the best thing about your family? The worst?