August Happiness Challenge -- Day 27

Rizz is proud of my $14

On Day 27, I was happy because there's cash in my wallet. I paid cash for my hair cut and color. I paid cash for the movie with my movie group. I paid cash for my prickly pear margarita and shrimp tapas with Joanna afterward. I paid cash for my groceries.

And yet I still have $14 left. I feel like a very good girl.

My finances on a macro level are still a mess. My property taxes have gone up and I'm still not saving enough for retirement.

But for the weekend of August 26-27, I'm under budget. And I insist on being happy about that.

If you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not this individual post) each day in August, looking for the Happy Cub. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with AugustHappiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Do you look forward to the spring? Now? No. I'm looking forward to October and the MLB play offs. Go, Cubs, Go!

2. Which area of the sciences do you enjoy the most? Biology, I suppose. I like reading how different meds effect different parts of the body. But to be honest, I'm not very good at math/science.

3. If you could own a classical statue in the form of any figure from myth, religion, or even modern fiction, who would you choose? Jo March, cutting her hair to raise money. She did what needed to be done, with imagination and courage. 

4. Do you have a good relationship with your mother? My mom has been gone for years now.

5. What is your favorite mythological story? I don't have one. I do have a favorite joke, though, and I feel it's a metaphor for life. Here goes:


Imagine twin boys of five or six. Worried that the boys had developed extreme personalities – one was a total pessimist, the other a total optimist – their parents took them to a psychiatrist.

First the psychiatrist treated the pessimist. Trying to brighten his outlook, the psychiatrist took him to a room piled to the ceiling with brand-new toys. But instead of yelping with delight, the little boy burst into tears. 'What's the matter?' the psychiatrist asked, baffled. 'Don't you want to play with any of the toys?' 'Yes,' the little boy bawled, 'but if I did I'd only break them.'

Next the psychiatrist treated the optimist. Trying to dampen his outlook, the psychiatrist took him to a room piled to the ceiling with horse manure. But instead of wrinkling his nose in disgust, the optimist emitted just the yelp of delight the psychiatrist had been hoping to hear from his brother, the pessimist. Then he clambered to the top of the pile, dropped to his knees, and began gleefully digging out scoop after scoop with his bare hands. 'What do you think you're doing?' the psychiatrist asked, just as baffled by the optimist as he had been by the pessimist. 'With all this manure,' the little boy replied, beaming, 'there must be a pony in here somewhere!'
 
6. If you put on a big feast, what would you serve? What's the occasion? Unless it's Thanksgiving or Christmas, the main course would be manicotti with lots of garlic bread. The appetizer would be your choice of shrimp cocktail or garden salad (because not everyone likes shellfish). Dessert would be a tray of cookies, so you can choose what and how many you want. By the way, I don't know how to prepare any of these things.

7. How do you have fun? (What is your favorite 'Earthly Delight'?) I like movies and books.

8. Do you often look for hidden messages and meanings? In what?

9. Have you ever received an award or special position? Yes.

10. If a revolution was about to happen in your country, would you be part of it? Probably not. I'm a big fan of our Constitution. I believe we can resist the Trump Presidency using the systems our forefathers put in place. It's almost as if they saw DJT coming.

11. Have you ever planned an act of revenge? Yes.

12. What is the most dramatic thing you have ever done? I ended an argument by ending the relationship. I still regret what I did that night, and how I did it.

13. Do you care about your weight? Yes.

14. Is your life moving too slowly or too fast? Too fast.

15. Do you prefer to stay in the shade? Yes. I burn easily.

16. If you could have any mural on your ceiling, what would it look like? Chicago's skyline and Lake Michigan always take my breath.

17. Do you enjoy the countryside? Sure

18. Are you a romantic? Yes.

19. What is your favorite historic subject? The 60s (the 1860s and the 1960s).

20. Do you prefer landscape paintings? Not especially.

21. Are you interested in social issues? Yes.

It didn't happen to me

This isn't about me, it's about Barb. After 11 months of battling two different cancers, her husband has died.

I found out though a pair of emails last night. I don't know how she's disposing of his remains, but we're celebrating his life with a memorial service at their favorite restaurant in mid-September.

She describes herself as "heartbroken" and "adrift." I am overwhelmed ... I don't know why. After all:

1) We've all known this was coming for a long time. It is not a shock.

2)  He suffered so -- in an out of the hospital like a yo-yo, reduced to a pin cushion for IVs. I truly believe this is a blessing for him.

I think it's because their love story was so inspiring to me. Barb waited until she was over 50 to get married, and it was delightful to see her so happy. To many, Barb is viewed as a tough and successful career woman. Her husband tapped into a sense of fun that not everyone gets to see. He encouraged her to play. I remember her delight when she came up with an elaborate scheme to give him a Fender guitar for his Christmas. (Read it here.)

And now it's over. So while Barb and her husband are certainly in my prayers, I can't deny the loss I feel, too. I'm worried about my friend, of course, and angry that the world has been cheated of their happy ending.

August Happiness Challenge: Day 26

Rizz loves a reunion

On Day 26, I was happy that we got the band back together. The community center where my movie group meets was renovated this summer, so we had nowhere to watch films for more than a month.

Last night found us altogether again! Our moderator, Will. Joanna and Betty and me. All enjoying Meet John Doe on the big screen, all participating -- with some newbies -- in the conversation afterward. This experience of getting my geek on with fellow geeks made me happy. Afterward, Joanna and I stopped for some apps and a catch up about our personal lives.

If you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not this individual post) each day in August, looking for the Happy Cub. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with AuSaturgust Happiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.