A Return to Happiness

In case you've been wondering, I'm back to my normal, mostly cheerful self. The sadness that came on me last week fortunately didn't last long. By the weekend I was too busy to be sad and I had such a nice weekend that whatever wisps of sadness still existed soon disappeared. Don't you think it's so much nicer to be happy than sad? I mean, I know there needs to be sadness in order to appreciate happiness, but why does sadness have to be so heavy? I feel 46 pounds lighter now that I'm feeling good again. Hmmm. There may be another reason for that feeling but for now, we'll say it's because I'm in a good mood.

In the spirit of Happiness, I've decided to make a list of things that make me smile/happy. And, since my last list got...ahem...criticized for not having an introduction, please count the preceding words as such.

What Makes Me Smile/Happy:

1. The annual winterly feud between us and our boss. The man's skin must be 5" thick because he can get hot in a blizzard. It's the middle of winter and every day he's in the office he turns on the A/C around 3pm - wearing short-sleeve shirts. We've learned to wear long-sleeve sweaters when he's going to be at the office. (Otherwise, I wear short-sleeve shirts, since my co-worker likes the temperature to be closer to Phoenix in the summer.) From my desk I can see the temp controls, and when he comes to switch the heater on to A/C, I glare at him. He gives me a mischievous grin. I can also hear what's being said in his office, so whenever an afternoon patient mentions how chilly it is in his office, he and I exchange a look. I grin, he scowls. It's actually quite entertaining. And it makes me smile.

2. My Bike. It's an acquired taste, stationary biking. Usually there's no scenery except the sub-par scenery of a TV, so it can be a little monotonous. Also, it can hurt like a mug in between your legs and on your bum until you get used to it. I started out at 5 minutes a session but have gradually worked up to 25 minutes two times a day. I'm addicted to it. I even wake up at 6:45 to ride my bike - that's how much I enjoy it! There aren't a lot of things that I'll voluntarily wake up that early for! Part of the reason I enjoy it is where it's situated in my room - right in front of my east-facing window. I love watching the day slowly appear; a gradual lightening of the sky, the beginnings of color - it's beautiful. At night, I read. I have a book that I only read while biking, so it helps me get back on the bike after a long day - what's going to happen next in my book??? I feel good. I feel energized. It makes me happy.

3. Jeff and Liz. I seriously can't stop saying how much I like these two and how great they are as roommates. I love how we can sit and watch tv together; sometimes we laugh and talk, sometimes we don't say anything. It's comfortable. I love watching them interact. They've been together long enough that they don't act around each other - they are who they are. And they accept each other for who they are. They laugh, fight, tease, love, and bicker. I'm getting a view of a married couple that you can only get when you live with them - if then! It's very educational and actually gives me a lot of hope. I also really appreciate Jeff. He checks up on me. This might have annoyed me at other times in my life, but not now. I know he cares. He made sure I made it home from my date ok and that I felt ok about it. He texted to see if I survived the trip to and from my doctor's appointment and wanted to know how it went. Whenever I go out of town for a job, he texts to see that I arrived ok. He's a really nice guy. They both are wonderful. I smile a lot when I'm around them.

4. Calvin and Hobbes. I love Calvin. My oldest nephew reminds me of him sometimes. Very creative, intelligent, imaginative, and precocious. My favorites are Calvin's snowmen creations and the Dad polls. Oh heavens. They make me laugh.

5. Late Night Chats. Don't get me wrong, they kill me, especially since I now wake up early to ride my bike. That said, I love them. For some reason, a late night chat is special. Maybe it's because I feel like I can say things late at night that I wouldn't in broad daylight. Share things that I wouldn't otherwise. Confess when otherwise I'd stay silent. Who knows? Whatever the reason, I like them. Actually, thinking it over, probably the main reason I enjoy late night chats is the people I tend to have them with. These are people that I feel comfortable being myself with. People I trust. These people and our late night chats make me happy.

6. Food. Just because I'm losing weight doesn't mean I don't enjoy food. I just enjoy it differently. In fact, my current situation has led me to be a little creative. I find new ways to eat chicken/turkey/beef that will fit my new eating lifestyle (aka diet). My current favorite is shredded turkey breast meat, fat-free cheese, and either salsa or low-fat ranch on a mini tortilla, baked quesadilla-style. I can't eat the whole thing - last night I tried and it took me an hour to eat 3/4 of it, but it sure is tasty! It makes me happy that I'm learning to listen to my body and conquering the food addiction I've struggled with for years while still really enjoying what I eat.

7. Good Review. Yesterday, I read my evaluations from Rocky Mountain Power for last year. At each site, when I gave the guys their hearing results, I'd also give them an evaluation form for them to fill out, rating how good a job I did. They'd then give them to their managers who would send them to the head Audiologist for the company. I got great reviews! Every single person scored me at a good to excellent. Not just me but also the trailer, the equipment, etc.; everything about our company was great according to these guys. Plus, a lot of them wrote comments saying how nice/professional/pretty/knowledgeable I was. It felt good to know they thought I did a good job, these aren't always easy men to please. Good evaluation = smiles.

I could probably go on and on and on, but you probably want to finish reading this post before next year, so I'll stop with what I've got.

Thank you, Life, for giving me so many things to smile and be happy about. You're Awesome!