A Good Day

Today wasn’t all good. There was some bad, but you know what, life is too short to be bitter, to be angry, and to dwell on the bad parts of my day.

Today was a good day.

At Bloom, the customer service agent at the main desk, was smiling, happy, and because she was smiling and happy, so was I. I was already in a good mood having decided I was going to have a pizza & wine night. Thursday nights when I lived at home with my mom and Riley spent the night, it would be cookies & milk night for Riley and cookies and wine for me. Riley would stay up until 9 pm and we’d watch whatever she wanted to watch. At 9 when she went to sleep, I’d flip to Grey’s Anatomy and finish off the night with wine. I need to get back into a rhythm of doing something that I enjoy and I think today and every Thursday possible will be pizza & wine night. While at Bloom, I bought pizza and while checking out, I noticed the store was collecting Gatorade for a local kids athletic sports club. It was on special as well 10 for $10. Add it to my bill. It was for a good cause and it was going local. That part though making me feel warm & fuzzy, didn’t nearly make me smile as much as my cashier Rita did. She let out a “WOOT! WOOT!” and gave every single bottle she swiped across the scanner a WOOT! I walked out of the store feeling good I did something for local kids and smiling because Rita’s infectious WOOT seeped right into my bones. I came home, flipped the Mac open, and wrote an email to their corporate office. Customer service EXCELLENT.

But does that make it good day? Really?

Yeah, it does. Especially when you combine the following. I talked my Dad. I tried a great gluten free pizza and it was amazing. I tried Alice White Alexia white wine and it was great. I watched Mythbusters. I balanced my checkbook. I helped a friend set up her website & social networks for her business ventures.

And tomorrow’s going to be even better because no matter what happens during the day, I will be hanging with Sistah Bear Adrienne and laughing into the night and then Saturday, I’m going to a game of street hockey a try, hope I keep my teeth in my mouth, and laugh at the insanity that will ensue.

Yes, today was not only a good day, but tomorrow will be a great day!

Listening to “Next Life” by Crash Karma

Music That is Magic

There’s one artist that I can listen to 24 hours a day and that is Jimmy Buffett. I discovered Jimmy when I was in junior high school from my friend Sarah Thompson. We both were hair band fans but also loved Jimmy. If I had to say who my all time favorite artist would be, then it would be Jimmy Buffett. I have every studio album he’s recorded. In my iTunes library, I have 630 songs which is 1.7 days of music.

Right now, CMT is showing his Gulf Coast concert live and it is a beautiful way for me to end a weekend.

I was in a bit of a funk today. Being with my family is always fantastic and there was the discussion of my sister and her family maybe moving to Charleston in the next 6 months. I don’t like that thought at all. I don’t see them enough now and feel like I’d never see them if they moved to Charleston. Then I got a text from my dad that my Great Uncle Gene passed away last night. This man taught me how to play hopscotch and would sit on the porch swing with us kids and spin stories for us. He taught me how to “fish grub worms” and how to just enjoy a lazy day. Then today, I came to terms that my family, will more than likely be giving away my mama’s babies (her dogs). I spent the day loving on them and playing with them. I’m considering bringing Suzie home with me. She’d be away from her other family but she’d still be in the family. I of course don’t want to pick one over the other. I’d bring them all but Nick is a lover of running outside and I don’t have a place for him to do that. Besides, I think if I played fetch with him, then my downstairs neighbor might want to shoot me. I cried in front of my oldest niece, the first time since my mom passed away, by telling her how much she means me and how her life is important. So when I arrived to my quiet apartment, I flipped on Mythbusters and sat on the couch feeling numb.

Seeing the Jimmy Buffett concert pop up on the menu, I smiled. It was time to get out of the funk. Jimmy’s music doesn’t allow for funk. It only allows for smiles, great memories, and day dreaming of the islands. So as sad as the day was, it is a day that is great. I am alive. I have a great family, great friends, and a life that is greater for all the experiences good & bad. His music is magic to my soul and always takes the bad.

Listening to “Rhumba Man” by Jimmy Buffett

Your Babies

Mama,
Why is it so hard on me that your dogs, your babies, might not be in my life anymore? I’m crying so hard right now that I can’t be breathe. I feel like I’m giving away the last part of you that I have. It hurts my heart. It hurts my soul. They deserve you here to love them. They deserve you here to take care of them. It’s not fair Mama. It’s not fair at all and I don’t know if I can get over this. I hurt right now.

Dear Life

From Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis

This was from yesterday’s comic. I love this comic & read it daily. We all feel how Rat does every now and then and today, after receiving a phone call from a friend, I thought of this comic for him. He’s been through a lot and this last bit of news that was given to me today was something that I didn’t see coming but he called and asked for a female perspective. I don’t know the whole story as he’s out of pocket and on the road so I’m waiting to listen and be there for a friend.

But I know I will tell him this, life doesn’t give you more than you can’t handle. The actions that happen in life are there for a reason. Some of the actions suck and seem life ending. Some actions are merely a bump in the highway of life. It might leave you with a flat tire and stranded on the side of the road for a bit. It might even knock the wind out of your sails, but every obstacle and brick wall are there not to keep you out of life and away from what you want but merely a test to see how bad you want something. You can let the wall/obstacle keep you away from your dream or you can knock that wall down and overcome that obstacle and obtain your dreams.

So, my message to anyone who reads this is just these lyrics from Jimmy Buffett

Nothing can tear you apart
If you keep living straight from the heart
Though you know that you're gonna hurt some
The magic will come

If you keep living straight from the heart
you will know when to stop and to start
Once you see that no one really wins
Then the magic begins

If you only see the negativity of life, you miss all the parts of life that are magical, beautiful, and inspiring. Don’t give up on your dreams and never give in.

Listening to “The Oaf” by Big Wreck

Poem to Lek

To many days of being alone
To many days since you’ve been gone
To many months of asking why
To many months of saying goodbye
Too many tears have come my way
Too many tears have come to stay
I miss you Darling that’s why I say
I’ll always you love to my dying days

By Richard Taylor June 2010