What Am I Going To Learn By Listening To You Talk ?

In the middle of routine conversations, I have often brought the talking to a halt by pointing out what someone just said.  This used to be childish in nature, such as when someone would say do do and I would make excrement jokes.  Okay, to be honest I still do do that (ha!  funny every time!) but that is not what I'm referring to in this post.

People often do not realize (while in the middle of a conversation) that some of their statements, if taken out of context, are hilarious or perhaps very inappropriate.

A recent example is the question title of this blog post.  My boss said that to her boss in a casual conversation outside my cubicle at work.  In the context of the conversation it made legitimate sense and was relevant.  But as a stand alone question ... it made me just start laughing out loud!

I wonder if anyone else out there does this on a regular basis.  Am I the only one who spends at least part of every conversation attuned to these odd phrases?  Is this a phase I should have grown out of ... or is it a superpower that I can use to provide levity to others?


Song Of The Day:
Today's song is "Hide And Seek" by Imogen Heap.  It has been covered by what has to be thousands of individuals and groups.  Some of the lyrics go like this ... Mmmm whatcha say, that you only meant well?  Well of course you did.  I think we generally only mean well in conversations but sometimes what we say is worth laughing about.

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Why Do I Torture Myself ?

Yes, this IS another post about Fantasy Football.

Yes, I am destroying the other teams in ONE of my two leagues.

Yes, I told myself that "it's just for fun" and "I won't take it too seriously."

BUT ...

Every.  Single.  Week.

 

Every.  Single.  Game.

 

Every.  Single.  Player.

I get sucked in and experience these huge emotion swings as it looks like I will lose badly, then it looks like I might eke out a win, then it looks like I might get a dominant win, then it looks like I will just barely lose, then it looks like ... no wait ... yeah, I lost.

I'm currently in 10th place in my 12-team league.  Those other two teams doing worse than me have basically NEVER updated their teams!  So I am only better than people who aren't playing at all!

And yet ... I cannot wait for next week and the week after that and the playoffs and then perhaps next year when everything will be better because everything will work out the way I expect it to and I'll have a new chance to win again!  Hope springs eternal!


Song Of The Day:
I've wanted to use the song "Better Days" by the Goo Goo Dolls for a while now but didn't have the write blog post idea for it.  I can think of none better than this one, because I'm always seeking the better days ahead related to fantasy football.

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How Have You Been ?

Today at work I received a phone call from a former employee.  For almost two years we worked together (she reported to me up until the day she resigned to pursue other opportunities) and over that time we had many very good conversations on a variety of subjects.  When she left, I was excited and happy for her but also sad about her departure, because the team and I would both be missing her presence and positive influence.

What a pleasure it was to talk to her again today!

During our conversation it became apparent that she had been going through some rough work experiences.  She stated that she had called me to just check in, but I could sense that she was feeling very deflated about some recent poor interactions she had experienced with various people in authority over her.  After getting her to talk about her concerns she conveyed that she just missed the kind of coaching I used to provide her about her performance.  She didn't realize how much she craved that kind of reinforcement (whether positive or constructive - either is better than not knowing how you're doing).

Our conversation evolved into a discussion around goals and priorities.  That gave me an opportunity to provide her with some coaching.  I emailed her a recent article I had read about setting goals and establishing priorities (she had lamented her tendency to jump quickly from one thing to the next without a more planful approach).  She thanked me for my time and I asked her to follow up with me after she reviews the article and outlines her priorities and goals.  I then thanked her for allowing me the opportunity to still provide some coaching to her.  She again thanked me for my help and told me she was greatful for our friendship.

You never know whose life you can touch (or who might touch your life) with just a simple conversation.  To everyone out there who feels inadequate or unappreciated I suggest the following: call an old friend or strike up a conversation with someone you haven't spoken to in a while.  There is true strength in camaraderie.


Song Of The Day:
Even though the song was overplayed (at my high school anyway) when it first came out, Michael W. Smith's song "Friends" is a great tune with inspiring words.  I sometimes think about the concept of spending eternity catching up with souls I haven't chatted with for a long time.  That sure sounds like a nice heaven to me.

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Did I Bring The Snow ?

Yesterday afternevening I completed two tasks that each only happen once per year:
 - mow the grass for the final time before winter
 - hang up the golf clubs for the season

The time had come for both things to be done.  I cannot see any situation until next Spring when I will be able to play a round of golf.  I also knew that the temperature was likely not going to be much warmer again for some time.

My question is ... which of these actions brought about the 1-2 inches of snow and frost that blanketed my plot of land here in beautiful Colorado Springs this morning?  Or was it a combination of both things?


Song Of The Day:
Too early for Christmas music?  I think not!  Besides, "Let It Snow"  is more of a winter song than just Christmas themed.  Enjoy this original version by the great Frank Sinatra.

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Why Are YOU Using The Tall One ?

Ladies, this is not a situation you've ever had to deal with so you are excused from having to read on if you would like to spend your time somewhere else.

Gentlemen, if this is YOU, please correct your behavior.  It's just the right thing to do.  For you.  For me.  For society.  For the janitorial staff.


In many restrooms that cater to "Men" there are two different heights of urinals available for use.  One might think this is to support more boys and men but it really has nothing to do with our age.  It has to do with your height.  If you're of average or shorter than average height, then you should generally choose to use the shorter urinals, and the taller ones should be used by the taller males.

Without being too crude about it, no matter how good your "aim" is, it is always easier to hit your target when it is at the right height to begin with.  A taller man begins his aiming in the middle of the taller urinal.  But if he uses a shorter urinal, his aim begins slightly above the top of the urinal.  This means he has to be very aware to adjust the natural flow of events to avoid unwanted liquids to end up on the flushing mechanism.  In similar but reverse fashion, a shorter individual using a taller urinal has to direct the flow onward and upward to avoid missing the drain entirely, thus rendering the floor and the shoes of anyone in the vicinity as the final resting place for bodily fluid waste.

To my brethren out there ... can I get an AMEN?!  Can we not band together and begin to expect everyone to use an appropriate height urinal?!  Tall or short, it is equally frustrating to have to use a urinal that is not at our height!


Song Of The Day:
Before he became a regularly Oscar-nominated Disney song writer, Randy Newman put together several albums with quite a variety of messages.  One of my personal favorites is "Short People" and when some short jerk takes the tall stall instead of the appropriately sized one, I secretly sing this song in my mind while finishing my business.  Short people got no reason to live ...

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Who Says Kids Are Hard To Feed ?

Not much I can or should say about this picture post.

It's like feeding the birds at the park ... :)


Song Of The Day:
Let's be honest: true parenting is very challenging and time consuming.  But sometimes it can feel very "Easy" which is a classicly great tune by Lionel Ritchie.  I'm grateful for the simple times.

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Super Pancakes ?

How do you improve on a Sunday morning with pancakes?  With SUPER-sized pancakes that include chocolate chips or a crispy cinnamon-sugar creme-brulee style crust ... and homemade buttermilk syrup of course!  :)





With a great recipe (which was a 4X the normal batch size) and the best pancake pourer (I mean look at the picture!  That guy's a super-pancake pourer!) it was an amazing meal with some amazing friends and family (and amazing General Conference talks in the background to boot!) ... and we almost ran out of pancakes!

The right food can make for a great experience, but coupled with great company it is just a little slice of what I hope heaven will be like.


Song Of The Day:
An oldie and a goodie, the song "Sunshine Superman" by Donovan came to my mind today as I wore my Superman t-shirt and made some massive pancakes in the sunshine of New Mexico.  What great fun we had this weekend ... sad to be heading home.  :(

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