Something we all forget time to time.

On choosing happiness. What’s your choice?

After is a self-defeating word. It robs you of the present, and resigns you to wait without taking any action. You convince yourself that life will be better after something: After you get a new job, after you get a better job, after you get more money, after you get out of debt, after the economy rebounds, after your stocks go back up, after you get that big order. You convince yourself that life will be better after an event: After you get married, after you have a baby, after you get a new house, after you take a vacation, after you come back from vacation, after summer is over, or some other action-procrastinating “after.”

Are you frustrated that the kids aren't old enough, and believe you'll be more content after they’re in high school or out of high school? Are you frustrated that you have teenagers to deal with? You will certainly be happy after they’re out of that stage. Certainly you’ll be happier after they’re in college, or is it out of college? You tell yourself that your life will be more complete when your spouse gets his or her act together, when you get a nicer car, a new house, a raise in pay, a new boss, or worse, after you retire.


The truth is, the fact is, the reality is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? After the economy gets better? You may not be able to wait that long.

Your life will always be filled with challenges, barriers, and disappointments. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Alfred Souza said, “For a long, long time it had seemed to me that I was about to begin real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.”

There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. There is no after to happiness. Happiness is now.

Here’s the answer: It’s inside your head FIRST and everyplace else second. Happiness is a treasure. Your (missed) opportunity is to treasure every moment that you have.

Stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until after you quit smoking, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get your new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until the first or the fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you win the lottery, or until the cows come home to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.

And treasure the happiness of now more because you share it with someone special enough to invest your time in... Happiness is: Not an economy or a budget. Not a yes or a no. Not a game winning hit or a last second touchdown. Happiness is a way of life that is inside you at all times. It helps you get over the tough times, and helps you celebrate the special times. Seems pretty simple to define on paper, but real difficult to manifest when the chips are down. My experience has taught me the difference between resign and resolve. You can resign yourself to what is, and hope or wait for a better day. Or you can resolve that you are a positive person who finds the good, the positive, the happiness, the smile, and especially the opportunity in everything. Happiness is now, not a goal or a destination. It’s not an after, it’s a before. And it’s up to you. All you have to do is: decide.
Jeffrey Gitomer

Friday ended up checking out a 68' Camaro with Stephanie in Knoxville. Overpriced and requiring too much work.....Watched Kick-Ass a violent, but a funny movie...was not bad.

Saturday worked on Mustang and other things around farm and house and tried to take it easy. 20 mile bike jaunt. Peer pressure finally got the best of me forcing me to go out for a while that night. Well worth it.

Sunday Heather spent half the day working on my house and forcing me to really get rid of some stuff.....House is very close to being cleaned out. It looks much bigger now too.....
The boys and I also dismantled the bus from RAGBRAI so we can use it for East side white trash night at the fair on Friday.

One more day of two a-days for Austin....scrimmage on Thursday....

What is up with people trying to sabotage other peoples life. Is it because their life is so miserable and they think everyone should be as miserable as them? Jealousy? Guess you can't do anything about these type of people except give them a fat lip. I think the worse thing is the people that allow it to happen or can't see through it, these are the same people that voted for Obama on a whim.



After waiting 5 years to do this. I said "Screw it" and ordered everything for my cooler stereo and trailer for my bike...should have it together for this weekend.

East Side white trash night at the Fair on Friday.
Class reunion on Saturday.
Kamikaze grill out on Sunday.

They beat-up on the Bengals last night. Too early to say anything.

The Expendables opens Friday...always liked Stallone......

Auto Association Slams 'iPod Zombie' Pedestrians Not surprising.....

Peer pressure again on the steak ride….damn them……didn’t quite get anything done afterwards….or the number of miles in I had hoped….and much more Fat Tire than I needed…..and yes that tire isn’t flat.

Those balloon pics from a couple days ago I posted via my phone on FB. Rich went in and tagged the one as McConnell . Forgot that was his balloon.

Sam and Gabe’s is overpriced even for the ambiance, especially when the ambiance is blown out.

People need to stop jumping to conclusions . Sad way to go through life.

Some cars should just be a little bigger…..

This weekend probably some cleaning, bike riding, some weed killing, and finally hopefully some sleep….. I had set aside this weekend for Mustang weekend.....we'll see how much time I have for that.



Bedford Whaling is done….still not done with ARAG.

Micheal Irvin, from the Chicago Tribune:

"I remember when I was inducted into the Hall of Fame and they gave me my Hall of Fame yellow blazer. I wore it for two straight days. Finally my wife was in bed and said she wanted to make love but that I had to take the coat off. I refused and kept the blazer on because I wanted to perform like a Hall of Famer on the field and off."

Deep Thought of the Day: Once, I wept for I had no shoes. Then I came upon a man who had no feet. So I took his shoes. I mean, it's not like he really needed them.

Saw The Sorcerer's Apprentice last night, cool and very enjoyable movie. They didn't leave much opportunity for a sequel, but it was well worth seeing.



Austin will actually have a scrimmage for football next Thursday, damn things are happening fast. Week after that, first game.

5 Reasons Facebook Has Us More Out of Touch Than Ever Imagine...others with the same opinion, but hey.

Actually took shortcut throught Hy-Vee parking lot today(how often do you here that?), not electricity around here and lack of stop lights this morning.

Stephanie K. is engaged, she's extremly excited. Drove by her parents on Saturday in Dyersville shortly bwefore the question was popped .

Back on the bike tonight...just to get some steak? Will be the first time I actually made that trail this year. Thats sad, use to be my training trail of choice. No less that 20-50 times on it before RAGBRAI every year. Of course back then, there wasn't very many people riding on it either. Funny how things change.

JD AMS is done.
Lets see....
For Sale sign up, House cleaner, more stuff moved out, new job, found a house, new roof on barn, electrical work done, sponsor to repaint bus...busy couple weeks....

Deep Thought of the Day: Sometimes I think I'd be better off dead. No, wait, not me, you.

1st woman: Hi! Wanda.

2nd woman: Hi! Sylvia. How'd you die?

1st woman: I froze to death.

2nd woman: How horrible!

1st woman: It wasn't so bad. After I quit shaking from the cold, I began to get warm & sleepy, and finally died a peaceful death. What about you?

2nd woman: I died of a massive heart attack. I suspected that my husband was cheating, so I came home early to catch him in the act. But instead, I found him all by himself in the den watching TV.

1st woman: So, what happened?

2nd woman: I was so sure there was another woman somewhere that I started running all over the house looking. I ran up into the attic and searched, and down into the basement.. Then I went through every closet and checked under all the beds. I kept this up until I had looked everywhere, and finally I became so exhausted that I just keeled over with a heart attack and died.

1st woman: Too bad you didn't look in the freezer---we'd both still be alive.