#365Gratitude Day 147: The Lost Art of Keeping A Secret

OK, so that's a really good song by the Queens of the Stone Age (with a crazy sexy video), but that's not what I'm talking about.

Still, here's the video:

What I am talking about is that I'm horribly bad at keeping nice secrets from Missy.  

Case in point - an extra gift for her birthday.  I found a jewelry store not too far from my office on Wednesday.  I popped on over there at lunch, and bought her a nice charm for her Pandora bracelet.

I felt like such a good, lovingly (and successfully sneaky) husband.

Later that day, I'm texting with my friend Marie Furie about my awesome stealth----missy-birthday-ninja skills and my plans for the big surprise reveal.  I tell her all about how I'm going to sneak it into the fridge Saturday morning, so Missy will just stumble across it.  Perfect.  Bulletproof.  Rock solid.

Except I accidentally texted that part right to Missy.

She didn't seem to mind my ruining the surprise though.

I'm pretty grateful for that, and for her, each and every single day.

#365Gratitude Day 146: Just in time

Tuesday, I had a meeting downtown, first thing.  During the whole long holiday weekend, I had this little tickle in the back of my mind about it.  Monday evening I got to bed nice and early, and then I did my best to get out of the house, and on the road.

I was going someplace that I've never been before, and traveling by metro, which I haven't done in a few months.  I was pretty nervous about the whole deal.

When I got to the metro, I was halfway down to the tracks when I realized I couldn't remember whether I had locked my car (which had my company laptop in it) or not.  Damnit.

I wound up having to take a later train.  My meeting was at 8:30am on the dot, and was a sort of briefing.  If I was late, there was a good chance I would not be let in, and it would cause me a heap of trouble.  The train I caught let me out at my stop with maybe eight minutes to spare.  As soon as I hit the platform, I pulled out my phone, and checked the address in my map application.    

According to the app, I was a 13 minute walk away from the building.  DAMNIT AGAIN.

But then when I got off the escalator to street level, the app readjusted to having real GPS and cell signal, and it turned out I was just maybe two blocks away from my destination.  Now I was actually early!

After all this agitation, I laughed at myself, aware of how much I make my own needless suffering.

And, I made it to my meeting in plenty of time, too.

#365Gratitude Day 145: Lost & Found

Yesterday Missy, my sister-in-law and I went to the movies.  Afterward we were a good 20 minute drive away about to grocery shop when I realized I had lost my wallet! 

In a panic, I mentally retraced my steps, and called the theater.  No one had turned a wallet in to the lost & found. 

We drove back there in a hurry. I was a mess. But I kept it together.  I looked all around the theater, and even back at my seat.

The very nice folks sitting there let me look between the seat cushions and there it was. 

I was SO relieved.  I'm thankful it worked out and that the people at that next showing were so gracious.  

#365Gratitude Day 144: Nothing

You know what I did Sunday? 

It was great. I lazed around the house, tinkered with making piston elevators in a Minecraft, and generally practiced my lazy layabout slug impersonation.  

If I really keep not working at it hard, one day soon I still won't have got it. Will not have gotten it? Whatever, it's challenging to be this flippant and cavalier. 

#365Gratitude Day 143: Covey covered

There's this wonderful book by Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  It's sort of the most distilled form of self-improvement literature.  When you're in the mood to read it, and ready to hear it, it's filled with brilliant insights.

But I'll admit, it can be a very dry read, if you're not in the mood.

I stumbled across this FANTASTIC video that sums up the habits, in a way that's super accessible. Check it out!