Got A Happy STory? Late, late, late

Got a Happy Story is a community gathering every Friday night where we share stories large and small that have put a smile on our face.  It is a time to acknowledge the joy and wonder we experience.  The Happy Story diary exists as a way to anchor the community in hope and comfort while we do the hard work of taking back our country. Everyone and all sorts of stories and pictures are welcome. May we find joy and strength here.

Hello to all from Chicago.  Eddie C and I are here together somewhere near the Water Tower where we found free access.  Sorry for the lateness of the diary.  We went to a restaurant that used to be good when Eddie was a kid but he finds it to be mediocre now.  Wby I left Cape Cod Bay to order sea scallops in Chicago is beyond me.  But my meal was good.  Eddie missed the cherry pie of his younger days.

We're drinking cammomile tea in an empty coffee house and thought we'd check in with all of you.

My happy story is that soberdad got his blood test results back and his cancer level is undetectable.  Eddie's happy story is he met some of his favorite Kossacks.

The convention is great. That's why we are hanging by the Chicago Water Tower but we need to hustle back because of a possible Cheers and Jeers pool party. So we'll stop gloating.

The breaking news is that Delaware Dem still hates pooties.  And we're happy to bring you this diary together, passing the laptop back and forth.

What's your happy story this week?

•  Was waiting for a tip jar but

  I was lying in bed reading while my 5 year old kid played. Then he holds his hands in a strange way, finger slightly curled, thumbs pretty straight, all fingers touching and says it's a heart because he loves me.

  :-)

  by plf515 on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:25:50 PM PDT

  •  Very cute. :-)

    by rserven on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:32:03 PM PDT

    •  He's a sweetie

      his older brother is another story :-)

      My wife and I say that the 10 year old is like a cat, and the 5 year old is like a dog.  It fits in many ways....

      by plf515 on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:01:45 PM PDT

      •  My Kids...

        

        by deepfish on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:07:43 PM PDT

        •  awwwww

          here are mine, although the pic is a bit old

          by plf515 on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:29:00 PM PDT

•  Went to my home group

  and received my 14 year medallion (Sunday) despite the fact the anniversary night is the last Friday of the month. I'm going in for surgery at the end of the month and won't be able to make the meeting. It's always good to be amongst friends that were there when I walked in the doors the first time. I'm very grateful for each and every day.

  Peace,

  Andrew

  by Andrew C White on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:28:06 PM PDT

  •  Congrats!!!!!

    That's an excellent happy story, the very best.  We'll be lifting a coffee to you on Sunday at the Blogger's Brunch.

    by sobermom on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:29:47 PM PDT

•  Happy Chicago Seafood Story

  Get the walleye. Lake Erie has it so I'm fairly sure Lake Michigan does too. Great mild white fish, should be plenty fresh thereabouts. Good broiled, pan fried or fish & chips style.

  If you're from the region, pace yourself, probably no more than once a month considering mercury etc.

  by Gooserock on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:28:58 PM PDT

•  I guess my happy story is the change...

  ...between last week and this regarding my family.  At least I hope it is happy.  My brother and I are exchanging email.  So are his lady friend and I.  And my sister and I. And my cousin and I.

  I can only do one of these letters a day and I get exhausted.  But it's a good exhausted, I think.

  I get to rest a little tonight, apparently, since my PFLAG diary is not so busy.

  Robyn

  by rserven on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:29:55 PM PDT

  •  sounds like it could be

    four happy stories

    by plf515 on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:37:13 PM PDT

    •  Or 5 or more...

      ...who knows?

      Family is hard work, but hopefully worth it.

      by rserven on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:45:39 PM PDT

  •  Take small steps

    ...and SMILE.

    :)

    DFooK

    by deepfish on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:09:06 PM PDT

  •  Robyn

    that is so nice.  We only have one family.  Enjoy them.

    by mango on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:11:01 PM PDT

  •  I wish you the best.

    I can't say I understand all you've been through but I do know how complicated families can be. My sister and I were adopted - we had the same birth mother but different fathers. I've always joked that if I didn't like a certain family member I could disown them because they weren't really family. But I know that family is about more than blood ties - it's about being loved and belonging and being accepted for who and what you are. As a mother I tried, I think sucessfully, to pass that on to my children. I think they've learned that it's not who or how you love, but that you DO love, that is important.

    by TokenLiberal on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 08:41:20 PM PDT

  •  This is good news!

    Hope all continues to go well'

    by mommaK on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 10:47:02 PM PDT

•  A Cheers and Jeers pool party?....

  OK...now I'm sad. I'm in a hotel room in NYC and I'm supposed to be working  but all I'm doing is ravaging the site for YKOS info. But a C&J pool party? dammit
    Cheers to you and soberdad for the good blood test.
            Have fun.

  by jnhobbs on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:31:00 PM PDT

•  So you can flame us if you want

  for being late or for being in Chicago or for terrible spelling.  But we didn't forget you all.  It was fun writing this together even though it is a lame diary.  WAe hope everything is happy with all of you.

  by sobermom on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:31:45 PM PDT

  •  thanks for putting it up

    I don't have a happy story but I feel better for reading them.  So thanks.

    Where is the pool party happening?  Is it secret?

    by St Louis Woman on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:45:52 PM PDT

    •  It's so secret it didn't happen

      I think it's probably in another venue.  I'm actually back in my room a bit ill after dinner.  Eddie is on the hunt for the party.

      by sobermom on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:40:18 PM PDT

•  Not much of a story

  Just a weekend with good friends, good food, maybe a little too much wine.  We have five adults, and five girls from seven to ten.  Exhausting, but once the girls are in bed (or at least off where they have the lights out and are giggling on their own), the unwinding is nice.  What am I doing here?  Taking a breather...

  by Liberal Protestant on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:33:04 PM PDT

•  Happy work story

  I work with Electroencephalograph (EEG) data.  One of the things they've found is that they can predict which cocaine addicts will respond to treatment. But they've done their studies with street-recruited populations.

  Now, they want to do a study of former addicts and their never-addicted siblings.  With street recruited people, this is often difficult.  I suggested they could study my brother (off the stuff for about 15 years) and me (never used).  But they need more.

  My brother went to Hazelden, I got the name of the president, and now we are going to get a source of data.

  by plf515 on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:33:56 PM PDT

•  What a great time

  Tell Eddie I said hi. One day we'll have the Happy Story Caucus at Yearly Kos

  by Carnacki on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:35:39 PM PDT

•  My kid is at YK07 and not me.

  And I hate not being there but for him it could change his perceptions and actions. I foolishly thought I could attend and get him a ticket at the door.

  He knows nothing about blogging but has been involved in politics since birth. A Chitown rat now. And always in need of a cause. Knows nothing about this site and is venturing into unknown waters.

  For a long time, I've never heard him so excited as when he told me about the schedule, what this thing was.

  Sad I'm not there. Happy? I'm beside myself.

  by MrSandman on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:36:40 PM PDT

  •  It sounds syrupy to say but the truth is nothing

    makes me happier than to see my son or grandson happy and engaged in something wonderful.  

    Nice going!

    by St Louis Woman on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:48:26 PM PDT

•  Kitten happy story

  My neighbor was having a garage sale this morning, so I went over to check it out.  A friend of hers was also sharing the garage sale, and that friend's daughter had brought kittens to give away.  I'm not crazy about the "free kittens!" thing, because you don't know who is taking them or what's going to happen to them.  Plus the kitten (a gorgeous little marmalade fellow) was hugely unhappy, screaming and trying to escape the carrier.

  Come to find out the carrier has an inch of water in it, no padding, no food, no nothing.  The carrier also smells like DOG.  So I got kind of nosy and took the kitten out, dried it off, got the girl to dry the carrier, got the cat some food, petted it a while, and put it back, racking my brains as to who would adopt a kitten for me.  (I have five cats, and people dump them on my porch, so my friends hear "kittten" from me and hang up.)  I just knew I was going to end up taking this cat, although I really can't.

  A half hour later the little girl comes to my door with the towel I left.  The kitten had been adopted by an adoring, very nice neighbor who had just fallen in love with it.  

  It's a small thing, but maybe not so small too.  It made my day, knowing that kitten had a good home with nice people.  And, secondarily, that I'm not responsible for yet another feline, turning the house in an uproar.  Happy days, little kitty.  

  P.S. I was going to name him "Howard Dean" because he really did roar beyond his size.

  by rocketito on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:37:03 PM PDT

  •  Now, THAT...

    ..is a wonderful Happy Story, rocketito!  You done good..here's hoping that little Marmalade Kitten and his/her new family will have a long and happy life together!

    by drchelo on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:21:35 PM PDT

  •  That is nice.

    I know exactly how you feel.  About 10 weeks ago I found a cat having kittens in the middle of the street.  People were just standing around doing nothing.  I asked someone to get a box and I brought her and her 3 babies home.  Two of the babies didn't live and a little grey baby survived.When the baby was 3 weeks old the mother got pregnant again and is due to deliver any day.  I don't know what I am going to do except I will keep her inside until the babies are weaned and get her spayed.  I am hoping that she only has a couple of kittens and maybe the local vet will take them.  This is Mexico and they don't like cats here.  Chances of finding good homes are not good.  This is not a happy story.

    by mango on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:23:02 PM PDT

    •  You might talk to the vet now

      Many will spay while the cat is pregnant.  

      Either way, bless you for taking care of these babies!

      by rocketito on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:44:00 PM PDT

      •  Not in

        Mexico.  She is due any day.  I just hope he will take the babies.

        by mango on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:58:56 PM PDT

•  Our good news this week

  My sister in law got her passport just in time (after only 3 months waiting) so she could make our long planned joint flight back to the Philippines to see family she has not seen in 20 years. And..
  the youngest sister-in-law who is in the Philippines got CAT scans and X-rays and it appears the breast cancer which is now in her hip has not spread further
  and I have nearly wrapped up a long legal/family matter giving me considerable peace of mind

  by Tonga 23 on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:51:09 PM PDT

•  my happy story...

  it's  Friday. That is pretty much it. I have 17 days until a week at the shore, after which I plan on significant changes in diet and lifestyle.

  17 days...

  by Darrell J Gahm on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:56:29 PM PDT

  •  Amen

    Friday: I think I'll get some sleep tonight.

    by Ex Con on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:06:10 PM PDT

•  Me too

  My 5yo foster son called me "mama" yesterday & today.  Big step of trust.  I am usually Aimee.

  Cheers!

  by aimeeinkc on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:57:45 PM PDT

  •  cool!

    and kudos for being a foster mom

    by plf515 on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 06:59:40 PM PDT

  •  Ah that

    is just wonderful!

    by mango on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:24:17 PM PDT

•  Took my kids to see the Simpsons

  Just got off the phone to my wife. She's in Korea. I miss her. She's back in 9 days. The house is still standing. This is good news.

  DFooK

  by deepfish on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:05:36 PM PDT

•  My happy story

  is that I am learning to lay tile.  We are getting ready to open a new eatery in November and the floor was awful.  My friend and I found broken pieces of tile out for the trash man and we picked them up and we are doing an 11 by 14 floor in mosaic.  It is about a quarter finished and is nice.  A little different, but what the hell.  This is Mexico after all and it is hard to find experts.
  I had to laugh at my friend who is trying to fix a toilet leak.  We are a couple of ladies and not very strong.  We were talking about it tonight and she said its the first time in a while that she thought that a man would come in handy.
  Tonight we went to the beach and had a couple of drinks and french fries.  A very happy day as usual.

  by mango on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:08:33 PM PDT

  •  Take it from me...

    You don't need a man. With the right set of tools you can do anything.

    DFooK

    by deepfish on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:12:33 PM PDT

    •  Are you

      referring to hardware.  Sorry my q mark dosen't work.

      by mango on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:13:56 PM PDT

      •  LOL n/t

        by deepfish on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:14:25 PM PDT

•  A stranger returned my daughter's lost wallet n/t

  by Desert Rose on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:35:18 PM PDT

  •  Now that is

    a heartwarming happy story.

    by mango on Fri Aug 03, 2007 at 07:37:26 PM PDT