Ramblings

So here I am again killing Time in the Denver Airport. No, this won't be about Time, I think I wrote enough about that. I guess since I can't think of any one thing to write about, I'll just ramble a little.

This is my third flight in three days. My first flight this week was an early morning flight from Midway to Nashville. As usual, I was medicated and sleepy. I woke up halfway through the flight to find the guy next to me sleeping. That's not unusual except for the fact that he was sleeping with his head on my shoulder. I'm glad I was fairly stoned so it didn't creep me out as much as it would have if I had been sober.

Why is it the when you eat Cheetos, (especially the crunchy ones), you end up with more cheese powder on your hands and lips than is in the whole bag? I love Cheetos, but end up with the orange powder on everything. By the way, is the orange powder really cheese? I'm a little leery about checking the ingredients because I'm not sure I would still like them as much if I knew what was in them.

Reese. I've been crawling more these days since Reese started crawling. It's just easier to be on the same level she is. It's so much fun to watch her crawl and try to test her new found freedom. She is a doll and I am so glad she is in my life. I love the things that just fascinate her that we take for granted. She believes that everything that is within her reach is there for her to check out and taste. She got to one of the dog bones before I could get to her, she made a funny face when she tasted it.

A man I have admired for the last thirty years is in his last days on earth. I'm not sure how I would handle that. I've had to watch my father fade away and the only consolation was that he didn't know what was happening. I believe my friend knows. I feel like a cad for not visiting him, but he didn't want people to see him this way. I hope he doesn't suffer. He will pass the same way he lived his life, with class. God Speed, Mr K, God Speed.

The guy sitting next to me is talking extremely loud on his phone and laughing loudly. It is just rude. I hope he doesn't look over and read this, I don't need the hassle.

Crap! I now have orange powder on my keyboard, in my facial hair and on the white shirt I'm wearing. Damn you Cheetos! I guess I have to quit and go wash my hands and clean my keyboard and try not to ruin the shirt getting the orange powder off of it.

More later.

Happiness

What really is happiness? Yeah, I know it’s the state of being happy. But what makes you happy? I know that it’s different for everyone. Just calling my cocker Spaniel makes her thrilled to death. My Granddaughter is just as happy as can be when she’s fed and clean and not tired. Oh, if it were all it would take make the rest of that happy. We wouldn’t have the huge consumer driven society that we have. All cars would be the same. There wouldn’t be any difference in clothing or hairstyles or food or houses or, or, or…Life would be bland, but we would be happy.

I have a great job, I make good money, I have two wonderful daughters, (they are as different as night and day but I love them both.) I have the most important person in my life, my Granddaughter Reese. I love my family. My dogs think I’m some sort of god. I have some good friends, I have a nice car; I’m in pretty good health for someone my age. I can do pretty much anything I want (within reason), and yet I am rarely what you would call really happy. Why is that? I don’t think I need a woman in my life. They, as a gender, are too unpredictable and unfathomable to us men or maybe just me. I don’t consider myself a lonely guy. I value my alone time. I’m not what you would call a deep thinker; I guess you would say I am a pretty shallow thinker. I don’t ponder life’s mysteries; I just figure they are what they are.

With the world the way that it is, I don’t know ANYONE over the age of 30 that is truly happy. Too many people are out of work or on limited hours or unsure of when the next round of layoffs will hit. There doesn’t seem to be enough money to go around as there was just a year or two ago. Many of my friends are having relationship issues, whether it’s the lack of a relationship, or insecurity in their existing relationship, or are struggling with infidelity or the consequences of infidelity.

So back to the original question, “What makes us happy?” I think for most of us it would be as simple as someone paying attention to us, or having enough to eat, or a nice place to stay, or maybe peace with God (however you perceive him). Although I have all of that; true happiness eludes me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an unhappy person. I’m just not exactly happy. I tend to be optimistic. Maybe I equate happiness with being thrilled with life; I can’t always say I am always thrilled with life. It can be exquisite or it can be pure torture. There are a lot of times that life just is. It’s not great, it’s not bad, it just is. There are times when all I need to be happy is a hug. It doesn’t have to be a hug from a significant other, just from a friend. (Hopefully of the opposite sex.)

So that’s what makes us happy. Attention, food, cleanliness, peace, or maybe just a hug. I’ve been told that happiness comes from within. I’d be willing to debate that at times. I can be miserable and Reese will smile or giggle or coo or just make a funny face and whatever made me miserable is gone.

As I said earlier, I’m not a deep thinker, so maybe I’ll never figure this out. Maybe we’re not supposed to. Who knows?

Lists

Here is a top 10 list of women I'm waiting to call me:

1. Jennifer Aniston
2. Gabrielle Anwar
3. Milla Jovovich
4. Lena Headey
5. Kate Beckinsale
6. Jessica Alba
7. Jessica Biel
8. Megan Fox
9. Eliza Dushku
10. Jenna Fisher

If any of you out there in cyberland know any of these women, have them get in touch with me. I am single and available. I am willing to travel.

Stay tuned for more lists.