The Best Type of "Happy"

OK, so my Twilight-Zone-Coworker just got a pitbull puppy. She's only seven weeks old. I got to play with her on Saturday -- needless to say, I am happy. Puppy-happy.
You see, there are varying forms of "happy." "Happy" can come from a good laugh at a funny movie, or maybe getting an A on that paper you were so worried about, or getting good news from a good friend. Some "happy's" are better than others. One of the best, longest-lasting "happys" is the happy you get from an animal. Young animals (kittens, puppies, etc) are preferable, but the happy can really come from any little creature that you come across.
The secret is love. A puppy, for example, is the easiest thing to love. She'll meet you for the first time in her life, and automatically she's fawning over you like you're a God. She loves you, instantly and completely. You don't have to do anything to get this love. You don't have to work at getting respect or proving that you are worth loving. It's just there. How can you not return that love?

So, when I got to play with little Nala, the pitbull puppy, I was overcome with love. She is tiny (she fit into my two hands put together) and fuzzy-soft (the best kind of soft) and WRINKLY!!!!! Ohhhh, wrinkles. I love LOVE wrinkly puppies.
So, we were playing. She's the typical little puppy -- all excited, clumsy because she doesn't know her own paws, jumping and sliding and wriggling all over the place. She kept trying to climb up on me, it was awesome. And then, after a solid ten minutes of playing, she suddenly climbed onto my lap and fell asleep. Just like that. She went from crazy excited energetic puppy to asleep in under ten seconds. It was great.

So there I am, with a little, fuzzy, wrinkly puppy sleeping on my lap! OHHHH, JACKPOT!!!! This is the BEST kind of happy that i can think of!!!!! Uhhh, that's put me in a good mood for at least two or three weeks.
Thank God for puppies. Yes, the Lord is serious about alot of things, and He is just and mighty and He is our Judge and all that good stuff . . . but you gotta admit, only a God who really does know how great love is would create puppies. Go find a puppy. That's your homework. Go find a puppy, and you'll find God smiling.

LA for cheap, and some tire-pressure

So, my incredibly talented older sister is a fashion designer for Target, and they send on her "shopping" trips all over the world. She basically is put up in a beautiful hotel, given a generous allowance for meals, gets a sweet rental car ... all on the company expense account. So, naturally, I took advantage. She was sent to Los Angeles the week that I was on Spring Break, which is when I usually fly out to visit her in Minneapolis anyway, so instead I bought a plane ticket to LA. I stayed in the free posh hotel with her, shared her free rental car, ate many meals on her expense account, and basically did nothing but shop and relax. Shopping may not be my "thing" (if I'm not shopping for fruit or cheap jewelery, I'm not interested) but when you're in LA, and your fashion-nazi sister is hitting all of the absurdly expensive places where a single sock is practically my paycheck ... it's hard not to be in the mood to browse.
Besides, my sister was actually quite fun to hang out with. Usually, we have a great first day together, then by the next morning we're a little touchy, and we'll be fighting like those good ol' days by lunch time. But we made it to the VERY LAST NIGHT before we had a real fight! We had some really great talks, too. So, all in all, it was a great trip.

Funny story: Last week at work, I discovered that my female 29-year old coworker did not know how to check her own tire pressure, never mind pump air. Now, I am lucky -- my father has taught me a lot about cars. Like, I can check my tires, change a flat, change my own oil, etc. So, I gently convinced her that she needed to learn. We took our dinner breaks together, and I took her to a gas station to purchase her very own tire pressure gauge. I then explained all about tires and tire pressure, when you should check them and fill them, what "psi" stands for, etc. I showed her how to fill her tires, and proceeded to fill the first three tires. Then, apprehensively yet bravely, she took a deep breath and said, "Meagin, I think I'm ready. I'm ready to pump air into that tire." I looked at her, and saw the new-found wisdom in her eyes. I said, "Yes, Grasshopper, you are ready. It is time." So I handed the air hose to her, and she filled her very first tire!!! It was quite exciting. On the drive back to work, I told her that she should check her tires again the next morning, before she drove anywhere, to make sure that her tires aren't leaking at all. She was all eager and excited, like "Oh, yes, i definitely will, first thing!!!" We got back to work, and she proceeded to announce to the interns and clients how she had just pumped air into a tire. It was freaking hilarious.