I am return and has cheezburgers...

Hello readers! It has been a while and a lot has happened around here.  If you need a laugh head over to icanhascheezburger and get your fix of funny captions and kitties like I did this morning. There have been a lot of recent changes in my life. So far, I can say they have all been positive if not scary at times.  Have you ever found something you wanted, especially if you weren't looking for it, and clung to it so desperately that you ran the risk of strangling it? I certainly have. The fact is... I'm sort of in that right now. I keep asking myself why am I in this situation and I keep coming to the same personal insight.

There is a big difference between Content and Happy. Content is well...content...it likes to stay put  plugging away at what needs to be done and probably doing it very well. Content isn't concerned about tomorrow because today is doing just fine. Whether it be work, play, or relationships you will find Content knows all is well and exists in a sublime mix of steady warmth and feelings of success. Content knows what's coming and is comfortably prepared for it.

Happy, wants more and readies itself for the next task. Happy is less concerned about the end result and wants to soak in as much as it can as fast as it can. For better or worse, Happy exists fully in each moment. It also has an eye on tomorrow waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop to take it all away. Happy is the moments of electricity dancing across the sky that inspire awe and envy from all who dare to witness it. Happy is the result of taking a risk and defying Content. It reaches out for those opportunities that can take contentment away. Simply put, Happy can change your world.

Right now, I am very Happy.

Moving up and catching forward...

It has been almost a full month since my last post. The last few weeks have been pretty tough. The good news is that I am back to teaching. Everyone says they can tell a change in my demeanor. Apparently I'm still an ass, but now I'm one with a smile.

It has taken me a little while to get my teaching legs under me again. I have had to redo most of everything, every quiz, test, worksheet or other assignment. My predecessor as it turns out was still using leftovers from the old textbook which I don't find fair for students. I give them tons of extras and I use real naked people whenever possible. Last time I checked EMS doesn't transport line art and corny diagrams...and if all works out well, we never see skin and muscle peeled back to reveal internal organs or bones.

With all that has had to be rebooted, so far teaching has not opened up a whole lot of time. The other time gobbler has been illness. Yesterday was the first time in three weeks where I could say I felt...better. Illness combined with weather added to teaching in a classroom for eleven hours a day equals slow recovery.

Another downer was the loss of one of my followers. As you may recall, several weeks ago Sarah Hartman became my seventh official follower, stats say I unofficially have about 30, and her icon is still there. Her funeral was held last week. Two Saturdays ago her life support was turned off after confirmation only her brainstem was still active.

I had mentioned Sarah was a warrior and a fighter, she was just that. We shared more than a few common elements in our history. I toured the country as a dancer and she worked in Vegas. I think I was one of the few people at school/work that could see the real her underneath all the masks she wore.  After surviving more than a year of medical trials, it would be Tylenol toxicity that would take her life. It took Sarah less than three days to go from a recently engaged graduate with a new job to full life support. Tylenol can be some nasty stuff all by itself. Our best guess is that the Tylenol was potentiated by one of her other medications to the level of toxicity which shutdown her liver and other organs. Life support was maintained an extra day so that Sarah's kidneys could save two other renal patients.

I have a few commitments to catch up on. First is getting back in touch with writing. I have been pretty burnt since Nano, they should really move that sucker away from all the holidays, leaving my directorship, and getting the new year started.  First up will be my return to the blogosphere with more gusto and probably a whole new look. Next, finishing up the website for one of my local writing groups, it was a long overdue rehab and it has taken much longer than expected for me to finish it. Hey, let's see you type code on cold meds, even herbal ones.  Last but not least, I need to do some real writing again. Some of the voices in my head don't want to live there anymore.

Until next time...
JOE