Mr. Smiley

Hi All,
I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Mr. Smiley, and I sit atop Marty's computer at work. I'm a Puffkin, which, in case you don't know, is a little stuffed plush with no arms. Swibco gave me the name 'Happy,' but Marty being Marty, she had to give me her own name. I'm just a round smiley with feet. Neil, our department letter-writer, used to come pick me up daily and threaten not to give me back. Yes, I'm THAT cute. Marty told me, "I'm a blank page, dude. YOU write something for the blog." I said, "You know, it's 'okay' to miss a day." She says, "No, it's not. It's truly important that I write something daily. People need their reading material, I tells ya!" At that point I realized I was dealing with someone who's slightly...how shall we say? Off.

So here I am, writing a post for you fine people. Well, me being all smiley and such, I only know to write about things that make us smile. I know some of Marty's answers here, so I'm taking the liberty of writing them. The heck with her if she wants to sue me.

Things That Make Me Smile

(Not in any particular order. The numbers are just an organizational device. Thanks to Marty's Personal Dictionary Mr. Manatee for that sentence.)

1) The clear blue eyes of a certain three-year-old Sweet Pea. They're the most beautiful blue that nature invented, I think. And they're usually smiling back at us.

2) Moms. Moms RULE! Not much I can say here that hasn't been said. Except, most of the smiles we get in our lives are somehow connected to our moms or our kids. Unless you're just a ravenous sex feind; you might smile a lot then. In which case, you may need cold showers. You!

3) Um....Yeah. THAT. Well, "The Happy Place" certainly makes us ALL smile. Unless we're blocks of ice. Which, I sometimes wish ol' Mart was. Cause it's bad when I get knowing looks from her. Whoo! Note to self: Find this girl some sack time, asap.

4) Really great movies. There's nothing like sitting in a nice dark theater (or, if you're Marty, in your living room, which houses her Favorite Man, Mr. Huge-Ass TV (65 inches! Dear God!)) and those opening credits come up. There's nothing like really breathtaking cinematography and really mind-blowing special effects. And there's nothing like a moment in a film that you keep with you the rest of your life. Films DO have that power. Every now and then, you'll see a moment you can't forget. THAT's what I'm talking about.

5) A song that takes you into the stratosphere. Not trying to sound so New Age, but really, there are songs we've all heard that take us to another place. Tori Amos said that about 'Song For Eric,' one she sings. She said when she heard it, and sang it, it took her to another time, another place. She wasn't tooting her own horn. She believes, as do I, that Art is created by a spiritual force in our lives, and we're the vessel. Um, yeah. I guess that DID sound New Age. Let me get out my beads and crystals...

6) Being Connected to Others. That's one of the most basic needs, after eating. But it's more than just sharing an interest, sometimes. That's the connection that makes us smile the most. Like, for example, I'm kind of fond of Puffkin Zelda, and she gets me. I feel like I could talk to her all the time, and I know I'd be smiling a lot when I did. Good ol' Zelda. Whee!

7) Humor. Marty loves wit and humor. She also loves Devil's Food Cake, but are we really taking count? Oh, quit glaring at me! YOU told me to write this, and that's what I'm doing! Anyway, dear readers, I'd say a good laugh gives us smiles galore. You know what's the best? When you laugh so hard, you can't breathe and you have to stop and calm yourself down. Bean and M seem to do this at times. So I hear. Thank God I'm at her desk at work and get to avoid such silliness.

8) Cat Purrs. Back in the days when I did reside at M's house, I heard that cat purr a lot. She likes Puffkins, especially to play with. She's a sweetheart at any rate, but the purring tops the cake. It makes me smile now just thinking about it.

9) Sunshine. I wouldn't know, being office-prone. But M, she tells me that five seconds in the sun can completely change her mood. Well! Get out there, then! Sheesh!

10) Cleanliness. Oh my. Well, I was trying to make a list for us all, but this one's for Compulsives, I guess. Who else smiles when they see a clean house/desk/car/room/counter....you get the point. Personally, I think it's ironic that someone who loves cleanliness can't friggin' dust me once in a while. Such a slacker!

So there you go. There's so many incredible things in this world, things that constantly amaze me. So I know there's a lot to smile about.

Here's hoping you find something to smile about today.

Sincerely,
Mr. Smiley


** I'd like to make it known that Mr. Smiley will soon be sent to the incinerator since he does not know how to write a post without snarky comments. I certainly think he shirked his responsibility there. I mean, the guy bilks me out of house and home all the time, and still has the nerve to write meandering posts! (smiles)

And, he's wrong about #3. I do not need 'sack time, asap.' I just had a conversation with our tech guy, who is hotter than a piece of bacon on the 4th of July, and he agreed to help me with those...'issues.'

Have a great day, All.
M