Happy Day

Lookee here, I won an award. Thank you to Tiana over at Spilled Ink for the much appreciated honor. I like the HAPPY. I’m all about the HAPPY. You’d never guess that I write mysteries from the way that I carry-on around here sometimes. But I’m glad that some of my enthusiasm spills out onto my blog and others take some measure of satisfaction from it.

This could be my last award though. For the uninitiated, most of these blog awards come with rules. These rules vary from award to award, but one of the most prevalent ones is the award winner should pass on the recognition to ten other bloggers he/she find deserving. I don’t know about you, but this feels too much like chain-mail to me. I’m not sure what happens if you break these rules, maybe the blogging gods become offended and block my site from others to see, but I don’t really care. I’m going to select just one HAPPY AWARD recipient I feel is deserving. I’ll let you know who that is … right after I fulfill my other award rule.

I’m supposed to list for you ten things that make me happy. Tiana and others inserted pictures into their lists, but I’m just a word guy and hopefully that’ll be enough for you to understand where I’m coming from. With no further adieu and in completely random order:

1. My family. My wife and I have been married for twenty-six years and we have three wonderful children. I truly love my in-laws, get along famously with everyone from my wife’s family, and my own family is terrific. What makes me the most happy…every bit of it is drama-free!
2. Coffee. There’s nothing like that first cup in the morning. I can drink it 24 hours a day (caffeine doesn’t affect me) and there’s some always close at hand when I’m writing
3. Speaking of Writing, that’s my number 3. There’s nothing like that feeling you get when you finish a passage, scene, or chapter and you can’t wait until somebody reads it.
4. LSU Sports. My wife and I both are LSU graduates, so this is almost a given. Football, Baseball, Soccer, Basketball, it doesn’t matter. If it’s on TV, we’re watching it. We return back to Baton Rouge every other year to see a game in Death Valley. GEAUX TIGERS!
5. Toys. What can I say…I’m a guy. Plasma TV, PS3, Xbox360, iPhone, iPod, expensive headsets, wireless routers, you name it, I probably got it.
6. Alaska. I’ve been cruising in Alaska twice and I would go back every week if I could. Laying on a deck chair at midnight, almost naked except for the thick blanket wrapped round you, absorbing the wilderness beauty as it slowly passes by as the ship sails up the inside passage. *Sigh*
7. Blog Comments. Every single one puts a smile on my face. It’s like a friend waving to you from across a crowded room.
8. Bruce Springsteen. I was going to say music in general here, because I truly do enjoy my music, but I decided to single out my number one.
9. Solitude. Most people don’t get this one, but there are times I quite like being alone. No pressure to be anything… to anyone.
10. Pizza. When I’m not dieting (like now), an awesome Chicago-style pizza is to die for!

Drum roll please…………………and the blogger I’ve selected to pass the torch to (are you cringing?)……is Karen Hooper. Karen is an old-hat at these awards, and the blog she writes is very entertaining. Have a look-see for yourself.