Five Things That Make Me Happy and One Thing That’s Pissing Me Off

by Katy on September 6, 2011 · 32 comments

  1. I am happy that our Portland summer has been so mild that I haven’t needed to water my hydrangeas, even once. Normally I have to water them daily to stave off drooping and leaf burn.
  2. I am happy that my husband seems to be catching the bug for fixing up the house. He’s normally pretty burnt out from 15 year of owning a fixer-upper. However, just yesterday, he pulled off the door to our built-in buffet to fix the hinge. This job has been on our to-do list since we bought the house in 1996.
  3. I am happy that even though the reason I spent yesterday with my mother was far from glamorous, (we scrubbed up one of her rental cottages in the two hours between tenants) it was actually quite enjoyable. She and I are really different from one another, yet we’re also two peas in a pod.
  4. I am happy that my extremely fat and complacent indoor cats are under the impression that they’re stalking the wilds of the African savannah. For some reason, they’ve latched onto a bin of cheap-o stretchy gloves in the coat closet, and scatter them throughout our bedrooms on a daily basis. I know it’s some ingrained wild instinct, yet it’s also so incredibly goofy.
  5. I am happy that I will soon have some really exciting news to share with my blog readers. I will wait until the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed to make the announcement, but believe me, it’s big!
  6. I am pissed off that among the three school binders in our possession, none of them were still functional. The quality of zippered binders is beyond irresponsible.

Now you. What’s making you happy and what’s pissing you off?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

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{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }

Lisa @ Just here. Just now. September 6, 2011 at 8:12 am

Great list! I love that happiness that animals bring by being sometimes goofy, but entirely themselves. I’m happy about the rain that seems to have settled in for the day and specifically the fact that I think I can mange to stay home all day to enjoy it!

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Susan September 6, 2011 at 8:51 am

I am blessed we did not have any serious damage to our home during all the tornado action yesterday.

While the weather was bad I clean out several closets, I have 6 bags to go to Goodwill.

I found a couple of Christmas presents I had put away and forgot about.

I am not pissed just frustrated:; I kid pulled out in front of my husband yesterday and now we have to deal with the inconvenvious that is involved with getting a vehicle fixed. No one hurt.

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Amy H. September 6, 2011 at 9:41 am

I am very happy about the incredibly delicious peach I am eating this morning. Had a great one yesterday, too! I love summer fruits . . . .

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Melissa September 6, 2011 at 9:49 am

I am happy that school has finally started and that our giant landscaping project is finished so we can actually be in our yards. I was a little peeved that my kindergartner won’t actually be starting school until next week, but am now realizing that these last few days together is something we both need before he begins that journey and I have no more kids at home all day.

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Anne Weber-Falk September 6, 2011 at 10:05 am

I’m happy that it’s 64.6 degrees outside. Autumn is getting so close! I’m happy that I’m feeling more relaxed and less uptight this school year than I felt last year. I’m happy because I love my husband and he loves me. I’m pissed off about how much trouble the foster system is. We have been a foster family for nearly ten years and I find it so difficult to get things done quickly and efficiently for our foster child. Too much paperwork and too many people with their hands in the game makes everything take forever to get done.

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Katherine September 6, 2011 at 10:12 am

Happy: my husband cleaned up the whole downstairs, including dinner dishes, last night.

Pissed: It is raining and I want to be lazy but know I need to get my butt moving and exercising for a 21 day challenge I agreed to. Today is day 2. This does not bode well.

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harriet September 6, 2011 at 10:27 am

Happy: I have great kids. They’re witty, well-read and intelligent.

Pissed: every year I have to fight the school district to get them an appropriate education. They don’t understand or care about gifted needs.

Pissed: migraine.

Pissed: house is a cluttered mess.

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Scribe September 6, 2011 at 10:46 am

Having worked for many years with various dry cleaners doing alterations for extra spending money, I know that most zippers can be repaired very easily. Sliders and stops are usually the problem and they are cheap or free when taken from zippers on worn out clothes. Repairing zippers is a skill that has served me well and the only tool needed is a pair of needle-nosed pliers. I’ve found many brand new jeans, backpacks, school binders, etc., over the years which were donated because of a faulty zipper.

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Kris September 6, 2011 at 3:52 pm

Oh please show me how! Is there a youtube video somewhere? My favorite 10+ year old backpack is in fantastic condition except the stops on the zipper are all wonky so it unzips itself when the teeth loose their grip.

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Scribe September 6, 2011 at 4:04 pm

Please E-mail me and I will try to help. Not sure I should be cluttering up this blog (lwirthit@gmail.com).

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Shannon Breen September 6, 2011 at 11:34 am

The weather here near Cincinnati is making me EXTREMELY happy — about 70 degrees and pretty. On Friday and Saturday it was 98 degrees. Ugh! Pissing me off? My 8 year old daughter, who keeps putting dirty clothes in strange places — behind the couch, under her bed, in a desk drawer. Grrrrr…

And a big “amen!” on the binders. Last year my son’s binders were held together with duct tape by the end of the year.

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Stephanie September 6, 2011 at 1:23 pm

It makes me happy that in four days time, our family van will be PAID OFF. A year early too! I’m also pretty happy that by the end of the week, the weather man said it will finally drop below a hundred degrees for the first time in 117 days. Hurray!

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Indy September 6, 2011 at 1:36 pm

I am happy that I make a living learning and sharing with others something that I love, as I teach Art and Art History to high school students, while also teaching them live long skills regardless of artistic persuasion, critical thinking, problem solving, fine motor skills, etc.

I am happy that I am settling into my first house with the gusto of a new convert as I tackle the challenges of my own fixer-upper. I even made a fire pit over the weekend out of all the grey bricks and filled it with broken terra cotta pots as a gravel base. It will be great as nights grow cooler.

I’m pissed off that while I have some incredible students walking into my classroom, I also have the 2 or 3 bent on being disruptive, contradictory, etc. I had to have one removed from the room by an administrator and worse yet, the existing contact and emergency contact for this student are both disconnected numbers, so I can’t get the parent’s involved to help get this student back on track. The rest of the class deserves the time and space conductive to learning.

I’m pissed off that the administration keeps pushing us to use more technology in the classrooms but does not have the support in place to make it possible. My classroom phone doesn’t work, teacher e-mail is still down, my school issued computer still hasn’t been issued to me, and the tech support told me he doesn’t now anything about Mac’s so I had to figure out how to get my personal macbook into the system so I could take attendance.

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Erica September 6, 2011 at 2:47 pm

I’m happy that I’m finally back in school after being gone for so long. I’m happy to have a real plot of land to work on, even if it’s only 10′ x 20′ and 4 miles from my apartment. I’m happy that I’ve started to discover some edible weeds/native plants.

I’m pissed my partner is going to be away on his second week long business trip this month, only to come back for a day and leave for another yet again. I know it’s a part of his work and all, but it sucks.

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Bauunny September 6, 2011 at 3:36 pm

I’m happy that I took a vacation day today and actually got a bit caught up “on life” (decluttering, tedious errands, laundry) and can now start this short week feeling more organized than usual.

I am happy that I have many things to look forward to this fall and that I am blessed with good health and a job that I mostly enjoy.

I am pissed because I caught the evening news tonight (which I usually avoid) and see that the U.S. Congress is back in session and still bickering rather than solving the problems they were elected to solve.

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Practical Parsimony September 6, 2011 at 3:37 pm

I am pissed that my built-in does not have cool, old doors like yours. Mine may have been broken and replaced because the glass is not the old, poured glass like the windows have.

I am pissed that I just now fell into the house trying not to step on Fancy. It was a slowww fall, so I only got this huge bruised all the way down my shin, and it hurts. Whine, whine, whine….

I am pissed because the ENT doc said there is nothing in my aching sinuses, nothing wrong with my sinuses, and the ear that is throbbing has no fluid or infection. It is “just” a musculoskeletal problem. ??? And, he said my nose is going crazy inside, so I get a nose spray. It is all on my blog.

Piss #1–just kidding; piss #2–grateful I did not really hurt anything else; piss#3–how could all the doctors have been so wrong all these years?

Happy–got about 8 lbs of free apples to dehydrate
Happy–Cheap four lbs of bananas to dehydrate
Happy–I did not step on Fancy.
Happy–I can NOT take antibiotics for whatever is wrong.
Happy–Doc cleaned my other ear so I can now hear!
Happy–the 36 hr rain is gone and tomorrow will be dry.
Happy–It is cool today. Dehydrating will be faster and heat the house less.

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Susan C September 6, 2011 at 3:58 pm

I am happy that I have a healthy family.
I am happy we moved to Ecuador to spend more time with each other without work getting in the way.
I am happy my 13yo son will start school this week. Hopefully he will make some friends.
I am happy that fruit and vegetables are so cheap and abundant here.
I am happy I have a great apartment and landlady.

I am sad that it is a little cold here and there is no central heat and air in Cuenca, EC
I am sad that I am in my late 30’s and don’t have any close friends 🙁

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AnnW September 6, 2011 at 4:48 pm

I didn’t think I was pissed about anything until I started looking around Blogland. I am pissed about all the “ladies” who don’t know jack **** about 9/11 who are writing memorial posts. Yes, I like the guy who has a full tattoo of the whole scene. But, unless you were there, or are from the tri-state area, shut up! A lot of these posts reek of sentimentality. If you want to recognize the anniversary, post one picture, that’s it. Unless your brother worked at Cantor Fitzgerald, no one from Atlanta or Phoenix really knows what it was like that day. It was the worst day of my life. Two out of three of my family members were less than a block away. My husband saw the second plane hit the trade center from his office across the street. I’ll be quiet now.
I am happy that I have two clean dogs. Almost as good as baby smells. Ann

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Vicki September 6, 2011 at 5:05 pm

Happy: My sister is visiting (and going through the boxes she is storing in our basement).

Pissed: It is raining all week and I am going to run out of inside things to do with my 8 month old.

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Shari September 6, 2011 at 7:29 pm

Happy that my kids were proud of their pencils cases that we crafted from old t-shirts and pissed off that teachers request we purchase book covers rather than craft them.

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Megg September 6, 2011 at 7:37 pm

This comment has nothing to do with your post, and everything to do with your cat link.
I volunteer at a cat shelter, and I can tell you that yes, it is WAY cheaper to pay the $100 per cat than it is to get a free kitten. I’ve done both, and I can tell you that I spent way less on the rescued kitty than I did on the kitten! (As an aside, we this shelter puts $300 into every cat/kitten that comes through the shelter). So yes, your “free” kitten isn’t always a bargain, though I did enjoy that post. 😀
(Also, this is why you shouldn’t declaw!! Stepping off my soapbox now…)

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Robin September 6, 2011 at 8:33 pm

Happy it’s finally warm here and the garden is producing like crazy.

Happy making delicious and creative meals using homegrown produce.

Happy making a menu for the week and being really excited about them.

Happy my 17 month old is growing by leaps and bounds; watching him develop is pure joy.

Happy my husband took today off 🙂

Pissed that dishes don’t do themselves.

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anotherhousewife September 6, 2011 at 10:47 pm

Happy that we just spent five days in a free 2 bedroom, full kitchen condo 3 hours away from our home in cooler weather thanks to my husbands hard work. He was given the trip as a prize in the company Summer Sales Contest.

Pissed off that I returned to a messy house!

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Mary September 7, 2011 at 5:50 am

Happy to be part of a fun book club – we have great discussions.
Happy to be near a wonderful public library (great use of tax dollars)
Happy to have a garden (I am tired of okra, however)
Happy to be married to someone who likes to cook!
Pissed about a co-worker who keeps telling us how Fabulous She Is!

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Tonya September 7, 2011 at 10:04 am

Happy that I ate at the best mexican food restaurant ever yesterday with my hubby!

Happy that my 6th grader seems to be making a friend or two at her new middle school.

Happy that I have a lovely job and only work 3 days a week!

Happy that my cupboards are looking re-stocked after a summer of 2 tweens at home eating nonstop.

Happy that my cat thinks rubber bands are the greatest invention ever. Every time I see one in her food bowl I laugh out loud! She is the mighty hunter.

Pissed that it’s only supposed to be 60 and rainy all day= gross!

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Bobbi September 7, 2011 at 10:13 am

Happy that we’ve got summer weather here in Portland, finally!

Happy that when I kissed my husband goodbye this morning, he said, “You have a great mouth and you smell great!”

Happy that my 7th grade daughter called her first day of school yesterday “Awesome!”

Bummed that she needs braces, though grateful that insurance pays 50%.

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Ann September 7, 2011 at 10:53 am

Happy we have finally found a reasonable contractor to start our remodel.

Happy we have a son who is growing into a very nice young man.

Happy that my boot camp instructors are so awesome.

Pissed that my boot camp buddy has just been diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer.

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Claudia September 7, 2011 at 11:28 am

Happy that I’ve discovered yoga.

Happy that a great new thrift shop just opened in my neighborhood.

Happy that my young children are taking an interest in the natural world around them.

Happy that autumn is imminent.

Happy that new studies are showing that whole milk is probably healthier than skim.

Pissed that I have to deal with a slew of unhappy, impolite, burned-out people who take their life dissatisfactions out on those they encounter.

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Kris2 September 7, 2011 at 11:49 am

You know, I have absolutely nothing to put in the pissed column right now. That’s a happy all by itself 😉

Our oldest daughter was born a preemie and died after a 14 day fight. Her 21st birthday was last week.

The happy comes from the blessing we had of having her in our lives for that 14 days. I cannot express the gratitude I have that we were able to sit with her and touch her(couldn’t pick her up because her skin was too sensitive). The day she died we were blessed to hold her for the first time in our arms and love on her. So many people lose their children w/o having the gift of life, as short as it was, that we had.

I am happy that i have not become the pathetic mom who hounds her child now that our daughter is living in the dorms on campus. She is happy as well 😉

I am happy that I found the most AWESOME piece of pottery from a local potter and it was in my price range!

over all, I am just happy to be alive 🙂

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Claudia September 8, 2011 at 8:17 am

Kris2, you have a beautiful outlook. Your eldest daughter was lucky she got you for a mom. (Your younger one, too.)

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Kris2 September 8, 2011 at 10:26 am

Oh, thank you very much, but the blessing and luck was the other way around. We were honored to have our daughter, even for such a short time.

I know people who have had stil-lborns and late stage miscarriages and the grief they have at not being able to see their child open their eyes or wrap their finger around theirs. To have had that for 2 weeks is a gift.

Sometimes it is the littlest life that teaches the biggest lessons.

It also taught me that it is a shameful waste to spend all your time pissed off or in pity party mode 😉 I tend to have bursts of pissed off moments, not long term, chronically bitter and pissed off moments…lol . Maybe my pissed off moments are watching people whine………and whine…………and whine. I have no tolerance for pity parties that last more than a day…lol I have no tolerance for people that are in a perpetual “swallow a lemon” attitude. If you are breathing, you are blessed. Period.

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Angie W. September 8, 2011 at 4:04 pm

I love your good news! We also bought our home in 1996. I love cats. They can do NO wrong! Oh, I am sitting here drooling over your FIESTA! I love when DH’s get a notion to fix up our fixer uppers.

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