Just Like Chocolate, It's Good News

Well, I may get this out early since I started early.  Just like chocolate after a long day, good news can make things seem better.  So when I asked you guys for some you came charging in with your tiny victories.  It was awesome.  So here I am sharing them with the world.

Good News for the Week of 26 July 2014

• Chuck Carroll reminds many of us that it is Conclave this week.  I got a chance to spend a couple of days there and it was great seeing everybody.
• Jennifer got discharged from the Wound Clinic and does not have to go back.  That means her leg is almost healed with just another month of walking restrictions and compression tubes.  Sounds good and since I saw you earlier this week it looked like you were getting around fairly well but don't push too hard.
• Cindy reports that the VBS material is packed away for another year.  She is starting on the bins for the fair and then it is packing for Conclave.  I am not sure what most of that was but I am glad you finished it all up but I am also sorry our schedules did not mesh.  I was trying to get back after my business in Philly but my body said "TIRED!" So I listened to my body and not my brain because if you guys have read any of my other blogs Brain Bad.
• Susan came back with a report that her brother got his B.S. last week.  And she too was at Conclave.
• Pam says that after three weeks on vacation with the Alabama grandparents he has returned.  They celebrated by staying in a hotel in Louisiana then on to home in Texas.  I am sure you missed him even though you probably won't let on. 
• Donna has reached the $2000 fundraising milestone. Every penny counts for an amazing cause so please keep up the good fight and everyone else feel free to give a buck or more.  Go Team.
• Danielle say that Mark and her completed her first metric century ride of the year.  To top it off they may have had their first ever without a flat.  She is still on track for her goal of the year and she has signed up for another attempt at the 5k.  That is awesome and remember that running includes walking.  
• Holly started her new job as an RN this past week and she reports a hate for cancer.  We are all with you on that one and congratulations on the new job taking care of us in need.
• And Maggie got a new floor lamp for the den after six years of searching for one. I would say that you might have to high a criteria for a floor lamp.  Well, either way, I am sure it is pretty.

Okay, so some of you are wondering what is up with this Conclave I and others have been talking about.  Well, I belong to a professional chemistry fraternity called Alpha Chi Sigma and every two years we have our national meeting where we meet and conduct the business of the fraternity including stuff like chemical education and outreach.  It is awesome where I get a chance to see many of my brothers across the country that I haven't seen in two years.  I got to spend a couple of days at Conclave but had to come back to Philly to get more antibiotics.  It was cool as well as your sharing of your good news.  Thanks guys and I hope you keep bringing us all the tiny and not so tiny victories.

Almost Early, Here Comes the Good News 19 July 2014

Holy bull chips, I am actually getting to this in an almost reasonable time. It seems everytime I sit down to do this I get distracted by something and start something else.  I am like a dog and someone yells squirrel.  I have a joke for you guys.
-A squirrel walks up to a tree and says "I forgot to store acorns for winter and now I am dead." Ha! It is funny because the squirrel gets dead. Up, Pixar 2009
In any case I am here getting IVIG infused into me so I figured I better start on this.  You guys really came back with a bunch of good stuff.

Good News for the week of 19 July 2014

• Susan is happy that her friend are there for her and make her smile, keep her sane and have her back when it comes to bullies.  We are here for you Susan and your sanity was lost a long time ago.
• Matt, Jen and the girls are have been trying to walk more and managed to walk 6.5 miles last Saturday.  That is Space and the Psycho's plan as well.  I am too zonked by the time Space gets home to go for a walk.
• Christina reports that Johnathan is heading off to diabetes camp this week and that he is finally shaving the teenage wiskers/fuzz.  I remember those days it took a while before it started growing evenly.  Now days my girls like me as a Nerf Herder.  
• Josie let us know that Dave and Dolce will have their first therapy dog visit.  They will be at Light of Heart Villa on Tuesdays.  That is awesome.  I remember how important Booger (our basset hound) was when we were having a tough time.  
• Maggie won at bridge two days in a row and she lost 2 pounds.  That is awesome about the bridge and I am sure you will find those 2 pounds if you look hard enough. :P
• Abbey says that on Wednesday they will go before the judge and he will finalize the legal portion of the adoption of the 2 amazing kids "who have been ours in our hearts the minute they walked through the door 2.5 years ago."  Congratulations guys.  I am so happy for you.
• Danielle finished her compliance training, through a marathon session of video viewing, for the next school year.  Also, she got to wear her Konerko jersey to the White Sox game on Friday and got an orange and blue Sox hat because it was Illini night.  I-L-L!  That reminds me I need to finish up some training.
• Howard's niece won first place in horse jumping at the county fair.  That is impressive.  You have to have some serious leg strength to jump over horses.  Oh wait, I have been informed that you ride the horse and the horse jumps.  That is even more awesome.
• Melissa reports that her first son will be 12 this week.  He is growing to be a fine young man at 5'6" and size 11 shoes.  According to her she may only have another year till he will be looking down at her.  I remember the day my father figured out that I was taller than he was.  Though it happened when he was yelling at me for getting in trouble (again), we both ended up laughing hysterically about it in seconds.
• Pam is picking up Mathew from the Alabama grandparents this week.  It always sounds good on paper, a week or two without the offspring but you end up missing the littlins.
• Donna got to see Breakfast Club on the big screen and she had a good 8 mile run.  To top it off the husband was duped into helping to clean the bedroom.  Way to go Donna on all of it.  Breakfast club must have been awesome.
• Mandy finished 42 miles and her husband finished 33.6 in the BOMF 20 in 24 ultra race.  That is amazing.  I am sorry I missed you guys.  Either way, great job and a great cause.
• Cindy and her 4-H kids had a fantastic fair week and captured the grand champion dairy steer title.  Great job guys.  
• Jen reports that she mowed the lawn and didn't run over anything.  I love the smell of freshly cut grass in the morning.
• Maggie said that she can lose at words with friends and still be proud of the winner.  Thanks mom.  Soon we will have a rematch.  

Well, I started this entry early with the best of intentions of finishing it early but my body had other plans.  Mostly those plans included napping.  In any case, I did get to it and what a plethora of good news you guys had.  I hope for a just a minute, you forget the insanity going on in the world and you take the time to enjoy your tiny and sometimes huge amazing victories out there.  Till next time.

Out from the Ashes of Piles of Drama Comes Good News From Last Week

Like the phoenix rising from the ashes or more like my shift key coming unstuck after the beginning of a sentence, here comes a belated set of good news from last week.  I got to say the past week has been kind of crappy to say the least.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those out there and their families.  Lets hope that the drama builders cease being insane and get their heads out of their asses.  Perhaps, we should share with them some of our good news to realized that there are good things going on in the universe. Now after many a long naps comes...

Good News for the week of 12 July 14

• Donna has come back to say that she survived a "Sh*t storm," at work and is still kicking it on the job front.  Also, it looks like September training is going well.  I can't wait to see you out there Rock'n and a Roll'n in the fall.
• Melissa found out that she was going to have 3 kid free days.  I think that means all 3 kids will be gone for 3 days.  Altogether that makes 9 days.  So sometime next week she can tell us how it was.  I actually had a Psycho free week and at first it was okay and silent but I ended up missing the lunatic fairly quickly.
• Maggie got home.  I know the trip she was on and Lewis and Clark would be impressed.  Either way, they made it home safe and that is the important thing.
• Pam and Bo renewed their wedding vows to celebrate their 10th anniversary.  They celebrated more with friends and family in Montgomery and they will be without kid as Mathew will be spending another couple of weeks with the grandparents.
• Donna got a mysterious Pi donation on her fundraising page. 
• Danielle came back from an unplugg for quite a bit to get back in touch with nature at Tunnel Trail Campground.  She slept in an actual tent and bike the Elroy Sparta trail and iced the cake with buying baked goods from genuine Amish people.  It seemed like a good time. 

Well, guys thanks for the good news.  It makes me happy to see it coming up even with all the insanity.  Thanks again and I am sorry for it being so late.  Please keep up the good news and tell your friends.  

Holy Molely News for the week of 5 July 14

Hey guys it has been another on of those weeks where it seems like the world is going crazy and the media is just eating it up.  But you guys have stepped up to show that there are good and great things that are happening that actually make our personal lives much better than what our news outlets are trying to make it out to be.  I would like to let you know that there is one or maybe two pieces of amazingly great news that have happened in the last week so I am giving them a place of honor at the front of the list.  So here it goes.

Good News for the Week of 5 July 14

• Melissa has reported that after 3 years her Aunt has won her battle with breast cancer.  This hits close to my heart, actually my blood and lungs, given my own situation. No matter what I wish nothing but good health for Melissa's Aunt and the rest of the family.
• Sports Illustrated broke the news the Lebron is returning to Cleveland.  While I was living there I got the chance to see him play at The Q and he was really the reason I became a Cavs fan. Okay that is not really from last week but it is still awesome.

•  Donna reports that she has all of her snail mail letters gear ready for fund raising for the LLS.  That is great and I hope she gets is all finished that is great.  Go Team!  If you would like to help the cause go to Donna's TnT site and give a bit.  It is tax deductible and every dollar counts so if you can give a dollar please do so.
• Danielle has found that she has forgotten how to parallel park.  This may seem bad but it is good for two reasons.  1. This means she has been riding her bike a lot. b. She actually knew how to parallel park in the first place.  So many never attained that skill.
• Hellen has been putting the finish touches on the preparations for Conclave in just a few weeks.  She is hoping for excellent discourse and logical, cool heads. Sorry to say ther will be times where logic will be thrown out the door and I can garente that maintaining a week of cool heads is going to be an impossibility.  But I will try.
• Abbey was enjoying a wonderful extra long holiday weekend with the family, in-laws, and she set a 5k PR.
• Pam was on her way to Biloxi, MS to renew her wedding vows celebrating 10 years of wedding bliss.  To top it off  Mathew will be dropped off at the grandparents for a 3 week vacation which has to be good news for him.
• Donna reports a nice independence day with her brother and sister in-law despite all the wind.  She, also, had a REALLY awesome day trip to the beach with all of the kids and saw a "most beautiful sunset last week on the way back home on the El.  
• Melissa reports that there is her friends have earned their life long dream of acquiring 10 acres of woodland mountains property. To top it off she got to spend a week with them enjoying land.  The trail runner in me would start establishing running trails throughout the place.  I guess there could be other uses for the land as well.
• Maggie is home at last after a very long road trip.  I was glad part of that trip was to visit me.

Okay, the Lebron news was not from last week but it was just so overwhelmingly awesome that it had to be mentions.  But still a great set of good news.  I got to keep this short but I will encourage you to consider donating to the LLS through Donna's page listed above or to someone else you know that may be part of Tnt.  Another suggestion is to consider blood and stem cell donation.  There is a serious blood shortage, especially O negative, and it is stem cells that are being used to cure diseases like blood cancers and things like sickle cell anemia and aids are in the research phases.  So thanks and keep it up.

28 July 2014 Week is Full of Good News

So I hope you all are enjoying the independence day holiday.  For those of you in the Carolinas and south east Virginia please be safe and in a couple of days you will get a chance at a belated holiday celebration.  And you guys in New England watch out it's a coming.  In any case, I should get on with the reminder of all the good news that has happened just a in the previous week.

Good news for the week of 28 July 2014

• So my Psycho turned 12 last week and the very next day my Space and I celebrated our 15th anniversary.   We got a chance to get away for the night and just spend some time with each other.  On top of that we went to the Melting Pot.  That was amazing and very filling.
• Calvin is celebrating the end of summer school and evidently he will never teach 2 summer school classes again.
• Susan got to see how the new CZE instrument works and it is very different that the old ones.  Upgrades are great and Susan reports "Of course it will take over year for all IQ, PQ, validation, comparison studies before can run it for real."  I am not sure I can translate that but it sounds cool.
• Donna has announced the birth of her co-workers baby boy. Also, she is starting to getting herself together.  It is a long journey but she is confident that everything will work out okay.  In addition her second job for a little extra cash is going well.  And for more Sean gets is birthday present today an electric guitar and an amp.  Lets hot it goes up to 11.  Rock on Sean.  Donna I got have some ear plugs if want some.
• Carolyn finished her first triathlon with Team in Training.  Go Team and go Carolyn.  
• Cindy's sister is getting married this Saturday which means her son was due back in town from Florida yesterday.  All that and a three day work week.  What a great confluence of events.  
• Lutz found out that the NSF is funding the STEM education ATE grant that was submitted last October.   That is awesome.  I hope it is successful project.  
• Christina is going to be empty nesters for a week.  I went through that when the Psycho went to resident camp.  It was cool but weird without the her around.  It was also quiet.
• Danielle met up with a friend for a bike ride, finally after three years of saying they should.  Then spent the afternoon at the beach.  At last she did what she promised she wanted to do for the summer break.
• Melissa broke out the bike and shook off 6 years of rust.  Now the clan can ride together.
• Susan came back to let us know that there is only a 3 day work week.  I wish I worked so I could celebrate that.
• Helen had a wonderful weekend with family and friends.  So did I but more on that later.

Well, it seems like you guys have a lot to celebrate.  These are the good things that we need to keep in our thoughts while the rest of the world is going insane.  I remember when I was in a job where I dealt with alot of customer service. And if I didn't know better the company only made crappy products because I was always fixing them.  But at times I was reminded that hundreds of products go out the door that our customers like and continue to buy.  So remember no matter how much crappy news you hear that is generally shoved into you brain there is always something good going on.  Cherish those tiny victories and forget some of the drama.