Is Happiness Contagious?

I just saw an article on cnn.com this morning. http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/12/05/happiness.social.network/index.html

It states that in a University of California - San Diego study, that happiness spreads more than unhappiness in a social network.

I agree with this, to a point.

I find unhappiness spreads very quickly itself. It's the whole domino effect. Your kids are mad, they take it out on you, you get annoyed and take it out on the clerk at the grocery store, she gets mad and starts taking it out on the customers who come after you, and so on and so on.

With that however, you need a personal connection to make it spread.

With happiness.... you don't really need as much of one. How many times has someone's bad mood online affected me? Not very often, I just mute them. But how many times have I seen someone online clearly enjoying themselves more than they should, and it wound up making me a goofball?

Black Friday = insane people

Yes, I'm one of the idiots that go out on Black Friday. It's a tradition. Even if the sales aren't so great (like this year), I still go out.

I remember the days when I was in the thick of the frenzies... Remember the Furby? I remember that day we did 4 stores in about 45 minutes and FINALLY had success! I also spent a cold, rainy morning in line at Best Buy to get my husband a laptop computer. Or the year all of us huddled around a puny little table at Wal-mart to get the RCA mp3 player (that was a hunk of junk).

But what is up with the crowds? If you ever wondered about the "mob mentality" attitude that psychiatrists say exists, go to Walmart on Black Friday. Would there EVER be a time when one or two people would knock down a man and trample him? No. But somehow when a group of people get together, people don't think twice about it.

Hey, I realize you were out in the cold all night to get a good deal on a TV. Ummm..... who made you do it? Do you also realize that you probably could have gotten that TV from the warmth of your home by going online? What makes your want of a TV more important than a man's life?

And the Sexiest Man of 2008 is.......

My husband in Bizarro-land......Hugh Jackman!

Yes, People finally picked a real hunk!

Blatant Self-Promotion

Because I'm a busy mommy with NO time to exercise, I'm trying to win a Wii, in hopes I can get Wii Fit and lose some weight.

Can you please vote for me in the contest? Please feel free to give this link to everyone under the sun who might like to help a momma out by clicking a link.

Thank you!

Jiffy Lube

This is a post long-coming, but most deservedly due.

I used to go to Jiffy Lube religiously, on both of our cars. Then we bought cars from a dealership that provided free oil changes, and my trips to Jiffy Lube were relegated to occaisional trips when the dealership was going to charge WAY too much for other services.

I don't think I've personally been to a Jiffy Lube in about 3 years.

About 2 weeks ago, I had to take my car in to get something done with the differentials.

Oh my goodness!

I think they must have re-vamped their customer service process.

I pulled up, they asked me what I needed done, they opened my door for me, walked me to the lounge, and called me M'aam. At the end, they called me by name up to pay, opened the door to the shop, followed me to my car, opened my car door for me, shut it, and said thank you Ms. Mill-Irving.

I was shocked! It was just such outstanding customer service, I'm bowled over. I've never been treated so well.

If they keep this up, Jiffy Lube has an adamant fan for life in me!

How did I end up here?

Ever get to a point that you're not sure how you got there?

I love my boys, I really do.

And now here comes the "but" that Dr. Phil says negates what was just previously said....

Sometimes I wish for some peace and quiet. There's only so many tantrums, fights, times being hit, yelled at, punched, kicked, etc., before you say...I wish I was left alone.

There's a commercial, I think IKEA, that the mother says someone needs a time out, and then she retreats to her quiet, pretty bedroom.

I feel like that lately.

I try so hard to do my best at work, and get kicked in the gut figuratively, only to come home and try to be a good mom, and get kicked in the gut literally.

What do YOU do when you need to chill out?

DC Traffic

Gotta love DC area traffic. My husband wound up taking 2.5 hours to drive 35 miles home tonight. Why? Barack Obama was doing a rally in Leesburg.

And the most stellar part.... they blocked traffic on Rte. 7, which backed up the Greenway. So after my husband was sitting in traffic, police come by, forcing standstill traffic to move to the shoulders so Barack and the caravan can get by.

Well, VA State Police, maybe you shouldn't have turned the road into a parking lot, and maybe you could have gotten by easier.