What made you happy today?

[Antrax]

I went out last night with a mixed group - one of my best friends, two of his friends, someone who studies with us and her husband, and someone who went to highschool with me and my friend. Contrary to all expectations (at least, contrary to MY expectations), they all got along really well, which meant nobody ran off with some lame excuse, so we had a great time.
Also, I aced (92/100) the midterm I was afraid of.
Oh, and I dated this chick I've been talking to, and it went fairly well (though she has no boobs, for some reason a trait common to the girls I meet lately).
Additionally I'm being flown, all expenses paid, to Atlanta on early March, to judge in another Pro Tour.
And frankly, I can go on. So many good things have been happening lately. I'd be happy, if I did happy.
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After years of disappointment with get rich quick schemes, I know I'm gonna get rich with this scheme. And quick!

[Samadhi]

What is your definition of "no boobs?"[/ot]
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And he lived happily ever after. Except for the dieing at the end and the heartbreak in between.

[Antrax]

When she barely fills a B-cup.
Alternative definition: When I have more boobs than she does.
_________________
After years of disappointment with get rich quick schemes, I know I'm gonna get rich with this scheme. And quick!

[Travis*]

[Mr Nigma]

Ending the horrific ship-wide 10 day work-a-thon (there's really no better way to call it). I had night shift, also. The only meals I had access to was 'mid-rats' (best put as reheated dinner rejects).

Also, we were in a fast-cruise (pretending to be underway), so we wern't allowed to leave the ship. Every day, I stood on the brow and stared at all the stores and fast food places that were so close and yet so far.

I'm better now.
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Freedom is not free

[doormouse11]

I organized a book drive for underpriveleged children as a project for management class (kind of like a watered down version of an "Apprentice" assignment except I had to write an essay, too), and just finished it today. The last book store I picked up books from donated well over 100 kids' paperbacks. yay. Now the book count is over 500. And I'm done with school.

[Jedo the Jedi]

I'm wearing a Santa hat!

[zorT Kitty]

I WORE a santa hat for a few hours at work... didnt buy it though. So Jedo wins. Also, I rediscovered Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Its a wonderful story... but awfully sad.

[Mr Nigma]

I got today off since I had to do Shore Patrol last night (or, as I call it, Action Squad!). Happy happy.

Tomorrow I have my job qualification board ( ), but I also fly home in the evening ( ). Going home will be tomorrow's happiness, but I'm posting it now since I'll probably be too busy tomorrow to post. Interestingly enough, due to time zones I'll land a little bit before I take off. Take that time-space continuum!
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Freedom is not free

[Mackay]

The night before last, I got the most wonderful night's sleep. 10pm till 7am - even the TIMES were reasonable! (Yesterday's news, but I couldn't get online.

I spent last night with my younger sister. We went to visit our adorable niece, played Sonic the Hedgehog (the original!!!) with our older sister, and then drove around town looking at the Christmas lights. We then went home and watched movies all night. At about 3am there was a huge thunderstorm, so we raced outside and started running around in the rain. (We're in the desert, remember?) I tried to tackle her, but she's tall and muscular... luckily I'm good at escaping... so we ended up having a loud screechy wrestling match on the lawn, in the rain, in our pyjamas, at some ungodly hour of the morning. Fun times. Once we were in the house and dried off, I started making the worst jokes I could think of, and laughing hysterically while dodging the objects she threw at me (she has a system... the lamer my joke, the larger the object ). We then hung out in her room reading really bad Harry Potter fanfiction, before both of us falling asleep around 8 in the morning. (So technically it counts as today.) I had a really fun night!

Also, earlier tonight, I found my payslips from work (yeah, I didn't know where I was supposed to collect them from) and found out I'm getting paid really well! For a bartender, anyway.

[Mr Nigma]

Not only did I have the day off, not only do I fly home tomorrow, I just got a 208 bowling score!

Good tidings abound today!

...wait a minute...uh oh...something bad is going to happen...

...I fly across the Pacific and then halfway across the States...I'm doomed...

[Jedo the Jedi]

It's a half-day!!!!

Plus, I got a 96 on my US History final, and a 90 on my English test. YAY!!!!!!

[Internet Stranger]

I found out today that I have a secret admirer!

She left me a very personal christmas card on the windshield of my car today.
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"I didn't know she was your sister I swear!"
www.InternetStranger.com

[groza528]

I did really well (87/100) on my organic chemistry final!
Believe me, in this class, 87% is really well.

[Samadhi]

I am loving being able to work from home. I used to have to get up at 5:30 to get to work at 8:00. Now I have to get up about 7:55. Plus I don't have to babysit anyone. I just do my thing with the database. Luxury!!
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And he lived happily ever after. Except for the dieing at the end and the heartbreak in between.

[Internet Stranger]

Make sure you take time out of your day to work out. I gained like 50 pounds when I was telecommuting.
_________________
"I didn't know she was your sister I swear!"
www.InternetStranger.com

[Courk]

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=2529

[Neo]

Well, I aced my Calc final, pulling my grade from a mid-C to a mid-B. Slightly pissed I did so poorly in that class, but buoyed (only very) slightly by the fact that few get the requisite grade the first time around.

And then I got a call from an old friend I haven't seen in a long time.
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_{Ad Astra}

[Quailman]

Well, it wasn't today, but Tuesday I got to add two birds to my life list. When our meeting wrapped up I got a ride from the Huntington Beach Hyatt to Bolsa Chica Wetlands. There was only an hour of daylight left, but the place was covered with waterfowl. In among the mix was a surf scoter and an eared grebe. Afterwards, I had a nice five mile walk back to the hotel.

[Samadhi]

Do they grill well?
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And he lived happily ever after. Except for the dieing at the end and the heartbreak in between.

[Blighty Chap]

I thought I was down to my last couple of Abbots tonight, then, just by chance, I came across 5 bottles in the bottom of the pots and pans cupboard. Result!

Also today I took wifey to see our son perform in his schools annual Chrimbo play. It's the first time wifey has been to the school in months and she really enjoyed it. Quite funny actually trying to get the wheelchair, with wifey in it, into a hall with no disabled access.

[zorT Kitty]

Finals done!!! No more school for a month!!!

[Ningal]

Damn you. I've got two more to go, myself, though the really vile ones are done with.

[Courk]

My local newspaper has a special mini Time (?) magazine every week. This week was celebrities favorite pictures of themselves. They also had relatives/friends of the people who died this year pick their favorite pictures of the dead person. Anyway, Marlon Brando's picture is AMAZING. He was so gorgeous. I put it on my bulletin board, so I can just turn around and get a little refill of happiness.

[edit] I just realized I started this post in the middle of a sentence. I've been out of school for less than 12 hours and I already forget how to make sentences. Go me.

[Jedo the Jedi]

I got As on all of my finals. *parties*

Plus, I got to relive a funny memory in Courk's new thread. Well, it's funny now.

[Veg]

Got my SAT scores back today. I got a 720 in math and an 800 in verbal. Go me!

[Merc's Boyfriend]

H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES!

I graduated today, Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Computer Science)
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CS@VT4ME

"Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."

[Beartalon]

[Beartalon]

I flew home after my business trip. There's nothing like coming home to one's own bed.

[Ningal]

One of my favorite puppets is active again!

On the other hand, he's doing nothing but broadcast pornographic fantasies of his cousin to the rest of my brain.

On the third hand, they're both quite hot, and that's not a word I use lightly.

[Internet Stranger]

[Courk]

We made buckeyes today. Mmm...

Since they're allegedly just an Ohio thing, I'll explain. It's basically a ball of peanut butter dough dipped in chocolate.

Mmm...

[Antrax]

IS, how do you know it's a she?
_________________
After years of disappointment with get rich quick schemes, I know I'm gonna get rich with this scheme. And quick!

[Travis*]

Probably just a prank orchestrated by some GL'er who obtained IS' address from the white elephant trinket send-off that we had a while back.

Congrats, Mattilda!

[Pablo]

From an unexpected source..... a choice as of Feb 1. $600 a month for life or lump sum of $80,000.

[Travis*]

Take the money! Not the monthly payoff, take your lumps and start compounding today!

[Travis*]

Then again that way, you're bound to shovel at least half of that off to unkle sam.

[Pablo]

Uncle Sam is going to have his way with me in either case. I'm going to take the lump sum (or what's left of it) and pay off a second mortgage.

[Chuck]

You could consider the $80,000 to already be yours and you're lending it back to be repaid to you at $600 per month for the rest of your life. If you were going to live forever that would be like getting 9% per year in interest. If you're going to live another 50 years it's about 8.89%. 40 years is 8.72%. 30 years is 8.23%. 25 years is 7.67%. 20 years is 6.58%. 15 years is 4.2%. 10 years is -2.05%. 5 years is -27.88%. So it depends on what you consider to be a reasonable interest rate and how much longer you expect to live.

You'd probably want to take that tax bite into account, though. If the tax on the $600 per month is at a lower percentage than the tax rate on the flat $80,000 then the interest rates start to look better.

If the interest rate of your mortgage is less than the estimated interest rate that the $600 per month would get you then you should take the $600 per month.

[Pablo]

The mortgage is at 7%. I figure they offered choices that were actuarily identical, so I just figured it would feel really good to get rid of that debt, so I trusted their math. Also, what would I do if they paid for 5 years and due to some scandal or something, the money dried up? I went for the immediate gratification. That's pretty much worked for me in the past.