SamWatson.us
I like to gamify my life where I can. Duolingo is a big one. My Spanish might not have improved much but, wow, I stack those points. Another big one for me is my driving. Mainly where gas mileage is concerned.
When I was a kid, my grandma would often take us to the library. One of my favorite books to get was the D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths. I checked out this book over and over because it was so interesting.
This past week in the Dallas/Fort Worth area it has been a cold one. Temperatures are in the teens! Maybe you are from up North and scoff at that but for most of us Texans, it’s pretty chilly.
Today is a special one! It was ten years ago on this day that this blog was born! While it has had its dark times and years of neglect, I am pretty proud of it. Although I might have written it elsewhere, it seems fitting to share how it came to be.
Last Saturday, I went to my stepmom’s house for our Christmas get-together. We all sat down to eat, and then I had a phone call come in. Not wanting to be rude, I let it go. Later, I received a text, which I peaked at. It was from my stepdad to my brother, cousins, and me, letting us know our grandpa had just passed.
A few days ago, one of my coworkers was not really complaining about it but just telling me of her financial woes. She mentioned that she was down to her last few bucks—enough for gas until payday.
Quite some time ago, I created a signup form to become a pen pal with me. We had sold our house, and my son and I were on our way to Costa Rica for a few months. Later we would be meeting up with my wife in Colorado and then all head off to Hawai’i. Since I was bouncing around so much, and lacked a permanent mailing address, I engaged the services of a virtual mailbox that would scan and send any incoming letters to me.
While in college, I worked for a few years framing pictures. Various coworkers would come and go, but another guy a little older named Kevin was also working towards a degree. We were the ones who did most of the work putting the frames together, cutting mats, and stretching canvases—the Workhorses.
From time to time, coworkers will vent to me about their desire not to go to work on a given day. But I love my job. I loved it before I left to take a year off of work, and I loved it once I returned. So when someone starts complaining about their job to me, they are bound to get a dose of positivity shoved back at them.
A few weeks ago, my good friend was pulled over by the police. She suffers from anxiety and was a little stressed out by the situation. The police officer was going to write her a ticket she couldn’t afford for having no insurance, and she ended up crying and could show proof that she did indeed have insurance. The officer let her go.