What made you smile today?

[Tyll Hertsens]

Looked around ... surprised we didn't have one of these threads. If we've got one, mods can feel free to move this post.

I'll start:

My 15yo daughter and I live about 1/4 mile from the high school. She's the manager for the girls softball team. She also pretty much has her own apartment in the lower floor of the house. Guess what shows up at my place every day at about 6? Yeah, about half the girl's softball team and the gaggle of boys that follow them around. So I feed 6 to 10 teens reeking of hormones and sweat pizza or tacos most evenings. I don't mind it a bit though. April's had a tough couple of years living in California with her mom, and being back in Montana with her old friends is doing her a world of good. And I get to tell my buddies I won't make the pool game at the bar tonight because I've got 6 teenage girls locked in the basement.

It's also fun to walk in on them and shout, "Hey! What's rule number one!?" They know the answer is "safety first." I make damn sure they know they can have fun, but I also make damn sure they know they've got to keep their shit together if they want to keep coming over. They do a fair job cleaning up after themselves; they know they can't play the boombox loud in the yard so as to disturb the neighbors. They know I'm a softy with an iron hand.

Anyhow, I walk with April to school most days. She puts her arm in mine as we walk (that makes me smile every day) and we talk about what's going on in her world. Usually it's just silly stuff: lines from a comic she's heard; the status of various friends; shit they say to each other. Yesterday, as we were walking, we somehow got onto the subject of her friends enjoying their nightly visits, and what they thought of me.

April said, "They think you're cool, but a little scary."

"Perfect," said I.

That made me smile.

Edited March 24, 2012 by Tyll Hertsens

[shellylh]

Great story Tyll.

[n_maher]

Nice.

[Pars]

Reading that made me smile! Thanks Tyll!

[Aimless1]

A little scary is good ... especially for boy friends of teenage daughters.

[raffy]

This story made me smile today Tyll!

[gurubhai]

[Augsburger]

Great story Tyll! I try hard every day to focus on what makes me smile as opposed to what stresses me out. I fail most days but I keep trying.

As for me so far..................... a great lacrosse practice.

[manaox2]

Haha, that is an awesome story. Doing a good job there.

[swt61]

Excellent story, and thread idea.

Yesterday I was at my local grocery store. Saw a lady I had done some work for. She smiled and talked casually for a few minutes while we waited in line. Out of the Blue, her 5 y.o. Son steps up and gives me a hug. I needed a hug! Did he just sense that? I wish we retained some of that magical quality as adults.

[Absorbine_Sr]

Excellent story, and thread idea.

Yesterday I was at my local grocery store. Saw a lady I had done some work for. She smiled and talked casually for a few minutes while we waited in line. Out of the Blue, her 5 y.o. Son steps up and gives me a hug. I needed a hug! Did he just sense that? I wish we retained some of that magical quality as adults.

Nice Steve.

Waking up from a brief nap on a very lazy Saturday made me smile today.

[skullguise]

Awesome story, Tyll, and it's even nicer when you have that type of relationship with a teenage daughter!

We went to a Bar-Mitzvah today, of some friends who have been close for many a year (his parents and my father & stepmother are best friends). It made me smile to see they joy they went through, and reminded me of our recent experience.

[Tyll Hertsens]

I needed a hug! Did he just sense that? I wish we retained some of that magical quality as adults.

Amen. April's arm in mine is lovely, but I remember when mine were little and would snuggle up into my lap and I could just curl up around them. Ahhh ... nirvana. Some lucky dads around here get those times still ... I'm jealous.

[Beefy]

Great idea!

I was wandering aimlessly through the mall, and a bright shiny object caught my eye (see attachment). I'm absolutely smitten, and I haven't treated myself for a long time, so I just need to find a good price......

[guzziguy]

Great story Tyll. It gave me my smile for the day. Thanks.

Maybe you could get some of those parents to rent their kids out to you. Or maybe you should should look for what a friend calls an "ovi".

[jvlgato]

when mine were little and would snuggle up into my lap and I could just curl up around them. Ahhh ... nirvana. Some lucky dads around here get those times still ... I'm jealous.

Yup, had a couple of these today. Agree it's nirvana.

Nice thread! Made me smile!

[Wmcmanus]

I tend to logon to Head-Fi about once every couple of weeks now just to see if there are any PMs for me, but this morning I thought I'd click on "new posts" just for the heck of it. To my great surprise, there was DLeeWebb with his post #35,422 on page 671 of "Rate the Last Movie You Watched." I see not much has changed.

Hadn't thought of him for years. I remember once sitting at a meet somewhere (probably in Florida) and being dared to delete 4 or 5 threads that he was "active" in (as in 1,000 posts or more in each such thread), like "What Are You Listening To Now" and such, just to see if I could freak him out. I did it, but then I restored the threads right away. Really should have waited at least a day before restoring them to see how many people would have gotten all pissy about by the decline in their precious post counts.

Good memory. Big smile.

Edited March 25, 2012 by Wmcmanus

[jvlgato]

Watching my son teach a group of 75 year old nuns how to play Plants vs. Zombies.

[swt61]

^

If that don't make you smile, nothing will!

[acidbasement]

I remember when mine were little and would snuggle up into my lap and I could just curl up around them. Ahhh ... nirvana. Some lucky dads around here get those times still ... I'm jealous.

My four year-old loves his snuggles. You're right; it's nirvana. There are tradeoffs, of course, like when he threw his hamburger in a fit of rage yesterday because it had the audacity to break while he was trying to shove it into his mouth. That kinda made me smile too, but I had to conceal my mirth behind my tender-but-stern father voice.

[Salt Peanuts]

Seeing my daughter give spontaneous hugs to her grandparents and great-grandparents.

[Aimless1]

I have a soft spot in my heart for puppies and their antics. Nitro (4 1/2 months old) was chasing butterflies today. Priceless

[morphsci]

Great stories and wonderful idea for a thread.

Me today: Losing an epic Nerf war to Peter.

[Wmcmanus]

Smiled a lot and even screamed a little, watching the Kansas Jayhawks make it into the Final 4 today!

Of course, that means someone else will be disappointed that North Carolina didn't make, and on it goes until there is only one team left standing, which is highly likely to be Kentucky this year unless someone pulls off a major upset.

Edited March 26, 2012 by Wmcmanus

[manaox2]

I was able to Skype with a good friend tonight. That made me smile.

Last night, I was drinking outside the bar and the CEO of Stone and Shawn from Fullsteam brewery came by and complimented my tee shirt. I thought that was cool.

Edited March 26, 2012 by manaox2