Giving

I am way behind on posting this story.
This happened probably about a month or so ago and I've been meaning to post about it since then. At work, we were working on a project that had one of our guys in China working with a manufacturer and as such, on a completely different time schedule from the rest of us. I found out when I was on my way out the door to go to class that there were some files that he needed sent to him right away. The files had to be converted to a different file format as they don't have the same software in China as we do. All in all it was only about an hour's worth of work but I had to get to class and couldn't stay to finish it. Unfortunately, no one else was able to do it so my boss asked if I could come back later that evening and complete the task. I agreed before I even realized that I would be in class until 8:00 PM that night and probably not back to work until almost 8:30. Upon leaving the crumminess of the whole situation hit me and frustration set in by the time I had gotten out of class. I was grouchy and tired and just grumpy with the whole situation.On the way back to work, I stopped at a 7-Eleven for a drink. When I walked in there were two little girls in front of the counter who must have been eight or nine years old. The two of them were talking about a bag of Cheetos that they were wanting to buy, hoping that they had enough money to get it. When they asked the cashier how much it was both of their little heads sunk in disappointment and I, being the super-rich guy that I am offered to buy the snack for the girls. Both of them lit up and they excitedly talked while I payed for my things and theirs. As I was paying I heard one girl say to the other, "He's nice!" This comment alone would have been more than a sufficient thank you for the whole $1.69 I was spending on them but that wasn't the end of it. When I finished paying, I handed the bag of Cheetos to the girls and told them to have a good night. As I turned to leave I was asked to wait, they had something for me. One of the girls held out her hand making a bowl and told me to do as she had done. I held out my hand and she pulled a small felt bag out of her pocket, emptying the contents into my hand, "We wanted to give you this." The girls ran out of the convenience store and I was left with 79 cents in pennies and a feeling of really having accomplished something. It was such a tiny little thing for me but it clearly made a huge impact on the girls' night and their gratitude made a huge impact on mine.

Mystery, Good Friends, and a few drinks

This weekend has been one of the best I've had, ever. It started out with a birthday dinner on Friday night for my little sister. As per usual the family met at Village Inn. Not perhaps the greatest meal in the world but definitely a good time. Afterwords my sister and her husband came over for a bit to see my new place since they haven't been here since I moved. It was probably going to be a fairly short visit but we ended up watching several episodes of "How I Met Your Mother" together and had a great time. Sure, I should have been doing homework but family is more important right? We also agreed on monthly game nights starting in April with dinner at Bonsai followed by games at my house. I'm really excited for that.

Last night was a truly incredible night. Both showings of the Mystery Theatre were reserved either at or very close to capacity with people that truly had a great time. The second show included some very good friends of mine. Watching them go through the show and enjoying themselves was more gratifying than I could possibly explain. Even the more shy members of the group really got into it and had a lot of fun. Seeing that made an already awesome show that much more enjoyable for me. Both shows had people that, although they were confused at the story line, took the suggestion to use me for help in solving the mystery. They came to me with their questions and I was able to help everyone to get the most out of the show and find the information they needed.

Following the show, I went out to Maggie's with the group of friends that came to the show. We had a few drinks there and then came back to my place to have a few more, listen to music, and make plans for training for a marathon. Shane and I start training runs next weekend. :)

The weekend isn't even over yet. Brian and Brie are coming over today for a Dexter season 6 marathon and dinner.

Best. Weekend. Ever.