a smile and a gun

"You can go a long way with a smile. You can go a lot farther with a smile and a gun." - Al Capone

It amazes me how few people smile. Especially those who work in customer service. Perhaps people don't recognize how powerful it can be. Or maybe people just hate their jobs.

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ultrasound pics for the fam

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Skeletor

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child #5

I was trying to come up with something good to say about our latest news but can't compete with Kari's latest post.

April 7

It was 10 years ago to this day that I made one of the most frightening phone calls of my life. I remember it well. Most of it.

I stood in the hallway of my dorm floor at Emmaus Bible College and stared at the public phone on the wall. Beads of sweat covered my 125 pound, 5'7" frame.

I rehearsed my lines: "I was just wondering....I just thought I'd ask....I just wanted to know what you thought about..."

Oh screw it. I picked up the phone, looked at my phone card, and dialed the digits. Anne picked up with a cheerful, "Hello?"

In a shaky voice I spurted out, "Uh, hi...Mrs. Moe? Hi this is Joel."

"Hi Joel!!! How are you?!?" Her friendly, cheery voice calmed my nerves. For a second.

"Uh...good, thanks. Is Mr. Moe there?"

"Sure! One second."

In a flash Brian was on the phone. I must have blacked out because I don't remember anything that was said for the rest of the conversation. I do remember hanging up with a sigh of relief, thinking "that wasn't so bad after all."

An hour later I found myself sitting with Kari in Jeremy Goering's old beat-up truck in the Kennedy Mall parking lot, pulling a rose out from behind the seat and asking her to be my girl. 19 years old and no idea what in the world we were doing. A little over 2 years later we tied the knot.

So, I raise my glass and make a toast to 10 years. May the next 10 years be as happy and full as a fat squirrel in a peanut butter factory.

the pursuit of happiness

wipeout