The 2nd smile of February was peace of mind. The 3rd is about what hydrogen can do given 13.7 billion years.

EDIT: Should've mentioned that video is pretty long. Don't know how to embed a video that starts at a certain point either, sorry. The portion I write about starts at about 10:50 and runs through the end of the video and is DEFINITELY worth your time.

I couldn't stop with the happy yesterday. I know I'm not in a situation to be too incredibly excited, but when I really think about it, this is what I wanted anyway: to eventually get back home to Cincinnati.

It's not going to be great fun at first, but at least I can get back on my feet and not starve. Good way to look at it.

As for today, I'm going to share a tiny bit of a video from one of my favorite people, Dr. Brian Cox. Dr. Cox (some of you who know me will laugh knowingly at one of the reasons I love him so much) is a particle physicist/cosmologist working on the LHC (Large Hadron Collider or omfgfearmongeringblackholespawningdeathmachine to some.) In his spare time he loves engaging in "popular science" bringing new concepts to the layman. I spend a ton of time studying the way the universe works because of him, and today I rewatched an old clip of his where he discusses the nature of the beginning of the universe.

A lot of religions and cultures have "Creation stories." They outline some kind of deity making things up as he goes along, they're generally fun, and they help the everyman understand the nature of the world around them. It's great work, not saying people aren't entitled to believe it or anything...but what if science had it's own creation story? Would that make everything more understandable? I think that's something Dr. Cox set out to accomplish in this wonderful video. Go ahead and watch it, and think about your friends, your family, the blue sky and green grass and clean water and crisp, cold morning air that make your life what it is.

...and as you do that, remember that it's all the result of what hydrogen nuclei can do when you give them 13.7 billion years to screw around.

:),
Brett

The first smile of February was suggested by an 8 year old.

An enterprising, cunning little eight year old...but an eight year old nonetheless. Thanks for the great idea, Laura! You rock!

So. Wow. Here comes the family post. Holy crap, where to even begin.

Have you ever seen that book "Johnny has two Daddies?" The one they use to explain homosexuality to young children? Well Brett has two daddies and two mommies.

It's because they're Mormon, you know.



Seriously, seriously though. OK. So. Where to really start. I was about sixteen when my biological parents split up. I'd like to say that at the time, I handled it well.

I would also like to say I'm the Queen of An'tivah, but that ain't freakin' happening either.



*I'm here all week! Try the veal, tip your waitress!

Well anyway, I bounced around between both parents for about a year and a half, did what I could to stay sane. I'm not ashamed to admit that by the time I was 17, I'd had enough. That's when I met the DeGraws.

On the night before Thanksgiving in 2005, my friend Ryan came to see me at work (I was spinning pretzels in the mall like a true professional) and asked if I wanted to come stay at his place for the night until things could calm down a bit.

Looking back, I wonder what would've happened if I hadn't said yes. I think I would be an entirely different person if I hadn't taken that opportunity. In retrospect, neither of us knew it at the time; but he was offering me a place in his family.

It was the best decision I ever made. I was unofficially adopted by the DeGraws and lived with them for the rest of the year.

I can confidently say one thing about living there: I learned more about life in six months than I could've ever imagined. Living and laughing and loving was easy with them because for once I felt like I was in an atmosphere that promoted love above all else. And if you lived in the muggle version of the Burrow like they did, well, you'd understand.



HA HA HA H-



Alright, alright, I'll stop it with the bad rimshot jokes. Sorry, Ukulele Kid.



*Little dude is METAL.

Anyway, I think I owe them a lot for me being the person that I am today, and I figure you should have the backstory. My biological parents took a long time to adjust to the idea and the whole "I have another Mama and Papa" idea has always clashed, but over time they've become more understanding and our relationships have really improved, which is fantastic. I think the time I spent with the DeGraws ended up teaching me not to take the family I already had for granted, and I'll always be thankful for that.

Fast forward to yesterday, and my current situation: I have officially been denied unemployment, and given the resounding lack of employment opportunity here my father simply decides, point blank, that I can come back and live with him for a while. I'm not particularly proud of being 22 and living with my dad, but apparently I'm not the only one, and there's obviously something I need to learn here that my father is still willing to teach me, and I'm extremely grateful for that. We were talking yesterday morning and he mentioned that he's not sure I understand how much he loves me. I didn't know what to say.

Fast forward to today, and I'm talking to Mama D about stuff. We chat for a while, discuss a few things important, a few things not important, you know, the usual gab. Suddenly, my ickle sister Laura jumps on the chat. Now, I'm not going to hedge words: This kid is a genius.

I'm also DEFINITELY not hedging these words: The kid is a TOTAL GOOFBALL.

Anyway, she comandeers the computer and starts talking about her day, and her school, and my blog that she apparently reads (Remember, she's freaking eight) and the snowstorm and all of that. I told her I was writing my blog today and asked her what I should write about. You know, tongue in cheek, letting her play around, I'm sure I'd find an idea-...

"You should write about talking to your friends and family."

...holy crap.

I knew then what I was grinning about. I am a man in a unique position. I have two entire families there to cheer me up, to have my back, to make sure I'm taken care of. I'm pretty sure that flat out makes me the luckiest man in the world. If my dad hit me with the same question today, I think I'd be able to tell him I understand.

It just took an extremely clever little girl to jumpstart my brain. Thank you, kid.

And thank you to all my families, big and small. You're always a wonderful reason to smile.

-Eli

Smile 31 is living in the winter realm of the Fae.

Ever had the power go out in the middle of an ice storm? Holyyyyyyyyyyyy crap, it was cold. Didn't help that I only had the heater at 60 when it went out >.<

So yeah. I smiled yesterday because at one point I was able to feel my toes. Awesome, right? : D

-Eli

This is 29/30. I kind of like the two at a time thing.

Going two at a time is neat, it makes it look like my posts aren't four lines long : P

My first smile is entirely based off feeling a little bit of spring in the air. It peaked near the 50's the other day, the breeze wasn't so biting cold and the snow started melting. I know it's just the end of January (HOLY CRAP more on that in a second) but February is pretty short and then (in my opinion, at least) it's springtime and the rest of you can disagree all you want but I don't care, March is awesome : P

Plus, spring training starts in mid-February. Baseball is the love of my life and you'll be getting plenty of posts about it as we get closer to spring, but for now I'll leave it be. : D

I get to see my dad tomorrow, that should be super fun. His company rents out what amounts to a city block of Columbus bars and restaurants every year for their best customers, and it's always cool to go see the people I used to work with over the summers.

Smile number thirty is about a wavering commitment. I never thought I'd keep this up for a week, let alone a month, and even though I'm shifting the format to make the posts a bit bigger I really feel like I'll be able to keep this up for a while. Hopefully that means a whole year, it might not, who knows. Everytime I hear somebody say something nice or tell me they read it everyday, though, I can't help but smile. I didn't think I'd make a big difference. Or hell, even a little difference. But I guess making a bunch of little differences everyday adds up over time. I'm happy to help you smile, it just makes me even happier.

-Eli

Smile number 27 was this hilariously fail map of the United States. Smile 28 is chicken soup for the cliched soul.

It focuses on what each individual state is worst at.I'm proud to say that Ohioans are the nerdiest dudes in the union. Win, as far as I'm concerned.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/01/26/why-your-state-sucks-the-great-american-map-of-fail/

What's your state worst at?

EDIT: Wow, that picture like...ate the entire screen/destroyed the page layout. I'll just provide a handy link : D

Anyway, I've been out pounding the pavement looking for work the last couple weeks, and to say the least...it's been bad. Well, maybe not bad. Terrible is a good word.

Catastrophic, even.

That really doesn't deter me from walking into every business I can, filling out applications and generally making a nuisance of myself until I can get sat down for an interview. You know what does deter me from that, though?

It's freaking COLD outside. Gosh, I hate wandering around in melting snow...my feet get wet, my lips get chapped, my hands get numb. It's just an awful experience altogether. Whoever though up this weather idea was a real bastard.



(I'm lookin at you, Roker. I know you're behind this.)

Anyway, I got home and decided to make chicken soup.

Not from a can. I am an amateur professional here, people. I make my own soup.

I am also an incredibly lazy person, especially when it comes to cooking which NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT might be counterproductive to my life goals but what the hell OK. Anyway, I decided to go through all the steps, all the prep, and all the the mind-numbing time it takes to make soup.

And well...it was delicious. There's something special about soup, I think. It's like food for the soul. When we're cold, when our bodies are weak, we don't reach for a sandwich*, do we? No. We reach for soup. And now here I am, enjoying a reheated bowl several hours later and I suddenly felt the grin spread out over my face. So yeah, it's late, but this time it's not because I'm lazy...it just takes a REALLY long time to make soup!

-Eli

*Unless, of course, you're reaching for a grilled cheese to go with your tomato soup. In which case, godspeed.

26? A song about smiling. Duh.

Seriously, if you can't smile to this song...I really don't know what your problem is. I've listened to it like 10000 times today.

Ukulele kid needs to cover this thing. Get on it, kid.

I smiled the 25th time because I feel for you.

I have a friend who really isn't particularly lucky. This isn't for lack of trying: she tries hard, lays it out on the line in everything she does, and sometimes, well...sometimes things just don't go your way. I think we can all feel for that. I can definitely feel for how emotional she gets, even if she goes a bit off the deep end sometimes. Honestly, I think that's why I care so much: I was, at one point in time, a very passionate person. She does a hell of a job of reminding me what that's like.

I feel like I let depression take so much from me, that by the time I faced myself in the mirror and told myself this was over, I'd lost a lot of passion for what I do. But when I hear extremely passionate people cry, or laugh just to laugh, or go off because their emotions are this sacred thing that deserves your attention...I remember how that feels, if only a little bit.

So in the end, thank you. I'm sorry things always seem to blow up in your face, I know how that feels. You are a wonderful, cheery if not somewhat neurotic addition to my day and I'm grinning because I feel for you.

Hell, because you (and people like you) help me feel anything. It's not much, but it's a start.

-Eli