Two Options for You (Yes: YOU) (was: Winning the Lottery)

31 years ago today, I became literally (not figuratively) the luckiest person ever.

Two simple and easy and mutually-exclusive options for an anniversary present:

1. If you want to do something to make me as happy as possible, please write or get someone else to write a review.

 2. If you want to make Anne as happy as possible, don't ever ever ever mention "the book." ("Wait, you wrote a book??" -Anne)

Even better for her, figure out how to get me to STFU about the book. (Good luck.)

With that said, below is a post I wrote months ago about my unreasonably good fortune (see the calendar on the left of the picture) but couldn't come up with a conclusion or reason to run it. But it is my anniversary, so I'll be even more self-centered than normal! (There are two funny bits at the end to make it up to you ... a little.)

Alexi Murdoch - Orange Sky

Can you find a theme in my workspace?

A psychological fact that never ceases to amaze: People who win the lottery revert to their prior level of happiness. Two (non-exclusive) explanations are hedonic adaptation and a happiness set point.

(You can see this with flight reviewers who get used to traveling business class. They are offended when their drink is served in a plastic cup or a meal is served on a tray. It isn't always the most fun, but flying - especially internationally - is still nearly miraculous to me, even in cattle class.) 

But I will be completely honest with you: 99 days out of 100, I have at least several moments where I'm truly and deeply amazed that Anne and I met and she could tolerate me, let alone that she wanted to get with me. 

There is hardly anyone who knows me today who knew me in the horrible Before Anne times. But they will vigorously and correctly attest that I am a fundamentally different person than before The Two Hour Courtship of 1992.

Praise be to The Flying Spaghetti Monster.

PS: From book 9 of The Expanse:

“You are the central fact of my life,” he said. “Knowing you. Waking up next to you. It’s been the most meaningful thing I’ve done. And I am profoundly fucking grateful that I got that. I think of how easy it would have been for us to miss each other, and I can’t even imagine what that lifetime would have been.”

PPS Funny 1: A nerd who married a much more attractive vegan who kept her name 30+ years ago.

PPPS Funny 2: A hard choice:

You have to read the sign on the left (click for larger)