Four days off.
That’s like 5 years in internet time, isn’t it?
What a great time it was, though. The whole time we were together, Anne and I kept commenting on how we couldn’t remember the last time we did anything “just the two of us.” After some discussion, we figured out that the last time we spent any time together alone, it was over our anniversary, back in November.
It was really awesome, and a very much needed diversion from “real life.” I turned the computer off on Friday morning, and it stayed off until about 30 minutes ago. And I have to tell you, I am surprised to say that turning it back on was not an easy thing to do…mostly because my poor computer is really on it’s last legs, and it’s painful to watch the poor old girl start up… 🙂
Today is a school holiday for the kids, and I was planning on staying home, and hanging out with them, and working longer days tomorrow and Wednesday…but I have two, count ’em, two auditions tomorrow, and I won’t be able to go into work, so I spent a half day there, finishing up some re-writes that are due in two days.
I really love my job, and I really like the people I work with. I realized as I was driving home today how lucky that makes me. I know so many people who just hate their jobs, and dread going to work, and I am not amongst their number. Sure, it helps that we all play lots of games, but the creative freedom I have on my show, and the visceral excitement I feel when I watch an edit of one of our shows is what really makes the hellish commute worth it.
You know, now that I think about it, there is really a lot in my life that I love: my job, my wife, my step-kids, my dog, my friends and family…
I had an email a few months ago from a WWDN reader who mentioned to me that his Thai Chi master has him write down 7 things each day that he is thankful for. I think that’s a simply brilliant idea, and everyone should do it.
I’ll go first. Today, I am thankful for:
- Waking up to my wife’s smile.
- The traffic-free drive to work, because today is a holiday.
- The cool, crisp, ocean breeze that blew across my face when I got out of my car at work.
- Ryan’s unbridled enthusiasm as he shows me that he can ollie nearly 12 vertical inches on his skateboard.
- The sunset this evening, turning to gold the leafless branches of the trees in my neighborhood, as they reach towards a cloudy, indigo sky.
- Nolan coming to me, when I got home from work, and following me around the house, telling me all about his weekend that he spent with his dad.
- Finding my “This American Life” CD, which I had thought I’d lost.
That’s all I have for now. I’m off to prepare my auditions.
Thought for today:
If you are able, help others. If not, at least refrain from hurting them.
7:48 PM PST: I want to add something to my list…
8. Nolan serenading Anne and me during our dinner.
Now, I will explain: Earlier tonight, both kids went to play at their friend’s houses. As dinner time drew closer, we got a phone call from Ryan, asking if he could stay at his friend’s for dinner, followed almost immediately by a similar call from Nolan. So Anne and I prepared for a romantic, candle-lit dinner for 2, while the boys were off with their friends.
I raced up to the market, and picked up this yummy stuffed chicken breast, and a wonderful bottle of Bordeaux. Trouble was, the chicken took almost an hour to cook, and by the time we were sitting down to eat, both kids had come home.
Nolan walked into the dining room, assessed the situation, and announced that he would be right back. He returned with his saxaphone, and proclaimed that he would play all his songs for us while we ate dinner.
So Anne and I ate our romantic dinner for two, while Nolan played “Hot Cross Buns”, “The French Song”, “The German Waltz”, “Yankee Doodle”, and the ever-popular “Oats Peas Beans.” It was the one of the coolest things I have ever seen him do.
If I wasn’t such a badass, it may have brought tears to my eyes.
Discover more from WIL WHEATON dot NET
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I am hereby donating any and all positive energy to Wil for the day. Whatever the end result is, have fun getting there.
1 – See’s Chocolates (especially way out here in Massachusetts), and the parents who send them.
2 – Wil being back!
3 – Getting my computer running again.
4 – Actually getting to talk to my brother, even if it was because my computer died.
5 – Finally, and with a lot of help, making the decision to Get Help with the things that I can’t handle on my own.
6 – My friends and family, who are worth living for.
7 – My radio show.
i would think of 7 happy things, but i can’t get past the 1st one at the moment, i am just so happy about it.
1. my boyfriend proposing to me on valentines day 🙂
way to go john!!
Nolan sounds like the best kid ever… *L* Cant for the life of me think of anyone else that would do such a cool thing for his/her parents.
Go Nolan!
Susie,
Congratulations! 😉
Okay I can’t give you seven things I’m happy about because I hate the fact I wake up each and every morning!
Will good luck for youe auditions, can we ask what your auditioning for?!
To everyone else esp DaleJrBlueEyes be thankful that you can find two things to be positive about.
Spike
11.54am GMT
i dug that quote..it reminded me of this..
http://www.fleurdelis.com/desiderata.htm
cheers
Seven things I’m grateful for…
1. My mother. What a farking amazing woman she is. No matter how screwed up I get, or life seems to get, she is always there to make me laugh, and listen to me when I need to cry.
2. My best friend. When life gets like a rollercoaster, I can always depend on him to be the bar that straps me down and keeps me safe.
3. My dog. She gives the best puppy kisses known to humanity.
4. The life I’ve lived. Luck, tragedy, fame, disappointment, laughter and challenges. Every single event has helped to make me who I am, and I’m pretty happy with that.
5. Books. Never has there been a better form of escapism from the madness that lurks around the corner.
6. Music. It answers all my questions for me.
7. Wanky, but hey… Star Trek. It lifts me up, and even a bad episode is better than most of the crap on TV.
Will, your site rocks. Thanks.
My thought for the day…
‘The only devils in the world are those running in our own hearts, that is where the battle should be fought.’
Ghandi.
Time to get into audition vibe sending mode! Good luck, Wil (and welcome back!)
And since everyone’s posted their seven, here’s mine:
1. My wife, daughter and dog
2. Being able to support my family
3. Having a place to sleep
4. My brand new hockey stick, which I scored a goal with upon its first use! (This comes from someone who had scored maybe 2 goals in 5 years of playing.)
5. Music of all kinds
6. Firewire ports
7. The 80’s forum in the soapbox
This is a really cool idea.
1) My job, because I dig it.
2) My sister, because she just went through surgery to have a plate put in her arm and she’s recovering great!
3) Smoking cigars with my dad as we work on my Jeep.
4) Wednesday night treks to the comic book shop with my bud.
5) A big fat churchill cigar which I light up as I leave work.
6) My boss, because he lets me do my thing.
7) The San Diego comic-con, because my bud and I are going to go this year.
Oh, and Wil, a real man would’ve teared up at that… 🙂
What a wonderful positive (attidude changing)way to begin the day. here are my things,
1. i have one more day to wake up and change the world.
2. My smart beautiful stuborn funny loving two and a half year old who looks up at me and says “your my best friend mommy”.
3. that i can smile at the people whose paths i cross and say goodmorning with no effort at all.
4. that i can take the time to look at life and enjoy it insted of rushing ahead jumping from one errand, job, chore, to the next.
5. That my job was downsized and i decided to return to school.
6. TAP, PELL, Stafford loans, my dwindeling 401k and severance package.
7.that i can ask the two year old what he is thankful for (the list goes like this, candy, choo choo trains, mommy, arthur the ardvark, books, ducks, and his kitty.
life is good.
kendoka – sounds like you have a SUPER betta, does he have a little embelem on his chest?
Roughy you are right, karma belongs on the list, It kinda gives you that warm fuzzy feeling knowing that karma has got your back.
bellwether, I have no idea what my betta’s secret of life is. It must be a fish thing. I have a goldfish that I got waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back when I was a senior in high school and we used him as a prop in the spring play. He’s 8 years old, way too big for a 5 gallon tank, and has survived every disease known to goldfish.
I must find out their secret!!! Then I can patent it and make zillions of dollars… or at least enough to pay off my student loans so I can do more volunteer work and not worry about defaulting. (;
I WANT A NOLAN!!!!! Do you hear that Jason???!!!
Anyway, you have smashing kids and that makes you a smashing parent. Keep it up.
“Okay, am I the only one who recognizes the NBC Olympic music that they play as being the intro music to “Brisco County, Jr.”?”
I’ve never seen “Brisco County Jr.” but the Olympic theme that they play on tv was written by John Williams for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, I believe. Everyone liked it so much that they kept using it.
The seven things for which I am thankful for
1.Nature;Living by the beautiful Bay of Fundy with her rising tides and the ability to go from calm to vicious in a matter of seconds. The ebbing smell of kelp and seaweed when the tide turns… the cold water seeping in deep to heal my wounds..
2.The forest in which I live in. The life inside the trees, on branches. Footprints of visitors from the evening.
3.My dad and my brother.. we’re closer together now even though times are tough we’ll pull through.
4.Music, without it I think by now I’d be a total fruitcase heh
5.Windchills, scare away the tourists and leave the solace of winter to embrace my ears concealed under my toque
6.My mom, even though she’s far far away… I still love her and miss her like crazy. She’s a special person..
7.Creativity; it allows me to drown my sorrows or express my joy through paint,music and sculpture..
Wasn’t there a Wesley-Thon on The New TNN this weekend? Mmmmm.
Four days off? You lightweight! Five days off and I’ve forgotten how to work the internet.
I’m really late in this thing, but here goes:
7. Happy that I’ve plotted the entire second act of my next play and that now it’s just a matter of writing it.
6. Happy that my wife got me a free massage from our mutual buddy Molly today.
5. Happy that I’m able to get away with wearing sneakers at work for two days in a row.
4. Happy that I’ve switched job locations to a cooler, more laid-back setting that’s closer to home.
3. Happy that I’m to a point where more people are seeing my writing than before–and that other theater companies in town are interested in my writing.
2. Happy that another “Project: Blitzkrieg” is coming up. (Check my weblog for details) /shameless plug
And 1. Happy that my wife and I, while not having a house, child, or a Rottweiller, are both really excited about eventually getting all three.
So dig that.
I’m happy for all the rest of you who can, and willingly do find these things to be happy for.
I’m even more happy that someone finds it “on the money” that I’m all about Karma.
And, of course…
Cheese.
John – congrats and happy birthday. That’s a major accomplishment and you should be so proud!
Wil – you really do have amazing kids! I can only hope that when it comes to be my turn to have kids that they turn out like that!
Break a leg at your auditions today – all my mojo is pointed up Interstate 5 to you. *sending good vibes*
One more thing I’m thankful for….
That I have gone 15 days without a cigarette. That in those 15 days, I have experienced NONE of the normal withdrawal symptoms and that I have not had any overwhelming urges to smoke. I’ve made it through the hard part with flying colors. Thank you!
You’re a better man than I, noworriesmon.
Although my wife just quit (she hasn’t smoked for over a month, now) so maybe it’s a matter of time.
I love how smoking is connected with an image of being a rebel, when Big Tobacco has one of the most powerful lobbys in the country. It is definitively “The Man.”
Wil waxing philosophical.. you have to love it.. Welcome back!! Im starting to look forward more and more to your posts.. it is so rare to find someone who focuses so much on the positive.. as some of the posts above show, a lot of people find it easier to focus on the negative..
and because I found everyone’s lists so interesting.. here’s mine
1) a good movie
2) a good meal
3) good friends
4) my two cats, two hamsters and my rabbit
5) being someone’s hero
6) being able to make someone smile
7) being able to nap with a loved one
Hmmm… my seven
1-My life
2- My kids
3- My boyfriend ( 4000 miles away at the moment but gotta love him he does his best everyday to show he loves me).
4- My job who let me have medocal leave for knee surgery
5- My book being published. ( YAY !!! )
6- Im getting a good return from my income tax.
7- My health , cause this year, it hasnt been good, everything from a cancer scare to high blodd pressure… but Im ok !
Roughy–Your essay today on Unspoken Love and Normalcy just made my number 8.
Rob–Thanks.
That’s it. Thanks.
I believe my #8 should be appreciation for the silly little things I do that somehow affect others.
Thanks for the feel-good.
There was suppose to be a Wes-athon on Sunday, but they did not play the episodes.
Wil, your kids rock.
I must say Wil, you are really lucky. Your step kids are simple adoreable.
the Magnificent 7:
1. Being able to do things I love: music, Computers, reading, sleeping, nothing…
2. My Mother
3. My Father
4. My friends John and Erik
5. The Chinese food I had yesterday (it filled me up something fierce…weird huh…haven’t had to eat anything yet today)
6. The pain…it lets you know what’s real.
7. My life….even though i don’t really have one 😉
Rob – I’m a woman, not a man.
But, you’re from WI too, so you’re forgiven. Must be too much cheese……
Vickie
noworriesmon: D’ohh! My bad–it’s the name. The name fooled me.
And there’s no blaming The Cheese.
Or the cheese.
Or…
Oh, forget it.
(Where in WI?)
Guess what? Nolan and my son Will are learning the same songs in band. Will also plays the sax, which I think is the coolest instrument. For Christmas he made a video tape of himself playing his winter concert in front of our christmas tree for his grandparents. Which he hand delivered all the way to Tennessee. That was a suprise for them also.
here’s my seven….
1. my husband..were soul mates what else can I say
2. my son…he’s definitly cool
3. our cat, she’s a little crazy but that works in our family
4.my job, I like what I do
5.my husband’s job.. it pays are bills with some left over
6.my best friend…we are a 3000 miles apart but we are still close
7. God… he listens to me and knows all my fears and dreams
1. oregon (rain, trees, summertime, more trees, portland, birkenstocks)
2. my crazy little sister
3. the onion.
4. tillamook smoked cheddar cheese (and any other kind, really, except ch
ok… my number 8 is the same as my number 2 !
But I gotta share.
Ive been doing physical therapy for 3 weeks now on my knee that I had to get fixed. I was showering when my two year old stuck her head in and threw my sponge at me, hit me straight in the face. Made me laugh. Then my 5 year old came in as I was putting my shoes on with my panty hose wrapped around her head like a turban. Made me think how lucky I am ! Im a single mom…but Im not alone in this!
Rob – no worries, mon!
I’m actually in San Diego now (a year at the end of Feb), but grew up in Oshburg (Oshkosh)….
And another thing I’m thankful for. E-mail because it allows me to keep in touch with my boyfriend who is on a ship somewhere on the other side of the world…..
I’m thankful for all the people that don’t mis-type:
u n r e a l i s t i c e x p e c t a t i o n s
hahahahahaha!
Bordeaux WITH chicken breast. . .?
At first I thought of all the things I’m not thankful for but then I decided to really find something, just anything to be thankful for. I’m happy that I thought of more than just 7. Here is my list:
1. My 2 dogs
2. Guinness
3. Hockey
4. I have a job that allows me to pay my bills.
5. That my friends Cory & Chris also have boring jobs so we can email each other all day long about things like the Elvish language, Trek, my insane family & the stupid people we work with.
6. I saw my friend Erich on Saturday for the first time in many months.
7. WWDN (well, its true).
8. Stephen King’s novella “The Body” & the movie based on it, “Stand By Me”.
9. Unlike Cory, I don’t have a co-worker who thinks Africa is a country and that Zimbabwe is just a color or something like that.
10. My friends who accept that I am a rententive, neurotic, obsessive-compulsive, paranoid geek.
11. One person in my company knows what a Sith Lord is & thinks its funny I have a sign in my office which reads “I was a Teen-Age Sith Lord!”
12. My awesome car.
13. I have more than 7 things to be grateful for.
14. My aunts, uncles, grandparents & cousins.
15. I got to go to the movies 5 days in a row, enjoyed all 5 movies and only had to pay for 2 of them.
16. The X-Games will be in Philadelphia this summer, again.
17. My birthday is coming soon.
18. My (other) friend Eric is building me a new computer.
19. That there are those in this world who let me ramble on and on and on for so long as I’ve just done.
Ok. I’ll stop there. Good luck at your auditions Wil! Congrats to John and to noworriesmon!
jl –
that sounds like me and some of my friends. there are days when we email back and forth all day long about stupid stuff like that. having just seen LOTR yesterday, I’m all about talking about it! My office is full of LOTR freaks. We’ve taken to naming our servers after characters. Right now, our email server is Smeagol. Another one is Frodo and I don’t know if we’ve decided on names for the others…..
Love the Teenage Sith Lord sign – made me laugh.
Well, I’m a little late to the party, but that’s okay. Fashionably late is cool, right? 🙂
7 things I’m thankful for…in no particular order…
1) Waking up a little late to predictions of clouds and rain…then making it to work on time and watching the clouds blow by and blue skies and sunshine lighting up downtown Seattle.
2) The fact that I’m finally actually living in Seattle rather than Anchorage, Alaska.
3) Growing up in Anchorage. I had all sorts of goofball experiences and made wonderful friends that I wouldn’t have otherwise.
4) Having three weddings to go to within the next two years – James and Stacy this June, Casey and Jenny this July, and my brother Kevin and Emily next year sometime.
5) Old friends that were here when I moved down, new friends that I’ve been making since I moved down, and a girlfriend that’s kind of a bizarre combination of both of those, in a wierd sort of way.
6) Movies, music, books, and ‘puters – four things that, both collectively and individually, I spend _way_ too much money on. But that’s the point of having the money there in the first place, right?
7) Life. Just being here. Seeing each day pass by, with all of the good and bad things that happen. Knowing that no matter how bad things seem to be at any given point, there are always more days coming along that can – and will – hold wonders just as amazing as whatever may be getting me down.
It’s an incredible world we live in, and it’d be a pity _not_ to step back, look around, and actually see some of the things we tend to take for granted. Thanks for this list suggestion, Wil, and thanks to for everyone who’s contributing (maybe that’s number 8 on my list?).
Cool beans.
Today we actually sidetracked from discussing the Elvish language & traced our lineages back to some Hobbit families. Turns out I’m a Took & Cory is most definately a Baggins. And Chris is a Gamgee. Tho’ its been determined that Chris and I are less Hobbit than Cory b/c we are both rather tall. Must be the Entwater.
Yea! Some one else out there who appreciates my Teen-Age Sith Lord sign! You don’t know what this does to relieve my paranoia!
Found another thing to be thankful for: the musical colaberations of George Harrison & Eric Clapton.
Hmmm. So, how does one trace it’s lineage? I’d be curious to see if I have any Hobbit in me.
I’d also have to agree with you on the Harrison/Clapton collaborations. Seen Clapton in concert twice and he was amazing. Thanks to my mom for introducing me to Clapton, SRV, the Beatles, the Doors and Zeppelin.
Yay! Wil’s back!
K2, I live on Oahu, in Kailua. I love the Big Island, m’self… such a diversity of places to see (Waimea… wow).
Oh, and John K., there’s never anything wrong with having a red wine with chicken. Gotta push the envelope, ya know. 😉 Rules are made to be broken. And a culinary rule is the most minor one to be broken, heh.
Mmm. Bordeaux.
Mmm. Cheese.
Cheese…that’s what I miss the most about France. That, and the bakery…mmmm. I have yet to find a decent baguette in the United States.
Mmm. Donuts. And hookers.
As a matter of fact, forget the donuts and the hmm.
Well, it wasn’t a very professional “tracing”. We basically looked at our personality traits & mannerisms and matched them to certain families mentioned in Tolkein’s works. It was decided I’m part Took on my dad’s side w/ some Gollum on my mom’s side. And the rest is a mix of the races of man. I suppose we really can’t claim ancestry to Middle Earth & Hobbits -tho I’m sure Cory is working on a way to do it. If you could meet him you’d say “Oh my gosh! He IS Bilbo Baggins!” Except w/o the Ring. Its freaky, people say to him all the time that he reminds them of Bilbo -and to him its a great complement. Just one of the reasons why I’m happy he’s my friend.
1. My Grandmother, who taught me about how music reflects the soul.
2. The ability to create art in more than one form.
3. Steve, who is my true friend if ever I had one.
4. Chaos, Inc. and everything that means.
5. All four adorable, completely different, wonderful kitties.
6. My dearest friends. They number few, but they mean the world.
7. The undeniable presence of love in my life. Love for everything.
Mmmmm. Beer.
Jl – ok. Guess I need to finish reading the books before I can figure out my “Hobbitness”. I’ll re-read the prologue again where they describe the hobbitts and get back to you…