This might say more about me than I should admit, but as soon as I saw the brown envelope in my mailbox this morning, my mood lifted. I know those brown envelopes, with the California State Controller’s name in the return address area. I new exactly how much the check inside was (or should have been) written for. This is the check that the Boss expected by Friday but I didn’t think would arrive until next week.

The odd part is that this meant more work for me. And I liked it! I was happy about it! Please, sir, poke me in the eye with that stick again.

There’s a difference between having a lot of work to do, and having a lot of work that you feel good about doing. Paying the bills, for some odd reason, makes me feel good. I know another drought is coming, but that doesn’t keep me from enjoying the sweet summer rain. That’s what it felt like, spending all that money today.

And I didn’t run out of steam in the middle of the afternoon, the way I’ve been doing lately. I was so cheerful when the Boss phoned that he must have thought he had the wrong number, but he was calling to tell me more good news, that one of our other clients had agreed to send us an even bigger check right away. I was in such a good mood by then, I even believed it.