LAFOLOT

I had to laugh while DRIVING MYSELF HAPPY, yesterday!

We had been WARNED that ‘the end was near’!

As of 6:00pm California-time, May 21, 2011 -

the Rapture was to BE! (*hee hee!)

While driving down the road to get a bite to eat at Olive Garden Restaurant -
(I tried using THE RAPTURE as a reason to NOT have to PAY for my food –
but … they wouldn’t BUY it! *ha ha ha)

I saw a car license plate to the front and left lane of mine that started with the letters:

END #### (END!!!! OH NOOOOO!)

The car in front of me had a license plate with the first three letters:

HLP #### (HELLLLLLLP!)

THE END! (the rapture) HELLLLP!

Gotta LOVE how ‘nature’ brings a BIT O’ THE HUMOR into the silly antics of US HUMANS!

Are we all N.U.T.S. ??? (Not Understanding The Silliness)

Prior to that, I saw a license personalized license plate: KAT BARF

So, in the END, with a little HELP, we’ll all be able to LAUGH IT OFF!

From one silly human to others …

LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN! Life, it’s meant to be lived!
Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
O.S.E. (Outlook Shift Engineer)
www.lafolot.com/drive-yourself-happy

Teaser: ‘…and as I was exiting the grocery store, a tall, model-like woman was browsing the flowers and balloons display in her 4 1/2 heels! WHAT A WORKOUT!’

I used to really dislike grocery shopping. Now, I PURPOSELY do ‘frequent’, ‘inefficient’ shopping so I HAVE to go back more frequently! Nuts? Oh, no! There’s a ‘madness to my method!’ HA HA!

Being a newly independent business owner, it give me more visibility! Since I work from home, it gets me out of the house for FUN socialization! Why? because I talk to people at the grocery store, joke and spread compliments and smiles!

Today, I was nearing the end of an aisle when a young woman stops her cart – OBLIVIOUS – blocking my exit. She didn’t notice me and proceeded to slowly walk around her mini-cart and reach on the bottom shelf for the plastic iced tea container. FUNNY PART WAS – the mini-cart was loaded with 6-packs of soda all around the top and bottom edges of the cart.

I ‘just stood there’ watching. I found it funny. She was moving in slow motion, oblivious. She finally noticed me, and apologized. I laughed, smiled and said “Oh! don’t worry – I do laughter wellness for a living and I was getting a kick out of watching the whole thing!” The HILARIOUS part was, she was double-checking that the iced-tea was INDEED sugar free! HAHAHAHA – she had tons of sugary soda in the cart! (I know – it could have been for several different people, it was just funny.) We talked about food carton labeling a few seconds and went on our merry way.

When I got over to the dairy aisle, I noticed a woman with beautiful, long, healthy, black, shiny hair! I have a cosmetology license, so I KNOW healthy hair when I see it! I said: ‘Excuse me, I don’t normally do this, but I have to tell you you have the most beautiful, shiny, black hair I’ve ever seen! What do you do to it?’ She was an woman possibly in her lat 30s or 40s. She said: ‘Oh! I’m getting it ALL CUT OFF for LOCKS OF LOVE!’ [I was impressed!] She said: ‘I never use hot blow dryers on it.’ It was amazing!

Besides making ‘frequent’ trips to the grocery store (on a daily basis), I also walk from one end of the store to the other – not in a down and up the aisle pattern. Why? It GETS ME MORE EXERCISE and I feel SILLY doing it! It’s fun! I make my Grocery List in my head by getting the first letter of each item needed and making a word out of it! For example, yesterday it was WAT or TWA (Trans World Airlines!) HA HA Water, Apples, Tea bags! I just remember the word or phrase and off to shop I go!

IT’S FUN, SILLY and puts a smile on my face as I remember my items without writing them down! It’s a GREAT EXERCISE for THE BRAIN, too!

As I checked out, I wished the Indian/American cashier attendant Hello! in HINDI (I know a couple Phillipine/American women there, also – so I get to with them Hello, Goodbye, Thank you in their languages, too!)

As I walked towards the exit, I see a TALL, Model-like young woman in Shoe Heels that were almost as tall as me! They must have been 4 1/2″ heels! Talk about A HEALTHY WORKOUT while BALANCING on those things! I left the store in my SENSIBLE SNEAKERS with a SMILE on my face!

Here’s to healthy, happy, inefficient, social grocery store shopping! HA HA HELEN of LAFOLOT style!

Spread those SMILES by the MILES!

and DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY! to the grocery store!
www.lafolot.com
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT

IT’S HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT’s TIME 2 LAUGH system!
… COMBINED with a Motivational-Inspiration Moment!

[ I like noticing the numbers on digital clock or calculator displays as numbers - especially upside-down and backwards or right-side up. They can spell words and give you a healthy break during your day - as healthy 'Triggers' or 'Purposeful Pause Moments' as I like to call them!]

This morning, I noticed it was: 7:27 AM ….hmmm L2L = Laugh 2 Laugh! I LAUGH for the sake of LAUGHING for HEALTH – in my profession!

Then I saw it was: 7:34 = hel – ut oh! I don’t like when I’m feeling like LIFE is Giving me a Hard Time!

So, what do I do?

Next it was: 7:35 = SEL [Sell THAT perception of how LIFE is going 'Buy-in' to a NEW way to look at it!]

7:36 - GEL – Now you can ‘LET IT GO’ and move on with a NEW OUTLOOK, just GELL and RELAX!

This has been a Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT – mini motivational moment!

Have a Great Day! Live Life in A-MAZE-ment and Take Time 2 Laugh!
www.lafolot.com

I have a DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY campaign on my website, dealing with:

Staying present/focused on the road
Spreading Smiles by the Miles, and
Using my TIME 2 LAUGH system of healthy mood shift triggers!

Having a rough prior evening, but sorting it all out this morning – I headed out to lunch at my favorite Thai Restaurant [ Thai Palace]. I sat in their MIDDLE room because it’s warmer, and the 2 outer rooms have seats along the windows. It’s a cold, rainy, gray weather day.

Being the only one sitting in the middle dining room – I have fun ‘messing’ with the other customers that walk through to go to the restroom or to take a shortcut to the buffet.

When one woman from an outer table got up to walk through, I announced: ‘I’LL ONLY CHARGE ‘YA $5.00 TO GO THROUGH!’

She laughed and said: ‘WOW! WHAT A GREAT RATE! DO YOU WORK FOR THE TURNPIKE COMMISSION? CAN I PURCHASE AN ‘EASY PASS’?

About 10 minutes later, she had to come through again, she made a motion into the air as if she was SWIPING HER EASY PASS CARD! Ha Ha Ha!

I smiled and laughed! She said: ‘I’m using my EASY PASS!’

I was just about done eating, so when she got back to her table with her 3 other friends; I stopped by – put 3 Yellow, Smiley Face LAFOLOT Positive Statement bookmarks in front of her and said:

‘I’M GONNA HAVE TO GIVE YOU SOME TICKETS FOR AN ILLEGAL WALK-THRU!’

She Laughed Out Loud and her one friend said – ‘What?!’
I heard her explaining as I walked out to pay for my meal.

On the way home, I got behind a car that had the license plate: P-OUI

DRIVING MYSELF HAPPY! It translates to: Pee Wee (for anyone that doesn’t know that OUI is YES in French).

It made me laugh so I had a chance to WEE WEE WEE *tee hee hee ALL THE WAY HOME!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living in the moment!
Living Life! and Laughing Often!
TURN THE BEAT AROUND!
www.lafolot.com

Teaser: ‘Speaking up for my rights – I feel empowered! Resolving the issue with kindness, gratitude & forgiveness – Priceless!’ a.k.a. ‘Good Hearted Living’ [Steve Wilson] … in motion

While making use of a Gift Card to dine at my local Applebees, I ended up with twenty-one cents remaining on the card. I said to the ‘highly efficient’ server: Now the problem is, I want to give you a tip, I don’t have cash, so I’d have to use my VISA Check Card. The card was in my right hand near my purse, on the table. The server was off to my left at the end of the booth. WITHIN A SPLIT SECOND – She had TAKEN the card OUT of MY HAND and walked away with it!

I’m shocked, wondering WHAT she is going to do with my card!? I calm down, thinking she was just absentminded and was going to ask the manager for help on how to do it. BUT NO! I look back and she is SWIPING the CARD in their check processing device! I’m wondering WHAT AMOUNT is she entering on my card? I hadn’t even filled out the slip for the tip?!

She comes back with my card and I say strongly: WHAT! DID YOU JUST DO WITH MY CARD?

She responds: ‘I was trying to see if it would take an amount like a penny or …’

I said: ‘Don’t you realize it’s a federal offense to take a person’s card without permission and enter dollar amounts from their account?!’ I continued – ‘I REALIZE you didn’t do this on purpose, and that it is a TRAINING issue.’ I said: “We need to get the manager over here and EXPLAIN that THIS ISN’T PROPER.

Long story short – the manager didn’t seem to get it. I asked the manager for the corporate office address and phone number. Ten minutes later I STILL don’t have the information requested. She has now brought out the Assistant Manager who ALSO won’t give me the information. I tell them I could easily call the police since they don’t seem to get this wasn’t proper procedure with a customer’s card. I finally get the address and phone number and leave.

This morning, I called the number and talked to the local President of Davenports/Applebees, etc. SMART MAN – he admitted immediately that their actions were totally inappropriate. He didn’t understand why the server took the card and ran it through for unapproved amounts and why the management didn’t want to give me the corporate address and phone number.

I told him I wanted NOTHING other than to know that STAFF WOULD BE TRAINED, MANAGEMENT WOULD BE TRAINED and they would realize NOT to TAKE a credit/debit card OUT of a CUSTOMER’S HAND and run it through a system to withdraw funds. I explained I was a business woman myself, I didn’t believe in verbally harming a place but to SEE THE SITUATION from a healthy perspective and suggest training would help.

He offered a gift card. I told him I honestly did not want one, since I was not out any money, having used my gift cards. He thanked me and I just got off the phone with their Area Manager – to whom I told the same thing – I’d just like the staff there to be trained and aware. I told them both, my server was HIGHLY EFFICIENT, and she provided excellent service up until she ran off with my card. I said: “I do not want to see any job loss when it’s just a Training Issue.”

They both thanked me. I had felt VERY FRUSTRATED with myself for having to get verbally strong, threatening with the place. I didn’t like ‘having to go there’ so to speak. It’s an uncomfortable thing for me to do, as well as awkward. While I knew I had the right, I didn’t like it.

‘Speaking up for my rights – I feel empowered! Resolving the issue with kindness, gratitude & forgiveness – Priceless!’

Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living, Learning, Loving with kindness and Gratitude, and learning Forgiveness of myself and others.
www.lafolot.com

“…as I past the hostesses, leaving the restaurant, I spoke into my wrist saying: ‘Ha Ha Helen has left the building!”

I work from home and have advertising on the side of my car, so part of my networking/socialization is to go out to lunch to mix and mingle, and allow drivers to see my advertising – as well as my HA-HAHA license plate! One of my favorite spots is Olive Garden restaurant for the soup/salad deal.

They recently upgraded to a ‘headset-wearing/computerized’ seating system. I’m told they had to work out some kinks when they discovered they were ‘on the same channel’ as the Red Robin restaurant across the road. ‘TABLE 61 IS CLEARED AND READY!’ …’NO! IT ISN’T, I JUST SAT A PARTY THERE!’ This was one of the typical mishaps they had to deal with. LOL!

Having a theatre performance, singing performer, public speaker nature – I have NO problem being sat OUT IN THE MIDDLE of the MAIN Dining Room on my own. I LOVE to make eye contact and exchange occasional silly quips with the other guests, servers and managers.

At one point, I had to Laugh Out Loud! – watching one host walk by – TALKING LOW into his WALKIE-TALKIE ear/necklace type device. I couldn’t help myself! It was like being surrounded by a bunch of CIA or FBI agents! I felt as famous and protected as THE PRESIDENT!

At one point, two older couples were sat at a round table across from me. The one husband put his eyeglasses at his FOREHEAD level, in order to read the menu. They must have been far-sighted lenses only. I couldn’t resist. When I was done eating, I excused myself, let them know I was a ‘trained/certified laughter therapist’ and said: “I just have to share this. When you put your eyeglasses on your forehead, were you going for INNER-VISION WITH YOUR THIRD EYE?’ They laughed. (thank goodness!)

Another time, when I was sitting at the bar area and laughing out loud and joking with folks, the one manager walked behind me and spoke into his wrist like a Security person: ‘SHE’S AT THE BAR – SECOND BARSTOOL IN…’ I laughed out loud.

So, after getting to be the CENTER OF ATTENTION and having a few good laughs and a healthy meal – as I was exiting the restaurant – passing the hostesses at the HOSTESS-CONTROL-COMMAND CENTER –

I spoke into my wrist, saying in low-talk: ‘HA HA HELEN HAS LEFT THE BUILDING’. They laughed.

Nothing like having a good laugh with lunch! It’s calorie free, helps with digestion and is the SWEETEST dessert!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living in the moment …
Live Life! Laugh Often!

http://www.lafolot.com

I had a big AH! HA! ha ha moment at age 49. At that point, I stopped EXISTING and HIDING and chose Life! I chose to start Living! Hence, my motto: Live Life! Laugh Often! [there's a lot more meat to my motto than meets the eye!]

I wrote a book called: ‘Life is a Song in the Key of Love!‘ It’s about appreciating life in ALL its forms of expression. I no longer have a fear of insects; where once I would have screamed and hit the person nearest me just to get away from a bee or spider – I can now allow a Bee to buzz near my ear, as I smile – and I can allow it to walk on me freely – to allow it to BE. I can rescue a spider or thank it and appreciate the work it is doing to remove other bugs from my home. I am in AWE of all Life! [keep in mind, I'm still human and still make a fool of myself on occassion!]

I awoke this morning and was inspired to write these words. May you be blessed this day and always with a life filled with Peace. Be Aware of the PRESENT, it’s a GIFT!

LIFE!

I am in AWE! RESPECT!

by: Helen Marie Szollosy 11/9/2010
Living Life in a-MAZE-ment!
Living BOLD and in Italics!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com

Even with the collllld, chilllly, brrrrrr 50 degree F and below weather – I set up my LAFOLOT MOBILE HEALTH-HAPPY-HOUR event
along the road from 4-6pm – rush hour traffic

PURPOSE: HA HA Helen’s DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY Campaign – to motivate/inspire and UPLIFT folks driving by. To bring drivers ‘back into the PRESENT moment’ as they drive home after a busy day at work. To SHARE A SMILE or LAUGH; because of the silliness of the moment and the signs that read: MOTOR-VATION and *SMILE! YOU’RE GREAT!

Well! I’ve been doing this for a couple weeks now –

WOW! I HAD A WAY! MOTOR-VATED DAY!

From the START at 4:00pm – just starting to put out my SMILEY balloon and signs – I got BEEP! BEEP! WAVE! from several vehicles driving by!

I have a buddy who drives by in his sports car every time – keeps his face straight ahead and limply waves at me as he drives by. MAKES ME LAUGH OUT LOUD! He’s consistent! ahahahahaa

I even had several Lonnnng Beeeeeeps and Waaaaves from vehicles driving by on the OPPOSITE side of the road! One guy gave a LOUD BEEEP BEEEEP! AND a *hand crank! ahahhahaa

Wow! How em I doin’? HA HA!

About 5:15pm – I heard a voice call from behind me: THANK YOU!
I had on a scarf and earmuffs; but could still hear her.
I got up out of my chair and saw she had pulled into the parking lot.
I went back to talk to her.
She wanted to THANK ME for what I was doing to MAKE PEOPLE’S DAYS!
She is a nurse, had formerly done hospice work.
She gave me a DONATION towards my LAFOLOT Roadside Ministry ;o)
….people keep telling me I have a ministry. I THINK it’s because I’m not making any money! AHAHAHAHAHAA

She said she’s noticed me several times and purposely came by today. She wants to drive by next time and ‘give me more’. She was sorry she didn’t have more to give today! I SAID: YOU’VE GIVEN ME MUCH MORE THAN YOU KNOW!

I told her about GOOD HEARTED LIVING (Steve Wilson) and the gift of KINDNESS and COMPLIMENTS. I gave her my:
TIME 2 LAUGH and HA HA HELEN’S SMILE CAMPAIGN sheet (which also has Steve Wilson’s Good Hearted Living noted on it)

I gave her a couple smiley bookmarks.

SO – It was an ABUNDANTLY PROSPEROUS DAY! Filled with SMILES, WAVES, BEEPS and APPRECIATION!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Live BOLD and in ITALICS!

Did you miss your present? hmm?

I was behind a well dressed business woman in a checkout line at a Dollar Store. I looked down and noticed a KEY in the bottom of an empty store-hand basket near her feet. I said: ‘Excuse me? Is that your key?’

No response. I said a little louder: ‘Excuse me? Is that your key?’ [she was INTENTLY Texting someone on her mobile device.] She finally CAME TO – for a BRIEF second to say: ‘WHUH?’ I repeated my question, again – she mumbled ‘neh’ and went back to her texting.

Then, the well-dressed business woman in front of her, just having finished paying for HER purchases echoed: ‘Whuh?’ Her friend didn’t even hear her – and mindlessly walked out behind her, leaving the store.

I was a bit ‘concerned’ that they would both be going out to get into a vehicle and drive! No alcohol, no food, just mental FOG and totally unware of THEIR PRESENT!

[I have a 63 yr old sister who was hit by a drunk driver when she was 19 - she is permanently front left lobe brain damaged as a result. She is now in a nursing home and I'm her representative. So my concern is not a light one.]

I have been marketing myself as well as making the effort to SPREAD SMILES BY THE MILES to rush hour traffic – placing signs out in front of a friend’s restaurant that read: ‘FREE Smiles & Laughs Drive-thru!’

or my other effort: MOTOR-VATION with another sign that read – ‘*Smile! YOU’RE GREAT!’

As I sit or stand along the road – I am AMAZED at the amount of Totally NON-PRESENT drivers going by! Not just from Texting, Cell Phone talking-but from staring off into space etc. [yes, I am guilty of the day dreaming, myself.]

- I found a quarter under a chair at a restaurant today!
- I saw a cloud in the sky yesterday, shaped like a ‘V’ for victory!
- I saw a ‘cloud-like’ X-shape in the sky last week – the residue of two jet paths having crossed one another. It was comical – X marked the spot of the restaurant I had gone to!

- I found a dime on the floor of my hairstylist’s salon a few weeks ago.

I play a smile game where I just look at people with a closed-mouth smile and give myself a point if they return the smile.

I watched a teenage boy talking to his mother in the lobby-waiting area of a restaurant the other week. His mother was focused on her mobile device – reading and texting. The TEENAGER was Talking Away to his mother – and all that came from her was an occassional: ‘Whuh?’ ‘Huh?’ How many parents would be THRILLED to have their teen wanting to talk to them? I watched in amazement!

When walking to my mailbox the other day, I found a beautiful bird feather. I picked it up and saved it! When I was conducting my MOTOR-VATION event, today – I found a TULIP TREE leaf on the ground next to my chair! What a find! I picked it up and saved it!

All these PRESENTs I receive in Smiles, Waves, Beeps, Acknowledgements, and the little GIFTS God, Spirit, the Universe lay across my path as I walk out and about are PRICELESS!

How many PRESENTS did you miss today by not being PRESENT?

I SAID – HOW MANY PRESENTS DID YOU MISS TODAY BY NOT BEING PRESENT!? [this line was just for effect - as a reader - I can tell you are very present..]

THANK YOU for your gift of reading my blog(s) – YOU are APPRECIATED!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com
Living in the moment …
Living in A-MAZE-ment
Live Life! Laugh Often!

For starting out, Ho Hum, my Saturday turned out to be especially silly and Smile Provoking!

Headed out to DENNYS’ for lunch. After parking and engaging my car alarm – WOOP WOOP WOOP! a car alarm (thinking it’s mine) is SCREAMING its head off. I pull the key fob out of my purse and proceed to press every button available, the alarm won’t stop. I look to see if the car lights are flashing, then realize it’s the vehicle next to mine. Then it stops. WONDERING if someone in a nearby store was messing with me?

DENNYS’ was packed, but I got a nice table. Heard the table behind me tell the server they had a birthday. When the server left, I got up (taking two SMILE Face, yellow, positive saying bookmark business cards with me) – excused myself to the 3, gray-haired ‘young folks’ sitting there – said I overheard there was a birthday? The man and woman pointed to the man on the other side of the booth. I said: ‘If you don’t mind, IT’S FREE, I’ll sing the ‘Ha Ha Happy Birthday song to you?’ They smiled in approval. I said: ‘Pay attention, the words are tricky!’ …so I went on with the ‘ha ha ha ha ha Haaa…’ At the end, the woman asked how to pronounce my last name, as she looked at it on the card. I said: ‘VERY CAREFULLY!’ She laughed out loud, saying that was funny. [I try.]

I went back to my table, and heard [from the very closely placed table of 6 college-age men & women sitting directly to my right] ‘…yeah, he was laughing in his sleep!’ I reached in my purse and whipped out a Smile Face ‘Laugh Yourself Healthy’ bookmark – gently passing it to the ‘accused laughing/dreaming guy’. They looked at me a bit cautiously. I said: ‘It’s OK, you don’t have to keep the bookmark if you don’t want to.’ – and I smiled. They kept it.

About 5 minutes later, a woman stopped at my table as she was leaving. She said: ‘You have a beautiful voice! That was lovely, what you did for his birthday!’ I smiled and thanked her for mentioning it and being so kind. She said: ‘You have an infectious smile!’ I said: ‘I want you to know how SPECIAL it was that you stopped to tell me this and I note ‘a little kindness goes a long way’ – you’ve just made my day with your kindness.’ She smiled, and her ‘daughter?’ smiled as they went up to pay their bill.

I drove up the road and beeped/waved as I passed the two CHIC-FILET fast food COW MASCOTS standing along side the road and waving at traffic.

When I got to A.C. MOORE crafts to make use of my 50% off coupon – I got in line behind a woman at the cash register. I heard the song: ‘THE TIME WARP’ [Rocky Horror Picture Show] playing on the P.A. System

I couldn’t resist. It was just at the part: ‘IT’S JUST A JUMP TO THE LEFT’
so I – JUMPED TO THE LEFT (ha ha!)

The woman in front of me turned, smiled, laughed and DID THE SAME!

PRICELESS MOMENT! We both – standing one in line behind the other, continued the ‘time warp’ dance steps as the instructions were sung in the song.
SHE WAS GOOD! She knew it perfectly! I was a beat behind, waiting for the instructions.

When it was done we had a chuckle.

This has been an ‘ESPECIALLY SILLY SATURDAY SERIES OF EVENTS!’

Now I can go about my chores for the rest of the day with a smile on my face.
… an maybe take ‘a jump to the left and a step to the right’ if I need recharged!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living BOLD and in ITALICS!
Live Life in a-MAZE-ment!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com
ADDENDUM: forgot to add at the end of my Especially Silly Series of Events blog – posted earlier … after leaving A.C. Moore crafts – I passed an SUV in the parking lot with the glamour plate: 2NOTY4U ;o) LOL!