Otterocity!

Step into happiness and a world of pastry fun that is whimsical and yummy!  Jean-Philippe Maury displays his chocolates, cookies, cakes, crepes, an more at the Jean Philippe Patisserie in the Belagio Las Vegas.

When you walk up to the European-style pastry shop you are greeted with the world's largest chocolate fountain.

Then, as you enter the shop the center case greets you with all kinds of chocolates, cookies, and pastries.  Overhead, you are greeted by strange cakes.

Along the wall are all different kinds of cakes, in any theme you can imagine.

Jean-Philippe has Otterocity!

He uses his imagination and brings fun to the wonderful world of pastries!

I found this quote today and it seemed to go with a chapter in my new book;

"When one door of hapiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see which has been opened for us."

--Helen Keller

Dont' stare too long at the closed door, go through the open one!

Add Happiness to your life with Otterocity!

I walked out of the coffee shop yesterday and saw this awesome green car parked out front. I thought, "Cool! What a neat car! How much fun would that be to drive around in this the whole day?" Next I decided thatwould be a good blog post for Otterocity so I snapped a few pictures.

If you find want to add some fun, joy, or happiness to your life, go buy, rent, or see if you can borrow a fun car like this one and drive it around for the day! It is a guaranteed way to attract some attention and add a bit of Otterocity to your life. If you don't have a car like this at your disposal, then find a local collectors or vintage car show and snap some good photos!

I am sure the people who drive this car have a lot of fun cruising around town.

Have Otterociy!
Drive a fun car!

I am sure you have seen the video with an otter at the zoo having fun with a boy, but I wanted to post it here as a testament to their fun-loving nature. 

A trait that Otters show, is their joyful spirit.  Otterocity is all about having fun in your life.   Embrace the qualities of Otters and add some fun to it!

If these creatures can have fun, you can too!

Got Otterocty?

Last week I was talking about different kinds of food with some co-workers and someone mentioned the massive cinnamon rolls at Vern's outside of LaPorte, Colorado.  For several days, the giant pastry in my mind was begging me to consume it.

So, here I was playing Mr. Mom this past weekend and I decided to take my two daughters for a little drive to Vern's.  It had been a long time since I was there last. The place hasn't changed much.  When you walk into the Western themed restaurant you are met with a, "Please Seat Yourself" sign and mounted and stuffed animals hanging all about the wooden paneling. On the far wall, near the kitcen, was an old style telephone/telegraph machine.

We sat down at a table near the window and was pleasantly greeted by the wait staff.  She had a multi-colored shirts and smile on her faces. I looked around and everyone who worked there seemed to have the same joyful attitude. It was a real down-home atmosphere.  We ordered drinks, a giant cinnamon roll, hashbrowns and a side of bacon and in no less than five minutes everything was on our table, hot and fresh. When we were done, we paid and walked around the gift shop and visited the back counter of their bakery.  I was really tempted to take a dozen cinnamon rolls home with me, but I resisted the urge.

So, if you are ever in Northern Colorado and want to go somewhere where the people enjoy thier job, and serve great home-cooking in a friendly atmosphere, then visit Vern's.

Their cinnamon rolls will bring

joy and happiness to your life! 

With a name like Tom Otterness you don't have to guess if he has Otterocity in his life.  Tom lives and breathes Otterocity!  He is an American sculptor who shares his joyful spirit through his amazing pieces of art.  His work is displayed in many unique locaions around the world.  From a beach, to a playground, to subway stations, courthouses and museums, he dispalys his art publicly, privately, and on exhibition for the whole world to enjoy.

View his Public Art, Kid's Art, and how he makes a sculpture

on his website:

www.tomostudio.com/index.html

Thank you Tom Otterness for having Otterocity

and brining joy and happiness to the world!

I decided to grab a quick salad at McDonalds yesterday afternoon. I pulled up to the sign, ordered my chicken bacon ranch salad and a water and pulled around to the first window.

I was behind a metallic grey/brown Chevy Tahoe and it seemed to take her a while to pay.  I was in no hurry, so I didn't think anything of it. (I was just chilling to music.) I pulled forward to pay and handed the man my debit card.

"You don't have to pay!" said the man.

"What?"

"You don't have to pay, the lady in front of you bought your meal."

"You are joking, right?"

"No, she comes in often and pays for the person behind her."

"Cool!"

Up until then, I was not having a good day. In this one quick moment, my spirits were lifted. I felt a rush of excitment and shock flow through me. I was curious as to who this lady was.  I pulled forward and stuck my head out the window and waived at her.  She looked back through her side mirror and I shouted.

"Thank you!"

"You are welcome!" she replied.

She took her food from the person in the window and drove off.  I never got her name or knew who she was.  She was a person who did random acts of kindness and spread her joy and warmpth to the person in the vehicle behind her.

All that went through my mind the rest of the day was, "That was too cool! I have to do that myself."

Not only is Otterocity about bringing joy to your life. It is about giving to others without the expectation of return. This lady showed me that she truly has Otterocty!

Thank you Tahoe lady! 

Keep showing your Otteroticy!

You don't need to do anything outlandish in life to have fun.  You can do something simple, like blowing bubbles!

The man in this video is having a good time making giant bubbles on the beach.  The kids are having fun watching the bubbles and popping them. They show the true definition of Otterocity with something as simple as making giant bubbles. They are bringing a joyful spirit to their lives!

Do something fun today!

Go to the beach, the park, or your back yard

 and blow some bubbles!

This great man shows ulitmate joy in his life and shares it with everyone he meets!

Nick Vujicic shows what it means to bring a joyful spirit to your life, regardless of what obstacles are thrown at you. With no arms and no legs, Nick loves living life, and he is happy! He has found inspiration through his biggest challenge and shares that message with millions of people.

Visit Nick at: www.attitudeisaltitude.com

Nick and Bethany Hamilton Surfing

Nick has Otterocity! 

Do you?

OTTEROCITY (Otter + ocity)

Otter: A small aquatic creatures that, despite their harsh living conditions or being hunted by predators, works hard and enjoys life to the fullest. They are big-hearted and energetic little animals that bring joy and happiness to their lives.

Ocity: Quality of.

Therefore, Otterocity is showing or possessing the qualities of Otters, to bring a joyful spirit to your life.

I dedicate this blog to those who show Otterocity in their lives. I will be on the hunt for people, organizations, groups, artists, writers, entertainers, etc. who display Otterocity in one form or another.

Who do you know that shows Otterocity?

Please e-mail me your story, video, article, poem, song, or link of Otterocity. Or, send me a story, video, article, poem, song, or link of someone you think displays Otterocity. I might just post it here.

I hope you enjoy.

Embrace Otterocity, and bring a joyful spirit to your life!

--T. A. Northburg