On the plus side...

Well, friends, it looks like April is (checks calendar, not trusting self to accurately nail down slippery concepts like "dates" anymore) yep, almost over...which means we've just about survived another month of this...coronavirus-takeover-situation. So first let me shout from the rooftops: YAY, US! For following the rules required to keep ourselves and others safe, for doing all the difficult, not-fun things experts say will help us eventually thwart the dastardly wee bug, and mostly for hanging in there and getting through each day as best we can: one ginormous global socially-distant totally safe virtual high five coming out to each and every one of you. 

Of course, given those factors I just mentioned, it’s no surprise that…not much has changed over the past several weeks...and frankly, life isn't all that exciting right now. Therefore (partially in order to bolster my own sanity, tbh) I’ve decided that today’s topic for reflection shall revolve around “tiny bright spots”--things that recently have provided just a smidgen of joy to counteract the onslaught of constant dire news and chilling statistics which have unfortunately become such a part of our daily existence.

First of all, some light and fluffy entertainment (because who doesn’t need a dose of THAT right now, yeah?). Remember that book of brain teaser puzzles I bought several weeks ago? The boys happened upon me peacefully sitting in my office one day, concentrating on filling in some of the answers…and instantly wanted a piece of the action. (As competitive young men will do. It's a game? They're IN! Wait, is there a prize?) So, picking through to identify some of the more...generationally relevant ones...I challenged them with quizlets like these:

1.   AHAB: initials of 2 famous people; one killed the other

2.   Guess the item based on 3 clues: In 2008 many baseball fans were disgusted when a photo surfaced depicting Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez using one of these as a napkin. In the film “National Treasure”, Nicolas Cage uses one of these to determine the time of day that a shadow cast from Independence Hall would point to a secret location. As of 1869, this is the highest-valued unit of currency in U.S. circulation.

Ah, nerd family bonding time…can’t beat it!

And speaking of wholesome amusement, one diversion that luckily has been available to lift one’s spirits is the fabulous “get the heck outside” option. With the arrival of glorious Spring weather, running, walking, and biking have provided a welcome escape—literally—from the indoor doldrums. Even better, the nearby Fleet Feet came up with a brilliant idea for some special Runner’s Boxes, filled with goodies centered around a theme, and offered with contactless curbside pickup. 

Needless to say, the java-related one practically screamed my name. And as an unexpected but thoroughly welcome surprise, when I went to the store to retrieve my treasures, I was met by none other than the woman in charge of the Wednesday night pub runs I regularly attend (pre-and-post-pandemic, naturally). So, awesome shirt/locally roasted coffee/workout fuel/mug…plus the opportunity to chat with someone I obviously hadn’t seen in a while (appropriately separated)…that’s definitely a Win/Win!

Next, related to that whole notion of “leaving the house”, it seems like the Male Trio—who mostly have been coping admirably well—lately might be developing a bit of an…itch to wander, so to speak. For example, Riley earnestly approached me the other day and announced that he would be making a trip to the grocery store, “to give you a break, because you do it all the time”. After approximately 1.5 seconds he wryly added, “And besides, I need to get out for a bit.” Oh trust me, I understand, child! 

Then there was the every-3-weeks-or-so expedition to Costco, a chore which routinely falls to Husband; however, this time he invited/coerced Derek to join him for the company…and probably moral support, as one can never really predict what that place is going to be like on a so-called normal day, much less during an extended episode of Hoarders: the toilet paper and hand soap edition. Upon their return they reported that all of the mandated public safety measures were being properly implemented, and their experience was…fine. (Which in the grand scheme of things can absolutely be classified as one of those “small victories”!)

This leads me to something completely silly  that nevertheless made me happy last week. Due to a combination of factors—such as having to buy extra food with both kids here and all 4 of us at home more than usual, thereby racking up the Harris Teeter Fuel Rewards points…driving less because of so many things being closed…and almost unbelievably low gas prices…I was able to completely fill my tank...for under $20. That just pleased me waaaay more than it should have, but like I said, ya gotta focus on the positive wherever you can find it at the moment, amiright?

Aaannnd, what lockdown post would be complete without an installment of the esteemed reality show we like to call The Continuing Adventures the Goofball Brothers. While they do still have assignments to keep on top of, they have most assuredly found themselves with an unprecedented (GAH! Sorry!) amount of free time not typically afforded them during the academic year. As such, they’ve been taking advantage of the bonus togetherness in a variety of ways. Such as storming into my workspace and staging a mock argument at top volume, in order to get me to stop what I’m doing and yell at them to knock it off. Siiighhhhh…. (I’m just kidding—they only do it when they’re sure I’m not, you know, on a video call with colleagues or something. So it’s kind of a hilarious break from whatever mundane task I happen to be doing at the time…but I’m not telling them that, okay? Heaven only knows what they’d do with actual encouragement to be all dramatic and whatnot. Let’s just not go there…)

And finally, when they’re not busy harassing me, they’ve re-instituted a heartwarming practice: collaborating on the PlayStation, mostly with Lego Marvel games. Well…on second thought, that makes it sound far more...harmonious...than it often turns out to be. In practice, although they’re supposed to be cooperating as a team to defeat whatever villain is currently menacing their characters, what actually appears on the screen seems to involve a great deal of...running amok, chasing each other, sabotaging one another’s efforts…and very little triumphing over evil and whatnot. Oh, and copious amounts of trash-talking, barking advice (which is overwhelmingly ignored), and exasperation when whatever flimsy, incomprehensible plan they invented inevitably fails to attain their goals. Yeah…it’s a real HOOT, y’all.

Anyway, it's been very satisfying to refocus my scattered pandemic-ridden mental space and share a few smile-inducing moments that have cheered Team WestEnders of late...so thanks for tagging along. And who knows--perhaps May will bring better tidings in the planet-wide fight to crush COVID. Let's all keep our fingers crossed...and in the meantime, stay safe and well, amigos!

Growing Older (but not up?)

This week provided a stark lesson that—even in the midst of something like, oh, let’s say “a global pandemic” that feels like it’s been hanging around forever at this point—time does continue to march onward…whether we’re quite ready for it to or not, in some cases. Specifically, I’m talking about the fact that my oldest child reached somewhat of a milestone birthday recently, as he turned 20…left his teenage years behind…and entered a brand new decade of his young life. 

Being the one who, you know, brought him into this world and all (and given my well-documented penchant for emotional melodrama when I feel the situation warrants) I of course experienced a moment of reckoning, in which I may have shrieked “HOW can this BE? My baby is all grown up!” while clutching my heart and gasping convulsively. (You’ll no doubt be relieved to hear that this was a very brief period—we all got through it and moved on. Translation: Derek snickered appreciatively at my histrionics, everyone else smirked and shook their head resignedly…and I eventually came to grips with the situation.)

Putting all of that aside for the moment, we had to figure out how to properly celebrate…as best we could…given the current state of the planet (gestures wildly to indicate “out there”). As it turns out, this actually could be viewed as an unexpected boon for Derek, depending on how you look at it. I mean, last year he was away from home on his special day for the first time in his life. So he got cards in the mail…and I sent him a box of treats…but then by the time his semester was over, April was a distant memory. In short, not much hoopla for becoming 19.

However, in 2020 coronavirus has him hunkering down with us at Casa WestEnders, so we decided to try and make it as memorable as possible. This began with squeezing some gift ideas out of him—a task that’s notoriously difficult with either of my sons. To try and head off the inevitable procrastinating that’s a hallmark of his ultra-laid-back personality, this time I gave him a hard deadline. I used the excuse that, even though we’re spoiled by Amazon Prime, these days the 2-day shipping we usually take for granted is anything BUT a given (for frivolous items outside the “hand soap and toilet paper realm”, at least).

So naturally I STILL had to stalk him at the exact cutoff hour I’d designated, and demand his Wish List. Even then, my concentrated efforts weren’t enough to guarantee smooth sailing, since I placed one order with multiple items, explicitly stated that they should consolidate and send them together…and yet they trickled in over the course of the next week. Oh well, I tried!

Next, he got to choose what he wanted for his birthday dinner. Not surprisingly, he opted for steak (which Husband hardly ever cooks) and potatoes. My department is desserts, so I asked what he’d like in terms of cake-like-delicacies. With no hesitation, he stated, “Chocolate, with buttercream icing.” But after a moment’s additional thought, he tacked on, “Just…nothing weird, okay? No kale, or beets, or beans hiding in there.” There was even an adorably hilarious scene where he and his brother—brimming with mock indignation--searched the kitchen, opening cabinets and drawers, peering into the refrigerator and freezer, looking for potentially offensive produce that I could hide in otherwise innocent pastries. 

I feigned outrage, as if such a treacherous thought would NEVER occur to me…but what can I say? The kid’s had 20 years to be a guinea pig for my little tricks—er, “the lucky recipient of my (mostly) delicious experiments”--so yeah, I promised him no vegetables lurking in his baked goods (note the very careful choice of words. It will pop back up later…mwah hah hah!)  

Another one of our traditions is to allow the celebrant to pick where we go out for a restaurant meal. (Which for us is a rare occurrence, lending it all the excitement and anticipation of some kind of super-fancy event. Like I’ve said many times, we’re a pretty easily amused bunch…) Obviously this year we’d have to modify that plan a bit, but there are still plenty of local eateries offering takeout, so at least we’d get to savor food prepared by someone else, even if it was in our own living room. When I posed the question to Derek, I’d hardly gotten the words out of my mouth before he blurted, “Chipotle!” Alrighty, then…nothing too lavish for my very down-to-earth dude, which actually sounds about right…so, burrito bowls all around! (Yum!)

Oh, and the aforementioned sweets? I produced the devil’s food delight, as instructed (from a box, but he knows that, so it’s all above-board), with homemade frosting. And everyone proclaimed it utterly scrumptious…so I felt confident enough to reveal my secret AFTER they’d tasted it and formed their opinions without bias. You see, while watching Food Network one day (as one does), I saw a chef introduce a 2-ingredient baking hack, making a cake by adding ONLY a can of pureed pumpkin to the dry mix, to replace the eggs, water, and oil. I remember being skeptical at the time, but also deviously excited to test it out on my own beloved fam.

Yeah, yeah, the boys were predictably incensed—I had to endure an interlude of yelling, in which they castigated me for going behind their backs yet again, aired their grievances about “this is why they can’t trust me”, blah blah blah. Yet after they’d had their 5 minutes to vent (thank goodness, as always, that they have stereotypical male temperaments and get over things so quickly) I calmly asked them if they’d been able to tell that I snuck in a hidden ingredient. They grudgingly admitted it had gone utterly unnoticed. Follow-up question: was it tasty? They conceded that it was.

So to sum up: I didn’t lie, exactly (since pumpkin is a FRUIT. Sure, it’s a technicality, but I’m clinging to it as my ironclad…and only…defense…). Plus, my teensy…subterfuge…didn’t affect your enjoyment of your birthday goodies--which need I remind you were crafted with love by your mother. Ahem…why don’t we just call this a Win/Win, and as your favorite Disney princess would advise us, “Let it Go”, okay?

Anyway, well-intentioned deception notwithstanding, I think we managed to do a pretty decent job of making the kiddo feel extra-loved and appreciated during his bday week o’fun. And hey, he’s got magnets and a mobile charger for the car he regularly drives…although he can’t actually GO anywhere….but he can enjoy the heck out of his new video games while he’s stuck in the house. Besides, we’re still nibbling away at the leftover cake, so all-in-all, a successful kickoff to the first full decade of adulthood. (Gulp…nope—on second thought, pass the sugar and leave that twisted path for another post, at a preferably muuuch later date! Whew!)

Making it up as we go along, folks...

Like everyone else alive on Planet Earth during the COVID Era (because I think we can all agree that by now, regardless of what the actual calendar might say, the "real feel" of this crisis can be measured in years, rather than months, and therefore deserves its own, named period in history, yeah? You know, like the Jurassic..or, um, The Dark Ages....) we here in Casa WestEnders are striving to figure out ways to keep ourselves busy and entertained. And with so many options off the table due to social distancing recommendations and governmental shutdowns, we've been forced to get creative with our fun. (Chilling with friends? Nope! Going out to eat? Nuh uh! Group workouts? Fuhgeddaboutit! Zoom calls with fam? Siiiighhhh.....fiiiiinnnnne, I loathe the phone, but if it's the ONLY way to keep in touch...) Fortunately, it turns out we're pretty easily amused, as evidenced by the following activities that occurred over the past week:

Because the...reading...must go on (that's the saying, right? Eh, in this house it is...) I used some of my extra spare time to figure out how to borrow ebooks from our local library. Now, before you think "Jeez, lady, are you a total luddite? Get with the 21st century already!" let me explain. If I remember correctly, I tried this a couple of years ago, and at that time Kindle was being very snooty about cooperating with any platform other than Amazon--thereby rendering it difficult or impossible to actually connect with an outside institution and download a title.

For whatever reason, however, they seem to have gotten the heck over themselves, and in a few short minutes I was able to browse Chapel Hill's collection, select a novel, check it out, choose my preferred format, and have it sent to my tablet. (Yay!)

While I was on a roll, I also used my membership privileges to access the Kindle Lending Library and snag a backup bonus story, just in case. And then, because you can never have too many things in your TBR pile, as I always* say (*never once have said in my entire life before now), I got all fancy and contacted a nearby independent bookshop for a couple of tales I've had my eye on, which they kindly arranged to be shipped directly to my house. I might have gone a little overboard, sure...but at least I'll be well-read? And kept out of trouble? (On second thought, let's not get crazy and expect too much, okay? I honestly can't make any promises at this point...)

As for the boys, they've resorted to various methods to keep from going stir-crazy. One of these, for example, involved the basketball hoop in the driveway, combined with the set of miniature football goalposts...for some kind of nonsense competition that seemed to include lots of attempts at trick shots...and copious amounts of trash talking (and laughter...and a little blood--but whatever, everyone survived. And I soooo wish I had photo documentation, but I don't, so you're just gonna have to take my word for it...and visualize the ridiculousness. I trust you to use your imaginations....).

For a less boisterous endeavor, Riley began tuning in with me during the nightly Jeopardy broadcasts, although he wasn't that engaged in the beginning, due to the questions not being particularly age-appropriate. BUT, then the College Tournament started, which was thoroughly game-changing. Suddenly he was able to join me in the time-honored tradition* of shouting out answers, congratulating oneself for possessing arcane tidbits of information....and, of course, complimenting, reprimanding, and/or taunting the players for their performances. (*as it was done by my family during my formative years)

Eventually, after we'd tempted Derek to get in on the circus--um, "contest"--with the assurance that "they usually have sports stuff, so you'd totally clean up!" he deigned to sit in on a show one night. And participated by yelling random facts, usually obscure and unrelated in any comprehensible way to the category at hand. Well...frankly I should have seen that coming. Suffice it to say he's been eliminated from the proceedings, presented with his lovely parting gift* (*a swift kick in the rear on his way out), and dismissed from the living room. Ha!

In a completely different realm of media distraction, we've had to compensate for the unprecedented (sorry to beat a dead word even further into the ground) lack of televised sports. It's gotten to the point that even Derek--my diehard fan of all things involving grown men (or students) throwing, catching, hitting, dribbling, running with, or shooting a ball--huffed out of the family room one day complaining that he was fed up with ESPN's coverage of...nothing but LeBron James and Tom Brady, apparently.

Fortunately, there's Disney+ to take up the slack, so we've been able to give some favorites another screening (mostly Marvel...and Frozen 2). And this past Saturday night, because he couldn't get together with his buddies like he usually would, he hung out with the 'rents and we all enjoyed an evening with...Zombieland. (What? Are you suggesting that a darkly humorous, profanity-laced, gruesome film about a post-apocalyptic world overrun by the undead doesn't constitute wholesome family bonding? Eh, it worked for the 3 adults in the household [Riley, who would have hated it anyway, having gone to bed already]).

Speaking of the pals from whom they're separated, I've witnessed both of the lads using technology to their advantage during the pandemic. When I pass by either of their rooms during the day (or even late night, for the nocturnal college kid) I might hear Riley's voice chatting on the phone with his AP Chemistry lab partner, or Derek FaceTiming with his North or South Carolina crews. So at least they're getting to stay connected to a certain degree--and yes, I've taken the opportunity to remind them how indescribably lucky they are to have this capability...because if this whole situation had happened while I was in school, in the desperate age before mobile networks or the internet...there'd be a whole lot of sitting in their rooms staring at the walls and interacting with only us...and believe me, NONE of us would come through that in very good shape.

In the midst of all this, Easter tried to sneak up on us--but luckily I caught it in time, and made a stealth run to Target to procure supplies. Now, I'm well aware that my sons are technically waaaayyy too old for the Bunny Basket Bonanza...but this year, in particular, it just felt like the occasion provided us with a bona fide excellent excuse for some joyful surprises...and candy...to lift our spirits. So I chuckled my way through the shopping excursion (6 feet away from every other customer and employee at all times, naturally).

With wild abandon (I'm out in public--wheee!) I tossed must-haves (Hazelnut Spread M&Ms, anyone?) and fortuitous finds (stuffed amphibian for Riley, who's been a frog aficionado since he was a wee tot...and Olaf pillow pet for Derek? Are you kidding me? My self-proclaimed Disney hype-beast who's seen both movies more times than I have? Clearly these are No. Brainers.) into my cart, relishing the idea of setting them out after everyone went to bed, since they weren't expecting anything at all on Sunday morning. Oh, and since we have so many more leisure hours at home these days, to spend with each other, I ordered a couple of diversions from Barnes & Noble (contact-less curbside pickup FTW) for us to try out in the coming quarantine weeks.

And you know what? The Male Trio were just as pleased and startled as I'd hoped they'd be. Like a true college dude, Derek immediately broke open his jelly beans, proclaiming them a lovely breakfast. Riley happily relocated his new mascot to his desk, to keep him company during work times. Husband put forth a reasoned argument that Oreos were somehow a health food and could therefore be consumed without guilt in the a.m. (which no one was going to refute anyway). And I had somehow managed to overlook buying a spare bag of the Dove dark chocolate eggs, so I purloined a few when people weren't paying attention to me. (Shhhh! I'll get some on the clearance shelf next time I go out, and no one needs to know, 'kay?)

So there you have it: our clan's attempts to stave off cabin-fever, avoid getting on each other's nerves TOO much, and manufacture recreation. The way I see it, we might eventually end up slightly smarter...with encyclopedic knowledge of the Disney film catalog...and vastly enhanced IT skills...but also a sugar addiction that needs to be addressed...and/or scars from an ill-advised DIY driveway sportsball stunt. Stay tuned!

Week...oh, whatever...is anyone even keeping track of time anymore?

Well, here we are again...pretty much maintaining the holding pattern we've been in since, oh, what feels like the dawn of time--or, you know, "early March". While I'm ecstatic to report that Team WestEnders made it though that aforementioned hellmonth in good health, like everyone else at this point I'm weary of the (unfortunately necessary) Shelter in Place restrictions hovering over all our heads like an unwelcome raincloud waiting to shower us with...malignant droplets of doom...or whatever.

But at least in challenging times like these, it's comforting to establish and stick to a routine of sorts, right? I mean, that's what the "experts" who have our "best interests at heart" are all yammering about in an effort to "keep our spirits up" and "bolster our mental health". Okay, then, let's give this a whirl...looking back on my past week as a newish member of the WFH Club (which has grown exponentially since this all started--waves enthusiastically to other recent inductees), what kinds of patterns emerge?


Sometime between 6:45 and 7:30 a.m.: (reluctantly opens one eye, peers fuzzily at clock) "Hmm, what day is it? (thinks hard, may or may not come up with correct answer) "Fine, let's narrow it down: is it a 'coordinate outfit, brush hair, slap on enough makeup to transform from zombie to live human'...situation?" (if no: get up, but remain in pjs; if yes: put in enough effort to not frighten colleagues on potential Skype calls)

5 minutes after rising: All. The. Coffee. (and scroll through emails, social media, virus updates, signs of the apocalypse, blah blah blah...)

This stage lasts right up until the next one, which is: "Damn it, how is it 9:00 already? I'm supposed to be logging in now." (throws on some athleisure wear, concealer, and blush. remembers at the last second to ponytail the messy tresses)

9:05-ish: (connects work computer, refreshes Outlook, despairs at the inbox full of COVID-related material...decides it's a fabulous opportunity for more java)

9:10: (shuffles into kitchen, stops short at the unexpected crowd, brandishes empty mug whilst glaring daggers at these blasted interlopers...ahem..."beloved family") "Why is everyone here right now? Where did you all even come from? Don't you have anywhere else in the house you could be? Most importantly, get out of my way, and make a path to the Keurig!" (note to self: apologize later for morning tantrum. blame under-caffeination...or corona...or any other excuse that occurs to me...)

9:30: "Hey, breakfast time!"

9:45--noon: (performs job tasks in home office, where laptop happens to be located in front of a window...which leads to alternating bouts of productivity...and distraction by the ceaseless wonders of the Great Outdoors) "Ooh, one of the hawks just flew by! And what was that? Eh, just a squirrel. Wow, the leaves are really starting to come in now. Hey, that bush didn't have flowers yesterday! There goes a beautiful butterfly! Lots of pollen on the porch; maybe I should take a break and go sweep..."

12:00: "Wouldja look at that, it's time for another meal, yay! Wait a minute...what do you MEAN we're out of produce AGAIN? Didn't I just go to the supermarket yesterday? And the day before that--whatever the hell day that was?" (I swear, I live with a buncha savage...bunnies!  Or something like that...clearly I'm losing it...)

12:15--2: (navigates various interruptions by coworkers) "Hey, Mom, are you going to the grocery store later? Can you add something to the list?" (Riley) "What are you DOING in here?" (Derek, poking his head in while I'm practicing Spanish on the Duolingo website during some downtime) "Here, look at this joke so-and-so just texted me! Isn't that hilarious?" (Husband)

2:00: (does a final message cleanup, jots down a quick To Do List for tomorrow--wait, is tomorrow another weekday? Oh for the love of...(checks calendar to confirm). Yes, right: things to tackle on what I now understand to be WEDNESDAY...aaannnd, shuts it down for the day.)

2:15: "Whew, what's next?" (glances at Garmin) "I only have...1,500 steps so far? How is that even possible?" (oh, yeah: not doing laps in the Family Medicine building to get to the restroom, break room, other people's cubicles, etc.)

2:30: "Guess I'll be taking a quick stroll around the block to boost that number to a more reasonable level." (ventures out into neighborhood, enjoys fresh air, activity, and seeing other folks doing the same thing...from a safe distance of at least 6 feet--quarantine strong, baby!)

3:00: "Yep, I've totally earned a nap." (whether or not this is strictly true, I go ahead and lie down for an hour anyway, because...I say I'm allowed, so there.)

4:00: "That was exactly what I needed. Maybe take a peek at the old internet and see what's new? NOPE, that's quite enough of the hellfire and brimstone calamity and catastrophe thankyouverymuch." (opts to peruse funny memes, gaze at spectacular nature photos, and watch video clips of adorable baby animals, small children's antics, amusing comedians, and talented singers instead. feels blood pressure and heart rate decreasing, muscles unclenching, and breathing deepening while doing so. aaahhhhh.....)

4:30: (gathers courage and centers oneself for...a brief expedition to whatever emporium o'food I haven't been to in the last couple of days, to see what salad and fruit items I can scare up before the next dining hour. It always feels like a game of roulette these days (but definitely not in the entertaining way) to see what they're going to have, and what will have been cleared from the shelves by panicked hordes of stockpiling shoppers. Whoo hoo! Said no one...

5:00: (some kind of workout, for the obvious physical benefits, of course, but also to release some heightened anxiety, nervous energy, and pent-up restlessness from...so much extra time spent in my house...surrounded by my cherished clan, to be honest. Sure, I love them dearly, don't get me wrong--it's just a LOT for all of us, right now!)

6, or 7, or...whenever: dinner, hopefully using some of the fresh vegetables I was able to obtain from my quest. (Or you know what? I'm an adult, I can have dessert first if I dang well please. Cookies or carrots? Depends on the day, frankly...)

Post meal--around 10: mindless TV...read...until boredom sets in..."I should do something creative!" (wracks brain to figure out what that might be...and whether I in fact have the motivation and/or brainpower to attempt a craft or puzzle)...50/50 chance I give up and return to one of the previous, less demanding options.

10--11: "Shoot, I'm still short of my daily goal--I need more steps!" (because even a global pandemic is no excuse for laziness. KIDDING! I don't really believe this...I'm just SUPER stubborn and refuse to cut myself any slack, so there's that...)

11:30: "Oh, thank heavens, it's bedtime." (brain: HAHAHAHAHA! Oh, honey, we call these the very special Spiral Hours, where ALL of the unhelpful worries you've managed to squish down into a harmless, manageable ball during your conscious time can take advantage of your vulnerable state, grow huge spikes, and attack your weakened drowsy defenses! Soooo, let's have some F-U-N with that, shall we?)

Some unknown time: (falls into slumber at last)

And then...suck it up, buttercup, 'cuz we're gonna do it all again! Wheeeee!

Now, please keep in mind that all of the events portrayed here--while taken from my current reality--are as always subject to my own particular brand of exaggeration and embellishment. So yeah, the takeaway is we're fine, coping as well as can be expected...and doing the best we can to nurture a sense of humor about the whole...state of the world, and all. Fingers crossed that April treats us a whole lot better than its predecessor. Until then, I leave you with these words of encouragement: if you can just manage not to confuse the "anything goes" with the "must wear pants" days, then you are KILLING IT, my friends!