2 of 8

Today sucked.

First, Vampboy decided to get an early start to the day at 4:30am. Once that cute little voice says "daddy change my dieyyyyaper", there is really nothing else to do but get up and do his bidding. However, the fresh nappy didn't translate into a fresh attitude, so the next few hours were spent listening to the high pitched-voice that had the neighborhood dogs running for cover.

This translated into being late to work during one of the ever-increasing times I call "hell month". In the non-profit world, January is often the first in a series of these, due to every foundation and government agency deciding to make all your funding dreams come true -- that is, provided you submit a 75 page thesis on everything you stand for and the reason why anyone should give a damn.

Fast forward to a lunch meeting when, in the midst of my chicken salad sandwich, my phone vibrates with "home" on the caller ID. Since the new normal requires constant connection in case of "the worst", I charge out of the room to take the call. Turns out our little guy had a break-through seizure today. Think of it as "seizure light" -- it lasted less than 5 minutes, and after a period of staring into space he snapped back to reality as if a light switch was suddenly turned back on. He was with Vampmommy at the time, docs have been consulted with, and all is once again well...However, you try to get a "don't panic but I want you to know" call about your child, then go back to work without losing focus.

However, I wrap up the work day with some modicum of focus, then it's off to renew my commitment to Bikram Yoga. After a day of having my patience and emotions kicked around, why not end the day by kicking my physical self a bit?

I get home, still sweating from class (and that's after a shower) and inhale a salad and tall glass of water to prevent my passing out. VB and VM arrive home form errands, and seconds after they enter the house an avalanche of snow slides off our condo roof, landing right where Vampboy had been standing seconds before. Okay, breathe......

So, rather than continue down the dark path, I thought I'd end my day with an upbeat list of 8. I think I'm veering from the rules somewhat in making up my own list topics, but I feel the appropriate amount of slack has been cut on my behalf. Take this, lousy day!

8 Things that make me happy

1. Grande Soy With Whip Mocha. While I agree that Starbucks is growing into the evil Wal-Mart of coffee, I can't help but feel the nostalgia for sweet days gone by every time I take a gulp. I close my eyes, and for a moment I'm back in college, slinging lattes with the best of them.

2. Amy Winehouse. All right, I know this woman is a complete mess, between her rampant drug use and dysfunctional marriage. But I have spend many a night in the past year mixing VB's medications while blasting "Back to Black" on the trusty Ipod.

3. Dark Chocolate Peanut M&M's. I think they started making these as a promotion during the last Star Wars release, but they were wise to keep them around. Yummy.

4. Law and Order. As reliable as the rising of the sun -- not a moment goes by where you couldn't turn on the tube and find a station ringing out the familiar "doink doink" of the gavel between scenes. While I'm not a huge fan of "Criminal Intent", the original or "SVU" keep me entertained.

5. John Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Islands of sanity in a sea of American psychosis.

6. The smell of a new CD. ITunes might be convenient, but there's nothing like the smell of a CD booklet the first time you take off the plastic (and that damn label strip) and open the case. Happiness also increases with respect to the quality of the music located within.

7. Demotivators. My sense of humor is rather dark -- as it should be. These digs at cheesy corporate leadership prints are laugh-out-loud brilliant.

8. Clue - The Movie. I've seen this so many times I think I can enact the entire film myself, playing every role. Perhaps that will be what catapults me back onto the stage after years away.

Now I'm all smiles!