Croup girl (Tess, 2), flu girl (Abbie, 13), and Bad-Dream Girl (Meg, 6). The nights have been longish . . . for my wife. I've been sleeping fairly well.
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And it's just a coincidence that this attitude shift comes on the heels of the rebate announcement: Growing confidence in the future and slightly warmer views of President George W. Bush and Congress put Americans in a better mood this month, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday. Bread and circuses, Demetrius, bread and circuses. We can grow this leviathan as large as we want. Just keep 'em placated.
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Interesting piece at NYT about attending TV comedy shows live, from the difficulty of getting tickets to instructions you receive once you're in the seat. Excerpt:
There I met my first warm-up man. Every show has one to get the audience members excited and to explain that even if they are not excited, they must fake it with lots of laughing, clapping and hollering. So accustomed the semi-vegetative state of late-night channel surfing, we were now asked to become actors.
Each warm-up man I saw relied on those hoariest of stand-up clichés, ridiculing audience members' home states and questioning their sexual orientation. But these uncomfortable moments offer important practice for the crowd's prime directive: Even when it's not funny, you must laugh.
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Ask and you will receive: On Tuesday, I asked for tips to save money on groceries, especially milk. This morning, I read about miniature cows (the height of a Great Dane) suitable for the backyard that provide enough milk for personal consumption. I'll be a hit with the neighbors.
