Life Collateral

Biggest Source of Collateral

First days back at work after the holiday season officially concludes can be tiresome, to the point of suicidal thoughts. I was helped along in that direction by an almost despicable weather day of cold rain saturating the area. That’s only if you look at it through the pessimist’s window. On the upside I welcomed my new Assistant General Manager for her first day on the job and that was epic. She’s already launching herself into issues I wanted to get done but didn’t have the time to address. One of those unreachable itches that finally gets scratched. I’m genuinely excited about the prospect of working with this team for the foreseeable future. My wife commented last night that I seemed less stressed out, more relaxed, and I think unshouldering some of the responsibility I’ve carried for the past few months has a lot to do with it.

Hanging with Dad All Day

My wife was also out with the Panamanian Mafia yesterday so that leads indubitably to a visits to TJ Maxx where she called me from.  Somehow they had turned a pink piece of furniture into the source of a very ribald joke that had my ears seriously burning. This cemented my long held opinion that they are dangerous when they mass. So even though a dreary day I had a lot to be cheerful about.

Hugging a Fellow 2nd Gen Curbside Girl

I like to think of it as life collateral. Life is too full of positive things to get worn down by the negative. I’d like to challenge anyone not to find something about their life to be happy about. It’s a trap to allow yourself to be sucked into the vortex of discontent because certain aspects of life that present challenges. The recent election is probably the acid test for this belief. I’m not going to wallow in the fear and hate both sides seem to want to inject into everyday life as a result. I return each day to a home I’m proud of, enjoy my work, live five minutes from a movie theater, have a Man Cave (happy dance), and don’t get me started on my children and the First Blog Reader. I understand I’m more blessed in the collateral department than many people but even the most desperate lives have windows of light. When you choose the darkness you become a self-fulfilling prediction. I choose to be happy.

Since we’re talking about collateral and last night was date night, we took in Collateral Beauty which is getting absolutely scoured by the critics. I don’t understand the vitriol since this movie is worth seeing simply for the assembly of actors if nothing else. A lot of the critics seem to think it’s too “sappy” and since I’m a sucker for a sentimental story maybe my opinion is explainable. Will Smith is a tower of pain as a father who lost his daughter and his once promising life is spiraling into disaster. His friends/co-workers come up with a hair brained scheme to jolt him back into reality after reading letters he composed to time, love, and death. There were two very distinct and well set up twists that I’m going to have to re-watch for missed clues. I really liked the movie and its message of hope in the even the most desperate lives.

Ball Pit!!!!

No news from New Jersey except an apparently epic melt down by my granddaughter when she discovered her mother was not immediately available. My daughter commuted into NYC to work out of the home office this week while Wingman was on Daddy Daycare duty. We spoke with them later in the day when they were all reunited and she was back to her usual epitome of charm. It’s amazing how fast children develop at this age. She’s already walking more than just a few days ago.