almost okay

My Dear Lyzako,

Our first snowfall of the season came just before the morning rush yesterday, and although it wasn't significant in terms of being measurable, it certainly caused some problems on the west side, where many ramps were closed due to icy conditions. Several spin-out accidents were reported.

I managed to get where I needed to be without a fuss, though, the snow affecting things far less the further east I traveled across the metro area.

During the course of the day, as I toiled away, every muscle in my body aching and burning from the strain of the past week's labor, I couldn't help but feel the effects of Father Time, who suddenly seems to be pushing me along at breakneck speed. By the time Happy Hour arrived, I was exhausted, and two tall Blue at BW3 was all I could handle before coming home and collapsing across my bed.

I slept more than ten hours last night, the first time I've had more than six straight in I can't remember when.

Incidentally, thanks to Daylight Savings Time, much of Happy Hour now occurs after sunset and will continue to do so until well into February, the icy hand of Winter finally gripping this part of the globe and robbing us of sunshine.

Speaking of being robbed, I feel as though the past few months have truly robbed me of my sense of humour. (I use the English spelling of the word here to emphasize the gravity of the situation.) Between the slumping economy and the fears of another great depression, the War in Iraq and worries over the new Administration's ability to solve all our problems in time for me to enjoy a prosperous retirement one day (I can't even look at my IRA statement without cringing), I have little time to laugh.

It used to be that I could make a joke of whatever happened on any given day, but my ability to do so has been severely hampered and I begin to fear that it may well have deserted me for good. For example, based on yesterday's events:

“Did you hear the one about the man and his wife who both got fired on the same day six weeks prior to Christmas? No? Well, looks like they aren't going to be helping the retail numbers any time soon. And speaking of retail, did you hear that Circuit City just filed for bankruptcy? Yeah, they did. Industry analysts are saying that if the economy keeps going the way it is, you may actually have to travel TO China to get your new flat screen television. By boat.”

See what I mean? Pathetic, is it not?

And although I'm anxious to get beyond the Bush years and into the Obama era, there is no shortage of folks who will volunteer their opinions of our President-elect to dampen my enthusiasm. I've heard that Rush Limbaugh has already begun blaming the worsening economic climate on the Democrats, calling this the beginning of the 'Obama recession'. It's difficult to laugh at comments like that, especially knowing that so many people believe them. So many stupid, stupid unfunny people.

So here I sit, my friend in dire need of a joke or humourous observation that would conjure up a belly laugh and, at least momentarily, make me forget all the troubles of the modern world. All my troubles, to be selfishly exact.

Which brings me back to you. At one point in the not-so-distant past, I could count on your wry observations and steady wit to get me past my day-to-day woes. Happy Hour was spent in your company at least twice a week, if not more like five times, and I now understand what a luxury that truly was to have someone with an arsenal of fresh jokes at the ready and the skill to administer them at just the right moments. To say that I miss it would be an understatement.

But alas, life moves on and things change.

Not always for the better.

Still (Barely) Getting By on My Wit and Charm,
Sad Sack Sherman