I'm pretty sure I used to be funnier than I am now...

Perhaps it's just a function of getting *old* or maybe it comes with being a parent (although I highly doubt the latter), but as I'm going along here I don't think I get quite the same reactions to my humor that I used to.

It's possible the medley of prescribed drugs have an effect, but if drugs are the cause than please explain the large number of (formerly) humorous SNL alumni that were able to coke away their futures and remain ridiculous to large numbers of people? Oh sure... a lot of them ended up dead (or wished in hindsight they were - see Eddie Murphy Raw - ie... red leather jumpsuit), but I'm not one to point fingers at little magic happy pills. Especially if Nancy Reagan told us all not to take them, and then we preceded to have an entire generation drugged up by family physicians more than happy to dump Prozac.

No... I'm convinced my humor issues are entirely based on my current audiences.

1 - My wife.
Married 8 years now, been together longer than that, has the "yes, you think you're funny but you are not and I'm pretending to be interested" eyebrow down pat. I'm certain that this is a proportion that is directly related to the amount of time of marriage.

2 - My mother-in-law.
Sadly, I had many many years of practice with my prior audience (my parents) and knew what they found funny. This tended to involve sarcasm and topical rants on current events. Unfortunately, this is not the case with my MIL. Its not that she doesn't have a sense of humor, it's just that most of the time it involves something that is only funny to her. Sarcasm gets winged in her presence and she parries and dodges like she's friggin Neo in the Matrix.

3 - My son.
Currently at the age where he knows that things he does is sure to elicit a response, he knows that he's funny! Or at least is always treated as such, to prevent adult insanity/screaming at the poor kid. But the best part is the eye roll. Similar to the adult eyebrow, this involves him rolling his little eyes at me and going "Daaaaaad", I'm fairly sure this is preceding the "I don't want to be seen with this crazy old man in public, but hope he will give me more money" stage.


Maybe I just need to talk to/at the cats more.

Remember to slow down.

As Ferris Bueller once said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." It's been some time since I've updated this damn thing, partially because I didn't think of anything to say and partially by being dragged along in the current.

So... I'm looking around.

• The boy is now 3. His vocabulary has definitely improved, yet it's still in a sub-language that only parents can understand. Often, one must look to the other for exact translation as words sound *extremely* similar and must be spoken in a conspiratorial whisper.
• The tv shows have moved from Clifford to Dora, Diego, and Spongebob. As a parent, I'm not really sure this was a step in the correct direction.
  
• Bedtime rituals have gone from a semi-orderly occurrence to a new and exciting adventure every night. Add in wanting to sleep with his cat (and the cat then biting him when he tries to keep it in bed with him) and hilarity ensues.
• We've moved. A few times. In the last year, and I'm not really a good mover. Well, that's an understatement... I'm a horrible mover. I want my own stuff in my own space, and I want my wife and kids stuff in their places, as well. Keeps the one thing I have any control over, in order. Sadly, this has been an EPIC failure.
• Work has been a greater change than first anticipated. The intent was moving me to first would keep me more healthy and allow the family to spend additional time together. I'm not sure either has happened. I wish I could just point a finger at it and identify the issue, but I'm not sure it's just work...
• MS still sucks. That gentleman's website sums it up better than I ever could.
• My wife begins school this week and instead of being as supportive as possible, I've been wrapped up in my own self-judgments, self-abuses, and regrets.

Not sure where the rest of this year is headed. Hopefully, I can slow down enough to appreciate the things that are worth being here for.