Scene: the four of us sitting around the dinner table tonight. The Jr VP: Mommy, let me smell your drink! The lad leaned over and took a big whiff from the bottle of Widmer “W” 08 (a red wheat beer — quite tasty) sitting front of the CFO’s plate. He pronounced it Mmmm, delicious!!. Then, Daddy, let me smell your drink!. The lad scrambled over and put his nose to the rim of an imperial pint glass containing the entire content of an aluminum Rainier tallboy (Yes, I was also wearing a stained wifebeater and no pants. Why do you ask?) and inhales deeply. Mmmm, also delicious!! When I asked he wouldn’t say which beer he thought smelled better. His palate is not too sophisticated yet since of course he is only three. I didn’t fully appreciate the majesty of the Rainier tallboy until I was six or seven.

The CEO went to the doctor today, my usual guy out at the Urgent Care near Washington Square. My ears and sinuses have inexplicably hurt for several days now, not to mention the sense of world-weary ennui that has just recently descended upon the CEO. I suspected some sort of infection. According to the doctor I was right. The same dosage of Amoxicillin that they would advise for a sick polar bear is now coursing through my arteries and/or veins, and I anticipate no more sinus problems and an upgraded world view any time now.

I missed an awesome chance for humor at the clinic today and I am still kicking myself. Metaphorically, anyway. The nurse asked me a ton of questions when I arrived (ie Do you smoke? Are you allergic to any medications? You do actually have insurance, right? — that kind of thing.) At one point during the course of this interrogation she asked Do you regularly take any vitamins? Out of my mouth before I could think: “Not really. Vitamin C sometimes if I feel like I might be getting ill but that’s about it.” I realized 15 seconds after answering that question that the proper response would have been “Yes, just last night I administered to myself 16 ounces of Vitamin R. I plan to do it again tonight.” Dammit I can be stupid sometimes. I hate missing chances for comedy. ‘Comedy’ that would at least make the CEO chuckle, if no one else.