Quotes of the Week from Me:

“All countryside is beautiful.”

“Trust your ability to overcome obstacles.”

“What a freaking week, glad there’s a new one starting today.”

Quotes of the Week from Others:

“The nicest thing about the rain is that it always stops.” – Winnie the Pooh

“Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle.” – Benjamin Franklin

“Cheer up, the worst is yet to come.” – Philander Johnson

Quick Optimism:

Celebrate something. Alone, with others. Go and celebrate.

Question of the Week:

Do you ever make lists?

I’ll be the first to tell you that I don’t. Typically…

But this week calls for a list. A helpful list. The pros and cons of this past week. Following the short, heavy hitters in the previous “Q” sections, I really needed a helpful list to get past what felt like bad luck all last week.

(Always end on positives, when you can. Upward trajectory is where it’s at. Cons first!)

Cons from last week:

Drove 2 hours each way to a zoo in Granby, Quebec, Canada. Most exhibits were closed. Including the roller coasters and waterpark. I’m still going to say it wasn’t announced anywhere, but now that I write about it, there was a big red box on the website, saying a bunch of things in French. It was probably that those things were closed.

The boat engine stared making a weird noise while driving in the middle of the lake. It didn’t fix itself, and the sun was setting quickly.

I tweaked my knee so much the swelling made it difficult to walk.

We put a $400 down payment down on a staycation at Basin Harbor, in Vermont. Nearly two hours after check-in, our daughter wouldn’t stop screaming so we ended up leaving.

My entire family got COVID (hence my daughter’s screaming). Nearly 3 days straight of no sleep. Third time for the kids and my wife, FOURTH time for me.

Pros from last week:

We saw lions and hippos and yaks at the zoo, and got a delicious lunch after. Also found my next date night spot in the beautiful countryside of Dunham, Quebec, Canada. The shortened adventure was worth it.

We made it to shore when the boat engine was skipping and turning off and on. Bad gas? Spark plugs? Gimbal bearing? It’s at the “boat doctor,” as my son calls it, to get fixed by the pros.

My knee feels better. The swelling subsided. It’s easy to walk again.

The front desk people at Basin Harbor said they would ask their manager if we could get a refund. I didn’t ask for one, and don’t expect it, but either way it was very nice of them. We might get the $400 back!

The kids feel better and are sleeping through the night again. I still don’t feel great but onward we go.

Today is a new week.

Nearly all of my problems from last week have come full circle within a few days’ time. I have endured worse and will again, so for now it looks like this next week will be a good one!

Make a list this week. A helpful one.