This Winter Night

I have decided that the laugh track is equal to the exclamation point. Today, because I didn't change the channel, Two and a Half Men came on TV. I don't really like this show, although I like it better than Raymond; it's definitely what my dad would refer to as "trash" (which is how he refers to shows with sex jokes that he doesn't think are funny). Anyway, the jokes written out would be completely unfunny, and if were spoken deadpan would also not be funny. But . . . with the laugh track, it's like a little pop that lets you know what you're supposed to feel. Same with the exclamation point. I use it in my copywriting whenever my stuff is weaker than it should be, or when I feel like people won't get the point unless I do it. Which is lazy, actually, but sometimes just necessary.

My coworkers were laughing at me today, because I said I was going to Florida in March (which I am, for a long weekend). They laughed because in the past four months I have been to Saskatchewan, Boston, and Honduras. Then Florida in March, and hopefully a trip to Chicago in June for a wedding reception (the wedding was last year, but they had no money for a party). I was only in Chicago once, when I was nine, so this could be fun.

My brother--lucky bastard that he is--might be getting yet another promotion. Might be--there is nothing certain yet. He is like the prince of his company at the moment; they all love him and seem to be grooming him. He's 26, and conducts himself like a 36-year-old (in a good way, what with the confidence and sensibility and everything), and lives like a 46-year-old, what with his stay-at-home wife and automatic garage door and Cadillac. Who has this at 26? At this rate it seems like he could be CEO of a major multi-national beverage company by the time he's 50. He regularly calls my parents and asks for advice, which I know they appreciate. My parents are wicked smart about business and related life stuff.

Ah, so I have no idea what the point of this post was. Just an update.