Donna Fulkerson

Just signed up for a writing course. Weird. It's going to take some time to develop the correct facial expression that reads "Of course I take suggestions well."

I am looking at videos of volcano lightning and hubbie is bemused by sales promos for a boat called the Speed Lounger. We're not doom scrolling, but we're very confused this morning.

Listening to The Merman this afternoon. Psychedelic Surf bands are the best self-care.

Latest attempt to find joy this morning resulted in spouse's discovery of the band "Messer Chups," a Russian band based in Brazil. The best encapsulation of their sound is their album title "Surf Riders from the Swamp Lagoon."

Told my husband I wrote in my diary. "What did you write, 'We're doomed'?" he asked. "No," I said. "I wrote, 'We're doomed, but...'"

I know that doesn't count as optimism, but it counts as something.

So we tossed the dice and began tapping our maple trees this morning. We can now spend most of March discussing how many inches of syrup are in the buckets, rather than moaning about how long it is until spring. Coping strategies.

Just got back from a week in Las Vegas as part of our ongoing series, "How to Survive Winter." We kind of wish we had gone back to Atlanta, which was a win last year. But we did enjoy staring at the outdoor escalators on Las Vegas Boulevard. Incomprehensible to North Country folks.

One of the secrets to marriage is dividing chores between you and spouse to mutual satisfaction. This morning my spouse did a lot of snow removal and I cleaned up the dog after a serious defecation infraction. Not sure how to weigh the chores; I mean, the dog is smaller than the driveway, but...?

For all of you who are wishing you were in the Adirondacks today, I can report that my eyelashes froze together this morning as I refilled the bird feeders. Hope that helps.

Continuing my "I'm a local" attitude, I will report that I'm not going to visit the Ice Palace until the temps go above zero. Nothing to prove, here.

I'm used to my retired computer scientist husband labelling everything. He labels empty boxes "Small," "Medium," and "Large." But today I saw a old disc drive with the label "May Be Evil?" Thinking about that one...

So I'm here for my 28-year-old kid, who, in reaction to me saying I was just going to turn into a hermit now, said "That's nice, Mom, but I'm out here in the world."

Still LIfe at Eighty. Abigail Thomas.