Quiz #49. Cookies and Milk
From bleak to bliss: one man's journey to get outside of his own head. Steve's Stay-at-Home Coronavirus Quiz for May 8, 2020.
“Quiz is getting a little bleak.”
That was the assessment on Friday, May 8th, when I asked a coworker, known for blunt, candid and honest observations on all things, the following question via text: “Quiz feedback?”
The same morning my daughter Annie texted, “You need to do something to get outside of your own head this weekend.”
In Quiz #39. Short and Sweet, Annie had told me that she’s been trying to find 3 good things from each day to help her stay positive in these, well, bleak days.
Worth a shot.
Here’s my list from Friday:
Cookies and milk
Applesauced
Laughter with Sara
Cookies and milk
Sara’s advice in the face of adversity is that “Action binds anxiety.” I woke up from my Friday afternoon nap determined to take action. Make some chocolate chip cookies. I hadn’t done that in years, maybe decades. They were pretty damn good. I like them big and doughy--with lots of chips.
Cookies baked, I walked the dogs and returned to find Sara literally bursting with happiness. Her sister Ginnie, who lives 2 towns over with her husband Barry, had called. They had managed to get an unexpected Peapod delivery and a delivery from their milkman (really!) so they had extra milk. Would we like some? (They also had extra eggs and even some onions.) Ginnie drove over, left 2 bags of groceries on the front porch and we had a brief, socially distant visit through the glass in the rain. We could not have been more grateful--or happy. Milk. It’s a small thing in this sea of sorrow, but black coffee leaves me with a bitter aftertaste--and that’s not a good way to start your day when you’re looking for a pick-me-up-in the morning.
Applesauced
Those who know me know that I am a lightweight when it comes to drinking. In Quiz #40. The Pursuit of Happiness, I told you that we recently got a delivery of liquor and I got whiskey, hoping to make whiskey sours to drink in the evening on the weekends. They did not have whiskey sour mix so I have had to improvise on the plan. Last weekend, I used lemonade mix and crushed ice. This weekend, we were out of lemonade mix. I turned to applesauce, the only fruit left in the house beyond apples and cherry pie mix. Got some sugar, water and crushed ice. Put them in the blender with some applesauce and whiskey--and had a drink. I shared some with John. (I am a lightweight.) He agreed that it was not bad, but it needed a name. Applesauced!
Laughter with Sara
Friday started with laughter with Sara. In the morning, the dogs were especially bad, barking and demanding our attention over (black) coffee. I stood up and attempted to discipline them. As I forced them to sit and listen to me, the dogs literally looked over their shoulder and cast an eye to Sara as if to say, “Is this guy serious?” Sara and I walked into the living room and, as I am wont to do--especially during the quarantine--I started talking for the dogs, explaining how they never expected discipline from me. Sara and I laughed. Sara also found Stephen Colbert’s “A Late Show” monologue on her phone from Thursday night. She played it, turning the volume up and holding her iPhone so we both could see.
It was a very funny riff on the state of the world--from the White House rejecting the CDC’s recommendations on reopening (“The less we know”) to Colbert’s observations about buffet food (echoed in a Twitter preview for this week’s release of the Seinfeld stand-up special).
When Colbert turned to the Department of Justice’s decision to ask for charges to be dropped against Michael Flynn, Colbert referenced the recently released notes from an FBI agent which fueled the outrage for some about the charges against Flynn.
What is our goal? Truth/admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?
Colbert’s response, “Maybe this FBI agent shouldn’t write down every single thought he had?”
I felt like he was talking to me. Maybe I shouldn’t write down every thought that’s inside my head?
If you’re still reading, you know this pandemic sucks--and you don’t need me to tell you that. I get that. I hear you.
Cookies and Milk
Applesauced
Laughter with Sara
Have a good weekend outside your head (and mine)!
What did NOT happen?
A. I ordered flowers for Sara for Mother’s Day. They arrived Friday. Sara left a rose from the arrangement on the front porch for Ginny with a card, thanking her for the milk delivery;
B. I made 2 batches of chocolate chip cookies, The first were better than the second because in between batches, I accidentally turned off the oven so the second batch cooked unevenly;
C. After dinner, we each had one cookie and one small glass of milk. I dipped my cookie;
D. Sara took a sip of the “Applesauced” drink but declined to have her own glass;
E. After cookies and cocktails, we watched Season 2 of “Dead to Me.”
Want the answer?
If you’re a subscriber, the answer will be sent to you as a separate email when the question is published.
Want more?
Here’s the previous quiz in the series: Quiz #48. Mayday, Mayday
Here’s the first quiz in the series: Quiz #1. Stella and Social Distancing, March 13, 2020
Here is an archive of all the quizzes.
The quiz is explained here: Steve’s Stay-at-Home Coronavirus Quiz.
Want to let me know how I’m doing with this quiz?
Please let me know about any typos or misspellings.
Comments, corrections and confessions welcome.
Thank you and good night.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for commenting.