Day 4: Like a crappy wine, jokes do not age well

Today, I laughed at: Substitute Teacher: Key & Peele video.
Technically, I laughed at the sports guys at work. Some of the funniest people, I feel, are the ones who work the weird shifts. You have to be funny to be able to laugh at the fact you're working late at night on a Friday, when most of your friends are out doing fun things. Anyway, a few months ago, they discovered this video and we laughed at it. Tonight, it was re-brought up, only to bring about laughter in the newsroom again.

Day 3: Being extra observant

Today, I laughed at: L.'s cupcake face
We went out to dinner to celebrate the boyfriend's father's birthday tonight. Before leaving, I was terrified. Absolutely scared to death about bringing a toddler into a public restaurant. But, she went right into the high chair and played with her toys on the table, especially since the boyfriend's mother brought ones she had never seen before. It turned into a wonderful dinner and the whole family ended up taking so many pictures of L. and her cupcake face.

Day 2: Is laughter the physical expression of superiority?

Today, I laughed at: Good Job Brain podcast
When the iPhone updated about a year ago to include the new podcast app, I had moved into my apartment and had no TV yet. Or even internet connection. So, I used my phone for entertainment for a few days and I discovered podcasts. 
"Good Job Brain" was the first one I found and I've loved it ever since. I realized I really love trivia and learning new things, and I love finding any opportunity to tell people the facts I've learned from the shows. 
This week's episode had me laughing during a segment they were talking about the Big 5 in hunting in which a tangent led to the hosts discussing lion-head urinals. OK, sometimes my fifth grade sense of humor gets the best of me, I'll admit.

Day 1: Lessons in laughter from my dad

Today, I laughed at: My Drunk Kitchen: An American Tale

I am so out of practice at laughing, I kept looking for things to make me laugh today with no success. I got to look at the house we're moving into today and that was exciting, but there was nothing really funny about it, unfortunately. While at work, I was freaking out a little, feeling like I was a failure the first day of my 31 Days of Laughter Challenge. So I went to my rarely used YouTube app and the newest episode of My Drunk Kitchen was suggested for me. Thank goodness for Hanna Hart. Even though I hadn't watched the webisodes in a long time, the random clips eventually forced a belly-chuckle out of me.

31 Days: "Does anybody remember laughter?"

When was the last time I laughed?

I asked myself this question yesterday midway through my shift at work. And I couldn't answer that question. It could have been that morning over something silly my boyfriend did. Or it could have been the day before with some coworkers. But I honestly couldn't remember having a "fit of laughter" in some time. At least not one memorable enough to look back on and laugh about later.

Actually, that's not true. I did get reminded of the "Saturday Night Live"  with Will Ferrell and Norm McDonald in a "Celebrity Jeopardy" skit in which McDonald plays Burt Reynolds and changes his name to Turd Ferguson. Something about that skit made me laugh uncontrollably at my desk last week and I couldn't stop. THAT'S the last time I memorably laughed.

(Until a few minutes ago when I decided to find the clip of that to post and ended up laughing so hard, I began coughing, a leftover side effect from my recent cold.)

It's good to know I have at least one trigger to incite my laughing. And, after watching that clip, I took stock of how I felt after. My shoulders let go of some of the tension; my mouth perked up on the sides, as if expecting to laugh again; my mind seemed less focused on "I must, I must, I must get this blog post written" and more on "What else is going to make me laugh this month?"

Here's where the challenge comes in.

Internet Finds

Thank you, Huffington Post, for supporting bloggers who are pro-vaccine. As much as it pains me to watch L.'s face in anguish as she's getting her shots, the diseases the vaccines are protecting against are much worse than any temporary pain she's experiencing.

JJ Keith wrote an article on Huffington Post today coming out as pro-vaccine. She mentions my cousin's daughter, Clio, who is battling leukemia and, because of the inability to receive vaccines, she is vulnerable to the diseases. I can only guess the risk is increased with all the trips to the hospital she has to take. As far as we know, childhood cancer cannot be prevented. Diseases that were mostly eradicated but have seen a jump in recent years, however, can. And transferring these diseases to others who don't have a choice about getting the vaccine is unfair, in my opinion.

So, if the article is a call for more parents to come out as pro-vaccine, consider this my announcement. Read the facts, do a Google image search of kids with those diseases vaccines protect against (it's heartbreaking), and decide for yourself.

Surviving a cold with a toddler

It was inevitable. I was getting sleepy at work, the tickle in my throat was getting more annoying and what I thought were allergies were getting stronger. None of this clicked until the head congestion set in halfway through my last day of work for the week and I realized I was getting sick.

Ugh, one of the worst annoyances to a mom. The common cold. On top of being annoying to deal with, deal with a cold has to be one of the biggest triggers of Mom Guilt. And I have to keep reminding myself to take time for me. But, tell that to any mom and she'll nod graciously, but secretly think, "Yeah, OK, like that every happens."

So, I prepared. I got my liquids, my Tylenol Cold and Sinus and my tissues set up in the living room and L. got to watch as much TV as she wanted while I sat like a zombie, pretty much doing the bare minimum of making sure she didn't hurt herself or get into trouble.