This year, both of celebrated prime birthdays, moving us firmly into the sexagenarian (or, if you prefer sexygenarian) category. We're doing our best to maintain the reputation of that group.
If you've visited our house, you know that the refrigerator is decorated with numerous photographs and clippings from the comics page. With the advent of electronic comics, we have the option of creating slightly more personal captions for the cartoons. We've often felt that we are living in Jerry Van Amerongen's Neighborhood on Ballard Street. The following two panels are offered as proof. In fairness, we should note that Linda doesn't really correct Jim as much as the cartoon implies, and she doesn't adopt a ballerina costume for her morning exercises.
We do have different ideas about how to approach the morning. Both due to job and inclination, Linda is usually awake when the alarm goes off at 5:24 in the morning, and she gets up straightaway. Jim hits the snooze button four times, then listens to the first 10 minutes of NPR's Morning Report before struggling out of bed. Unless it is Friday, Linda's extra day off, the morning routine continues with Jim making breakfast and a brown bag lunch for Linda before settling into his office chair to check out the 80 or so emails that land in his inbox on a typical day and reading his favorite blogs and old-fashioned newspapers
Linda works four days a week, taking Friday off. The original plan for these free days has morphed over the years into an excuse for serious chores and the occasional extra long holiday weekend.
In February, Linda was involved in an accident (not her fault) that left her with bruises, an insurance claim, and no car. Jim used some Internet magic and found an almost new Prius in Round Rock. It was available because "it was the wrong color, black." We snapped it up, thereby becoming a two-Prius family. (Note added during publication: We put our name on the list for a new Prius in February, 2005. It bubbled to the top in January, 2006. Jim decided to snap it up. After all, if you have to wait almost a year, it must be a good car. So now, we are (temporarily) a three Prius family.