1.  It’s been a week, man. IT’S BEEN A WEEK.

2.  What do you mean, why am I yelling? Aren’t you paying attention? IT’S BEEN A WEEK.

3.  Sometimes a week is just Monday through Friday. Some appointments, some projects, some herding of the teens – you know, the usual.

4.  Then there are weeks that deserve a WarGames clip.

5.  WE ARE AT DEFCON 1, PEOPLE.

6.  In honor of that today’s 40 for Friday will be lighthearted fare.

7.  Let’s start with the twitter post that had me laughing so hard I peed…dang it! Laptop Twitter is stalling out.

8.  Why does this not surprise me today. 😑

9.  Okay, lighthearted fare, take two. I think our cat needs a leash.

10.  Stay with me here. I know this makes me sound like a whackadoodle but the thing is we have two very different cats in this house.

11.  Mia is quiet. Reserved. She hides in piles of towels (yes, I know, I really ought to fold the laundry) and naps on laps. And she looks a wee bit panicky whenever someone walks her out onto the deck. She much prefers her bird watching from behind glass, thank you very much.

12.  Seven is wide open. A daredevil. He tears around the house like a bat out of hell, passes out for a power nap, then jumps back into the fray. Mia and both dogs are fair game when it comes to sneak attacks and he’s fascinated by the outdoors.

13.  I talked here about how Seven’s yearning for backyard adventure has made peeing the dogs a game of wits so unless he’s busy eating I’ll usually invite him along, scoop him up, and step out onto the patio while the dogs scamper about.

14.  Seven’s happy little nose twitches like a rabbit while he looks around. He’ll push to get down but I’ve got a death grip on that kitten strong enough to conquer his Houdini instinct.

15.  I see just how much he wants to walk around in the grass. Leashing up Mia to explore the backyard? Well, that would scar her, but it might be Seven’s secret dream.

16.  I’ll let you know if we turn into one of those feline adventure families.

17.  Ooh! Look what finally loaded!

18.  Okay, laughing might make me look insensitive but seriously, if this isn’t my Gracie then I don’t know what is.

19.  Maybe because of how Gracie just hangs tight while Seven pops her in the nose…three times for good measure.

20.  Patience of a saint, that one.

21.  Guess what showed up in the mall parking lot yesterday? Go ahead. Guess.

22.  Nope! You’ll never get this one. It’s a carnival food truck!!

23.  No, there’s no carnival, these are covid times. Or maybe it’s because this isn’t the time of year for carnivals, I don’t know. Either way there’s no rides, just a big flashing food truck.

24.  Get your candy and caramel apples here! Funnel cakes! Italian ice! Snow cones! A bag of cotton candy as long as your arm!!

25.  We’ll pause here so local folks can pop over to grab some goodies.

26.  Pro tip: The guy said he’d be here through next Sunday so if you pace yourself you can fit in a bunch of trips without puking.

27.  Come to think of it he even offered fried Oreos. Gonna expose myself as a non-State Fair girl here with YIKES.

28.  Speaking of, I tried the gluten free Oreos this week. They get a solid two thumbs up.

29.  Is there anything better than Oreos dipped in milk? Nope.

30.  Pantry announcement: I’ve given up the fight on cereal.

31.  For a while I stopped buying any cereal at all. T-man ate it around the clock, sometimes instead of real food, and I got sick of arguments about how nobody else could get any when he sucked it down in three days.

32.  Have you noticed that cereal’s a slippery slope? I started with Raisin Bran and Honey Nut Cheerios. They’re relatively healthy and seemed like a good compromise for grabbing a snack.

33.  Turns out those are gateway cereals, though, because once I realized this 16-year-old had hit yet another growth spurt I knew an emergency stash of boxes could save my sanity. That’s when I talked myself back into Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

34.  It’s not awful, I argued. There aren’t any marshmallows and at least it looks like “healthy” cereal (even if every square is covered in sugary cinnamon goodness). So I brought that into the house.

35.  Next thing you know my store puts Lucky Charms on sale, four boxes for $10. I mean, COME ON, how’s a girl supposed to resist a deal like that? I nestled those bad boys into the pantry and moved along.

36.  Side note: Lucky Charms are gluten free. Who knew?

37.  Second side note: They aren’t nearly as good as I remember. Even the marshmallows. Color me surprised.

38.  Anyway, back to the kiddo who now towers over me. The other night I made a serious dinner. (You know what I mean – some nights are taco nights, others have a meal plan.) His plate was filled with a swordfish steak, steamed broccoli, and roasted potatoes.

39.  I was full to the tip top. So was BrightSide. Thirty minutes later I hear T-man rummaging around followed by “Can I have some Fruity Cheerios for dessert?” Bless.

40.  Whatever. He was happy. I wasn’t not happy. And I’d argue that fruity Cheerios for dessert is still better for him than fried Oreos so we’ll call it a win.