What would it mean to our current condition if we leaned into "won" over "winnem?"

As much as toasters have brought me happiness over a lifetime of relationships with them, I never felt the urge to thank one.

Our neighbor, Skip, took it upon himself to plow out our driveway at 5:30 am on the morning of our first snow accumulation this year.

It's a long story that starts with our neighborhood mailboxes being out on the side of a state highway across the road from our neighborhood. Because of the low population density, we have USPS Rural Route delivery, which means our neighborhood mail comes to a mailbox cluster rather than to our houses.

What's on your mind?

My friend, Matt, has had a long career in public relations and communications, and introduced me to the term, "committing candor" when a politician or public-facing official actually says what's on their mind in a deviation from the message, talking points, or informationless response they were trained to deliver.

"Jeter sucks" their shirts proclaimed.

On a summer afternoon about a dozen years ago, I was standing outside Fenway Park in Boston waiting for a friend. We were using the occasion of a Red Sox game to hang out and catch up on each others' lives. As noted many times, I have a lot of identity attached to Boston -- love that dirty water -- and consequently an attachment to the Sox.

Robert and I were in DC a few years ago for some client meetings and the Washington Capitals hockey team was in contention for the Stanley Cup. Robert played collegiate hockey -- goalie and selective mover -- and DC not being a hockey town like Boston or Montreal we were able to get tickets the day of the game.

"Hear that?"

I listened and didn't know what he meant.

"It's the HVAC system. It makes nine distinct annoying sounds."

Hey Alexa! Send me satin pillows to cry on.

Fear and greed, folks. It's the toughest problem we humans have. I just decided not to even get started on the Garden of Eden.