First, a quick thanks to everyone that bought the book last week, left a review, or simply left me a note. Many of you asked me if it was successful and I probably gave you a vague answer. By the numbers, it was better than the last one which is certainly going in the right direction. But it also left me thinking about success. Obviously, everyone wants to be successful and I want lots of people to read and enjoy my books. But good or bad, bestseller or not, results are ephemeral.

As I’ve hit forty and beyond, I’ve picked up this curious habit of reading more self-help books. There is a concept in eastern philosophy called the hungry ghost that is both striking and indelible. The hungry ghost has an endless stomach. He’s never satiated. He never feels full. He’s especially dangerous when used to define success. He literally almost killed me in 2015 when I was so focused on completing a half ironman that I ignored serious physical and mental problems that eventually landed me in the hospital.

Now, I define success not on the results but the process. That’s where 99.9% of the time is spent. Whether it’s writing book, parenting, working out, or just hanging out. You need to enjoy the process. That’s something worth doing. Ignore the hungry ghost. So, yes, the book was successful but I knew that long before publication day.

On to the next book, but first a pleasantly cool and overcast Saturday…

This guy had his annual check-up this past week and despite getting up there in years, he’s still in good shape and will likely be haunting the blog for years to come. Especially if he remains as pampered and cuddled as he is each Saturday morning. Really, just about any morning at this point. Dash is the one entity in the household that is really enjoying the quarantine to its fullest.

This pretty much sums up Michelle and Saturdays. Still in her pajamas, in the garage, attempting to put a kickstand on Cecilia’s bike. I warned her we didn’t have the right tool. Didn’t deter her in the slightest.

Of course, the pj’s in the garage might have all been an elaborate ruse to distract the kids from the fact that she had once again raided the basement while they slept and loaded up more things to go to the transfer station.

Before shopping, piano. Skype lessons are keeping them going but the progress is a little erratic.

Anytime the girls practice, Dash is in on the floor near the piano. Maybe he likes the vibrations?

There was a lot of Easy Bake oven treats this week and a lot of soap making kits. Who thought it was a good idea to include glitter in soap?

The big event this weekend was the search for a bean bag (Questions: Does everyone go through a bean bag phase in their life? Why are these things so expensive?) for Cecilia’s redecorated room. Unfortunately, it did not go well. In 2020, malls are mostly sad and lonely places with little inventory. We did not find the perfect bean bag to complement a soon-to-be middle schooler’s new room.

Ally did, of course, sniff out the sugar and candy store. It was an enclosed space so she did not get any candy. I didn’t want her ricocheting off any of the older people walking the mall.

We didn’t find the bean bag, but we did find the beer. Kudos to the town for finding ways to help support local small businesses. There won’t be any local Oktoberfest this year, but these afternoon Saturday pop up beer gardens might be a nice substitute. Certainly less polka. Whether you think that’s a good or a bad thing…

Finally, some time just to play in the cul-de-sac and enjoy the fall-like temperatures. After Michelle raided the old toys, the remaining ‘baby stuff’ was the hot commodity to play with in the afternoon.

All that beer and shopping and makes you hungry but not all that inclined to cook. It’s becoming amusing (what else can you do) to watch All twist herself into knots to avoid any new foods. It’s not clear if she really understands the definition of the word ‘spicy.’ She had a bowl of plain couscous.

Finally, it was time for the Cape Cod shark week episode.

Are you crazy? These girls have yet to make it through Paddington Bear without nightmares. They might never agree to go across the canal again if we showed them this episode. I’m a little hesitant myself now. Five feet from shore! C’mon, I didn’t really need to know that.