1. Sick days. It was a rough week for the Salahubs. Sam’s yeast infection in his ears and on his mouth is back, Ringo has kennel cough, and the stress of that combined with a few other things had me not feeling too good either. I’m so lucky to work somewhere that provides the benefit of paid sick days, and that I typically use so few of them that when I really need them I don’t have to worry about taking them because I have so many banked.

2. Netflix. Being sick is hard for me, the not being able to do all the things. The first two days Ringo was sick, we spent the night in the living room so I could keep an eye on him, help him, and so at least Eric and Sam would be getting some sleep. Ringo and I were barely sleeping at night, so those first few days were spent napping on the couch most of the day. The days after that, I would make a pile of books I could read, my notebook and pen, my phone so I could watch some videos or listen to podcasts, all things I could “do” to somehow earn or make up for the downtime, but I was too tired to do any of it. When I finally felt up to doing anything, all I could manage was binge watching Parenthood on Netflix. It was the only thing I had energy for, and if I was doing it, Ringo was content to settle in and nap.

3. Ringo and Sam (and I) on the mend. Sam’s scritching is under control once we started treating his ears as well as his mouth, Ringo is doing better even though this is going to take some time, and I at least feel like I can handle my stuff, have a plan to go back to my doctor, ask to be sent to a specialist in auto immune disorders so I can learn to better manage my health.

sick day

feeling better

4. Mike Birbiglia. Eric had bought us tickets to this show when this was first announced, but with the week we’ve had, we weren’t sure we’d be able to go. We did, and it was so good. We laughed so much. Mike’s comedy is such an elegant, sophisticated mix of complex ideas, personal stories, and humor. It’s a joy to see someone being exactly who they are, doing what they do, and with so much joy, being so successful at it. He talked last night about how his father was a doctor and his mother a nurse, and he was the artistic kid they were embarrassed to talk about, but I would argue he’s every bit as much a healer.

5. Friends who are excited to see me, who are huggers. I am so so so grateful for them.

Bonus Joy: laughing with Eric, watching Ringo play so happily after a few days of being so low and sick, Sam (fingers and paws crossed) not getting Ringo’s sick, Sam’s scritching only happening that one day and resolving once we started him on the ear medicine, my own chance to heal, fall colors, getting to sleep in my own bed after two nights sleeping in the living room, roasted vegetables, Pema Chödrön’s When Things Fall Apart, the Open Heart Project Sangha, yoga, the Lincoln Center and its awesome new patio, the little girl eating dinner with her parents at Mount Everest Cafe whose voice was the most powerful antidepressant I’ve ever encountered.

1. The colors of fall. I could do without all the gray, but I love the gold and orange and red.

2. Breakfast for dinner. Even better when there are leftovers that you can eat the next morning, breakfast for breakfast.

3. Mostly healthy dogs. In the past week, we were treating Ringo for a suspected ear infection, and Sam banged up his knee and we had to start treating him for the same yeast infection he had on his lips that took so long to diagnose and fix six months ago. Then both dogs started sneezing and I was worried they might have kennel cough. I’m so grateful it was nothing more than a few sneezes, and that they are doing well with all the other stuff too.

my dogs like the rain just about as much as I do — which is not much

4. A happy anniversary, although we both had busy work days and then Eric had an evening webinar he had to do, leaving me to binge watch Netflix in my pjs on the couch with the dogs — not the worst date ever.

5. Some space to finally start working on my book. I’d like even more space, but for now I’ll take what I can get.

Bonus joy: texting with my brother, writing and coffee dates with friends, an advance copy of a friend’s new book, a puppy who’s grown up enough to take himself out to go potty in the morning, the Open Heart Project Sangha and the conversations we are having on Facebook.