Looking for the pony

I love that old joke: A kid finds a pile of manure and begins happily
digging because, "there must be a pony in here somewhere."

And so, even though I'm heartsick over tonight's Cub loss, I'm going to catalog the pretty little ponies I found today.

•  Good day at work. They were small victories, to be sure, but they made me happy. After much kicking and screaming, Christine the Mole actually did something I asked her to ... and she did it well. I have 14 vacation days accumulated, nearly 3 weeks, that I must take between now and December 31. I scheduled them today and discovered that, between vacation and the Thanksgiving break, I'll work less than two weeks in November. Cool!

•  My cat, Joe. Joey is old. His eyes are cloudy and his vision blurred. Because of his arthritis he has a hard time grooming himself, so his fur has become a sea of little mats. But he is still so happy. He is quite social, pressing himself up against me and purring loudly. His appetite is strong and, best of all, every day or so he actually plays. He'll either initiate a boxing match with Reynaldo or allow himself to be drawn into one with Connie. I am grateful for his healthy, joyful heart and for every day we have together.

•  Vegas, baby! My oldest friend and I will be there in a month. I did a little research and discovered a mob museum. This appeals to my sense of the ridiculous, and my friend will love it, as she has an ongoing and incongruous fascination with the Mafia. So Saturday night we'll go to the mob museum and Sunday night we're seeing Diana Ross. We'll have a lovely, goofy time!