Picture it. 6:42 in the morning. The bed is warm, you're still in that sort-of awake/still asleep place. Alarm is going off every nine minutes. Cat is curled up next to me as I'm trying to wake myself up. I blink at the wall and try to focus. Suddenly there is a KNOCK ON MY DOOR. Three short taps. A pause. Then again. The cat stands up and stares at the door, rigid, ready to protect me (okay, so he really just stood up and looked at me with his scared face, but I like to pretend he would risk his life for me...)

Is there a fire? A gas leak? WTO riot? Am I being evicted? I stumble to the door, heart pounding, barely able to focus my eyes and there, sitting at my doorstop, is a box from Amazon.com. Why it's just a package delivery! There's no fire or armored tank of rioting anti-capitalists in sight. I open the box and lo and behold are some gift wrapped goodies from my good friend Jen. A veritable cornicopia of gifities from my wish list! HURRAY!

I smile. Life is okay. No, not just that -- life is really, really GOOD sometimes. Thanks old friend.