February 5: Good-Humour, Super Bowl, New Cartoon

It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour.  When Scrooge's nephew laughed in this way:  holding his sides, rolling his head, and twisting his face into the most extravagant contortions:  Scrooge's niece, by marriage, laughed as heartily as he.  And their assembled friends being not a bit behindhand, roared out, lustily.

Fred, Scrooge's nephew, is one of my favorite characters in A Christmas Carol.  I love him because he knows how to throw a good party.  His friends seem good-natured, and Fred's wife--while a little bit of a drip--doesn't hold her husband back.  Fred knows how to make people laugh and have a good time.

My wife and I used to have get-togethers with friends all the time.  Any occasion was an excuse to have a party.  Oscars.  Emmy Awards.  Tony Awards.  SAG Awards.  Golden Globes.  Olympic Opening/Closing Ceremonies.  New Year's Eve.  Ground Hog Day.  Pulitzer Prize Announcements.  Yom Kippur.  Whatever.  Any reason to have a party.  I even had people over for the Super Bowl, and I don't give a rat's ass about football.  (Really, the Super Bowl is all about the commercials, half-time show, and food.)  We always had a really good time, no matter what event we were celebrating. 

In some ways, I think Scrooge's nephew and I have a lot in common.  Fred doesn't give a crap what his friends and wife are laughing at, as long as they're laughing.  He just wants to have a good time.

Kids kind of put in crimp in a person's lifestyle.  And some of our friends have moved away.  Some have had children of their own.  Some work midnight shifts.  I still get together with family for the Academy Awards.  We still have a New Year's Eve party (although we don't stay up quite as late as we used to).  However, the Golden Globes, the SAGs, the Grammys are pretty much a quiet, stay-at-home kind of affair.  My daughter, who's eleven, is old enough to join in the fun now.  In the last few weekends, we've watched quite a few awards shows together.  But, it's not the same.

Tonight is the Super Bowl.  Americans across the country will be consuming Doritos, hot dogs, jalapeno poppers, pizzas, and thousands of gallons of chili.  At our house, we'll be watching the commercials.  We'll be eating Scoop Fritos and cheese.  We'll be waiting for Madonna to start gyrating.  We won't be watching any football.  While the game is on, I'll be reading Ovid's Metamorphoses and playing Words With Friends.  I'll probably fall asleep by ten o'clock.

Saint Marty isn't quite the party animal he used to be.

Confessions of Saint Marty