“We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about.” - Albert Einstein

Abe will sleep anywhere. The floor is as good as the couch. And that sleep, while looking peaceful, never looks content. Except when he is curled up in Sarah’s lap. But, happiness reigns supreme the instant you say his name, or “walk”, or any of the other handful of words that he knows. Anything that might involve him and some type of movement, is cause for excitement.

Abe eats the same food every day. The same dry cereal is in his bowl every night for dinner and the same dry cereal is in his bowl every morning for breakfast. Abe eats the same food every day, but with gusto.

Abe is enthusiastic about everything. And his joy in everything is contagious. There is no way to be around Abe and not be happy. Enthusiasm may be the key to happiness for humans, but a good dog sure goes a long way.

We visited my uncle and aunt, Rock and Ann, over the weekend. They have a big, red, 15-year-old cat they call Kitty. We began discussing the idiosyncrasies of cats, especially the adventure that is a trip to the vet. Like all cats, Winston does not want to be forced into his carrier. We’ve tried to lure him in with treats, even with pieces of meat, but only one thing works. We tip the carrier on its end, Greg wraps one hand around all four of Winston’s limbs, and we stuff him in. Winston usually manages to wriggle free of Greg’s grip and keep at least one paw clinging to the outside of the cage, which we have to pry loose. This is like trying to pry the shell off a coconut with your bare hands. But lucky for us, Winston is declawed.

Kitty, however, is not declawed. And, according to Rock and Ann, he also refuses to go into his carrier. Rock said Ann is usually able to wrap him in a towel and slide him in, but on one occasion that did not work. Rock, desperate to make the vet appointment, grabbed a garbage can. They coaxed Kitty into the can, and then put the lid on. I guess the scene at the vet’s office is best left to the imagination.

According to statistics I found, about 70 million cats live in U.S. homes. With people. Crazy people. Who voluntarily take in these creatures. For fun.

Greg and I watched our friend James perform a sketch comedy show Saturday night. The comedians competed during the show. They earned points based on how the audience ranked their skits. At the end, the comedian with the most points won.

The show began with a lightning round. Audience members named a category, and the comedians lined up on stage. Each comedian had to name something that fit the category, for example, a cocktail, until someone flubbed. That person lost a point.

The second category — a favorite of every school kid — was state capitals. The media always tell us how schools are failing and children don’t know the difference between California and Connecticut, but there were some smart people on stage. James is a computer engineer and has a master’s from the University of Illinois, one of the best computer science schools in the country (and I’m not just saying that because I went to U of I, albeit, in journalism). I knew he would fly through the lightning round.

The category worked its way down the line, each comedian calling out a capital.

“Boston”

“Austin”

“Atlanta”

“Alabama”

Alabama? Poor James. It seems even after taking classes on genetic algorithms and parallel computer architecture, a guy still can’t remember Montgomery.

We talked to James after the show, and he said he had desperately fumbled for the capital of Alabama as his turn drew nearer. Then, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

Hope you win next time, James!