Opening day. All you have to do is say the words and you feel the shutters thrown wide, the room air out, the light pour in. In baseball, no other day is so pure with possibility. No scores yet, no losses, no blame or disappointment. No hangover, at least until the game's over.

One thing you might want to learn before you attend the world's largest ukulele lesson is how to say ukulele.

The secret to happiness, at Thanksgiving or any time, is to find pleasure in imperfection.

TV happens. And once it's happened, it's gone. When it's gone, you move on, no tears, no tantrums, no videotape

Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Thanksgiving without tension is like a Thanksgiving without turkey. It can be done, but it is not the norm.

Here's a thing about the death of your mother, or anyone else you love: You can't anticipate how you'll feel afterward. People will tell you; a few may be close to right, none exactly right.