The Day of Onerous Tasks is looking to be not onerous at all. [The link is to Mr. Spy�s textbook-like description of the holiday, posted earlier today.]

We had a lovely day yesterday. AJ and I spent the early morning watching the parades while I worked in the kitchen. We flipped back and forth between New York and Chicago, as I wanted to see a friend performing in the Chicago parade and he wanted to see the Pikachu balloon in New York. Ultimately, we both agreed that we preferred the Chicago parade because it had more marching bands and fewer Broadway extravaganzas.

The relatives showed up around 1:30 with a car full of food. Somehow, though, one of the pies got left at home, so instead of a pie:people ratio of 3:2, we had a pitiful 1:2, our worst score ever. Nevertheless, there is still a pie and a half in my refrigerator. Or rather, there was until I had pumpkin pie with brandied whipped cream for breakfast. This is the best thing about The Day of Onerous Tasks.

Mr. Spy finally told AJ that The Day of Onerous Tasks was, in fact, a holiday of his own invention. The conversation, which took place after AJ staged his morning storming of our bedroom, went something like this:

Mr. Spy: AJ, do you remember what today is?

AJ: (knits his brow to think. A look crosses his face that shows that he has remembered something, but is not entirely happy with what he has remembered. He tries to pretend he has no idea what his dad is talking about.) No.

Mr. Spy: It�s The Day of Onerous Tasks.

Harriet: How could we forget The Day of Onerous Tasks?

AJ: (resigned) What do I have to do?

Mr. Spy (who exchanges glances with Harriet, while both try to smuggle giggles): You know The Day of Onerous Tasks isn�t really real, right?

AJ: (Looking relieved and trying to regain his composer). Yeah. It was just something that happened on the first Thanksgiving, right?

Mr. Spy: No, actually I just made it up. It never happened. I was just trying to be funny.

AJ: (grinning) Good one, Daddy. (runs out of the room in glee).

Mr. Spy: Wow, he really thought it was real!

Harriet: I told you!

* * * * *
Now that AJ has been set straight, he has been sent to do something that is the opposite of onerous � he is spending the morning at gymnastics with a bunch of his friends. The will tear around and act like heathens and eat doughnuts. My husband is out mountain biking. I am home enjoying the beautiful day and writing my last lecture of the quarter, finishing up my exam questions and grading papers. While the latter collection may sound comparatively onerous, I am, in fact, looking forward to it. I�m also looking forward to responding to a student who emailed me yesterday (yesterday?!?) in a passion about his final paper topic. I love it when they get excited. It makes my job so much more fun.

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