24 hours past epiphany to stay calm and not sweat the small stuff, went out this afternoon to find some as*hole had dumped two stray dogs in my yard, and somebody--perhaps the dog dumper--had stolen my newspaper.

As George Costanza's father on Seinfeld used to holler when vexing things happened "Serenity Now!" "Serenity Now!"

I have a mental image I'm using to try to remain serene--I picture annoying events as being lodged in my brain like lumps of charcoal, and I image a door opening in the brain and a hose coming and spraying all the black stuff out until the tissue is pink and clean. It works for me.

But I sure would like to kick that miscreant in the shins! No susil, down girl, Serenity Now!