Dear Friends,
The Hard Taco song for October is a pop-punk banger about doghood called, "Someone's Got the Zoomies."
But let's back up. It's May 23, 2020. School is online. Summer camp is cancelled. So far, Scarlett (15) and Malcolm (12) have spent Saturday in their rooms watching The West Wing and playing Minecraft, respectively.
Lauren lures them out with a snack and drags them downstairs. She has devised an escape-room style puzzle for them. It's going to take an hour, and they are going to have to work together. At first, they grumble. But soon they get into it.
Then, something happens that none of us expected.
Have you ever been so overwhelmed with joy that it left you completely devastated? Now go back and watch the ending a second time. The best part of this movie isn't Scarlett's explosive catharsis, but her impressionable younger brother trying to match her energy. At first, Malcolm is happy, but when he sees her reaction, he starts moaning and writhing around. He even hides in the closet, because that seems to be what the circumstances call for.
So we got a dog that summer. Ozo is a mini labradoodle, and here is the dog version of his Madden stats:
- Fluffiness 98
- Affection 94
- Protectiveness 92
- Playfulness 88
- Vision 34
- Squirrel Awareness 89
- Obedience 16
- Sock Destructiveness 100
This week, I was reorganizing a closet for Fortress Party prep, and a found Malcolm's trumpet, unused since shortly after its appearance in the escape room video. I fingered the valves a little and managed to blow out a few strangled "notes." And suddenly, there's Ozo, and he starts...singing? He is four years old, and this is the first time this ever happened.
If I’m ever having a not-so-great day, please play me these videos. Or even just remind me that they exist.
And I will immediately start having an oh-so-great day.
With warmest regards,
Zach
