Mug Shots

In case you haven't read her mother's e-mails, Sonya has left damp and grungy Portland, Oregon for sunny and botoxed Los Angeles, California. As a Good-Luck-In-Hollywood-You'll-Need-It present I decided to give her the one and only StephAndPaul Mug with an OprahAngel attachment (for protection). I hoped this would remind her of all the fun things she's done with the Mug in Portland when she's stirring in the gram and a half of cocaine into her morning cup of joe.



Unfortunately, though she thanked me profusely and seemed excited for the briefest of moments, I have a feeling a ceramic mug with my sister and brother-in-law on it was not enough to cheer her up on this sad sad day before her departure for La-La-Land.



StephAndPaul remained optimistic for the both of us while I joined Sonya in a final pity-party. "Don't worry," Steph said, "I'm sure you'll sell that screenplay you've been thinking of starting to work on and be a huge success in the film industry."
"Yeah," added Paul, "And if you ever do decide to get those breast implants a prep school buddy of mine who lives in Beverly Hills can get you a great deal. He does amazing work with absolutely no scarring or rippling. I've seen pictures."

Then Steph kicked Paul in the shins.



Then OprahAngel chimed in with one of her always helpful quotes. This one was on "Victory".

"Although there may be tragedy in your life, there's always a possibility to triumph. It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always."



On any other day, that sort of banal, new-agey pseudo-wisdom would've induced groans and eye-rolls from two jaded and world-weary Gen-Yers like Sonya and me. But on this day, coming from this cardboard cutout angel with this picture from a magazine pasted on, those words made us laugh and laugh with unironic glee at the possibilities that await Sonya as she takes the StephAndPaul Mug on the next leg of its journey...toward Victory!