Your Weekly Antics, Work Smarter, Not Harder Edition...9/19/25

Well kids, I’m back. Just when you think you’ve heard the last of The Antics, we surprise you and keep it coming. Here’s what I’ve got…

1. It's been kind of a quiet week doing the work of the people. I haven't had any reports of people stealing electricity from their neighbors or local businesses, housing cows on their enclosed front porches, or walking around naked in the streets. This may seem like a rookie statement to make, putting that out into the universe and tempting fate, but I say bring it. Next full moon is October 6th people, I'm ready for it.

2. We had all sorts of surprises last weekend. Lucky for the youngest Kap kid we didn’t change the locks when she left for college, because while we were out breaking bread with the Burns crew, she graced the Kap house with her presence with a surprise visit. If she had played her cards right, she would’ve thought to crash our dinner and cashed in on a free meal.

 3. Later that same evening, we gained a permanent edition to the Kap pack, via Casey. The oldest Kap kid proposed, Casey said yes, because who wouldn’t want to become a permanent fixture in the Kap pack, and now I’m almost officially someone’s mother-in-law. Sharing this with the AIC girls, I declared we’re now officially old. The response I got from one of the wiser members of our group is, we are lucky to be old and share these moments with each other…yes, yes we are. No wiser words ever spoken…Diane is wicked smart.

4.  What’s another dog I said? No big deal, I said. No more work than what we already have, I said. Well kids, I’m here to report that I have no flippin idea what I’m talking about and if in the future I say any of the above you are all to implement the intervention of all interventions and remind me…I don’t need any more dogs. That’s right, I said it out loud. No more dogs for me. My linens are hanging on by a thread over here because Gibson treats our laundry baskets like his personal buffet.

5. Some of the disadvantages of going to college right up the street from your aunt’s house is your aunt now has easy access to you. The text, you wanna go for coffee can quickly turn into surprise, your grandmother and I are holding you hostage and taking you to lunch. If that’s not bad enough, why not go to lunch where your sister works so it’ll be a two-in-one make both my nieces spend time with me scenario? See? Perfect example of how I work smarter not harder. Two birds, one stone. Exhibit 1, my lunch dates.

6. This car was photographed in a parking lot at an establishment in Tatnuck Square. We see these low riding vehicles throughout the city, and I would like to assume that anyone driving one can’t possibly be a full-time resident of the Woo. Who, in their right mind, having any knowledge of the conditions of our fine city’s streets, would take the chance of driving something like this that is literally a half an inch off the ground? I wouldn’t be able to get off my street driving this thing. Exhibit 2, the low rider.

7. It’s not uncommon to see people driving and texting. Everyone is always glancing at their phones, taking advantage of the few minutes at a traffic light to do so, or while speeding down the highway, it’s everywhere. Driving the extremely congested Mass Pike recently, I was a passenger with nothing to do but look around. I observed a man in a Tesla next to us, completely engaged in texting, not looking up once. This car was one of those Full Self Driving doo dads and I have to say, I find it a bit horrifying. Glenn was right, robots are taking over.

 8. Varmints. This critter is seen going up and down and all around the UConn Campus. He is not a rat. He is not a hedgehog. He is not a groundhog but is in fact a woodchuck. He should not be confused with a service animal and has no interest in taking on the role of the school mascot, he doesn’t have time for that. He is perfectly content taking a backseat and allowing Jonathan the husky to maintain that role. Bert is smart and has figured out how to work smarter not harder and hangs around campus making friends everywhere he goes and living his best life. We should all be like Bert. Bert is fat and happy. Exhibit 3, Bert.

9. If you don't feel like you want to live the life that Bert lives, how about this guy? Gibson goes about his business, no cares in the world. His only issue is it's almost time to stop putting the top of the jeep down. When that happens, he'll have to revert to being treated like regular dogs everywhere and adjust to driving around enclosed inside the vehicle.

10. Another fine example of working smarter not harder was seen on the streets of Brighton, MA. Despite the training that’s been provided to the oldest Kap kid, he failed to produce video or photographic evidence of his findings, but he’s a trustworthy kind of guy so that’s good enough for me. On a lovely sunset evening while he was out strolling the streets for his nightly walk, he came across a woman driving a golf cart with her dog walking along beside her. That’s my future right there folks. Coming soon…I’ll be driving a golf cart through Tatnuck Square with Gibson in tow. Exhibit 4, Sam sent us a picture of the stunning sunset rather than golf cart dog walking lady.

    
    

    *** Update, the golf cart driving dog walking lady was in Maine, not Brighton...perhaps the oldest Kap kid isn't the most reliable reporter after all...

And last but not least...do something that makes you happy...

Have a great weekend!