I spent the evening admiring the Christmas tree, coloring with my 7yo daughter, helping her with her Santa correspondence and cleaning the budgie mansion. Even after kiddo went to bed, I dutifully printed lunch notes and watched the food network. Blocking out the noise and the negativity and doom.

Some might call it #ostrichmode. But I call it ever so carefully bubble-wrapping what is left of my hope and optimism for its imminent and inevitable defenestration.