Julie Luongo

Behold, my grilled ham & cheese served today with a side of miracle.

I was feeling cranky today. Here’s a quick overview of my petty complaints:

* Today is a running day but my hip has been acting up. No, that’s an understatement. It has been surprising me with a pain so sharp, I almost pass out from it. This happens while I’m walking, which slows progress and makes me change my gait in an attempt to find a solution. Turns out that my natural gait is the one that made boys in high school say to me “you want some fries with that shake.” Great.

* Probably as a result of babying the hip, I have a stiff neck. This has made me realize how many sudden moves I make in a day. Ow.

* I drank too much coffee this morning and didn’t eat. Nor did I drink any water. So, basically I was toxic on every level.

* I wanted to play last night, but worked instead.

In an attempt to reverse this mood, I drank 2 glasses of water and made myself a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. I sat at the table to eat and opened the paper to the comics, as I do, because I am a child. And lo and behold FAMILY CIRCUS IS GONE! Replaced by not one, but two new puzzles – Kakuro and Sudoku.

I could weep with joy. Let’s take a moment and let it sink in.

My decades-long campaign has come to an end. Sure, BC is still there. But I can overlook it even though today’s strip is about St. Peter. Ok, I can’t overlook it. But Family Circus is gone and I’m not letting anything bring me down today.

I don’t know how to process this good news. Ask in a blog and you shall receive? Is that what’s happened to me? I’m stunned. I’ve witnessed a miracle. My grilled sandwich did look a bit like the shroud of Turin. Is it evidence of Yahweh? Praise be. The absence of Family Circus has turned me into a believer. Touche Bil Keane, touche.