April Fools Celebration

One of the most under-rated holidays is April Fools Day.

I fooled my daughter and my wife real good in the morning.

My wife had just left the kitchen to start her bathroom routine when my daughter walked in, a bit bleary and incoherent. The radio was on, so I said to her, "I just heard on the radio that school's canceled! Let's tell mommy!"

"But it's not snowing?"

"No, but the boiler broke!"

So we rush over to the bathroom. And you know the worst thing you can tell a mom in the morning before school is that the school is closed unexpectedly, and she has to babysit a child all day instead of cruising over to Starbucks and getting a seasonal latte before embarking on a massive grocery shopping trip.

"Hey, I just heard on the radio that school's closed! The boiler's broken!"

"Oh no!"

It was great because I had already convinced my daughter, and she helped me feed the line to my wife. Hehe. Otherwise, my daughter is a bad practical joker -- she has no poker face whatsoever. I think that's what made it so convincing.

So I was on high alert when I got back home after a day at work. And that's exactly why I like this day so much. It forces you to pay attention -- the ideal state for someone who studies meditation (or needs to).

If you've ever watched one of the Pink Panther movies that Peter Sellers starred in, you know what this is like. In the story line Inspect Clouseau has given his house boy, Cato Fong, instructions to attack him by surprise at any time. The inspector hopes this will keep him vigilant. (Here's an image from the scene in which Cato attacks the inspector from within the refrigerator.)

Usually when I get home, my wife and daughter are in the middle of supper, and stuff is on the stove, oven or in a plate to be warmed up for me. (Nice service, eh?) This April Fools Day was suspiciously no different.

Well, the plate was there, covered with wax paper, ready to go into the microwave oven. I cautiously lifted the paper to reveal.... food. Well, okay, a few years ago, there were hairy cat toys on the plate!

I decided to wash my hands before heating the plate. I went to dry them on the kitchen towel, and it was krinkly. There was tape on the inside of it!

So I brought the plate over to the microwave oven, opened it and -- uuuugh -- it was filled with stuffed animals!

There was soup in a pot on the stove, but when I lifted the lid I saw stuffed animals!

I found two banana slices in my green salad!

Before bedtime, I decided to use the bathroom. I lifted the toilet lid and saw a Sponge Bob Square Pants plushie taped underneath!

So it was a really fun day. I enjoyed the pranks. But I especially liked being forced to pay attention.

And if you want to try a really good meditation, do the Cato / Clouseau meditation. Get a house mate or coworker to surprise you frequently throughout the day!