April Fool's Day

It's funny --or not really: I'm uninspired this April Fool's Day. I'm not sure what's causing the pranking malaise, but it's here this year. Dr. Barry is the opposite. He just sent me a copy of a missive he sent to his entire faculty -- telling them, in essence, they no longer have to go to educational conferences, or teach residents. Attendance at these events has been woeful lately, and his AFD prank is a way to shake people up, hopefully. The problem is he's such a fine writer, and his message so subtle, I predict most of the academic docs will read it and shrug it off, saying "Cool. Less crap I have to do." We'll see... My crowning AFD prank came 21 years ago. My friends Pete and Gene, real estate lawyers, had referred a big case -- a young executive hit by a drunk in a rental car, suffering awful injuries. We went to mediation in late March, and there was a huge offer, but we were holding out for more. My friends knew a big referral check was impending...or was it? I called them on April 1 to tell them the insurance company had taken surveillance video of our client -- he was running a marathon, and had started an online business -- showing he was BETTER than before the accident. They pulled the offer. My friends nearly cried on the phone. One had gone out and leased his first nice car, based upon the upcoming windfall... Since I'm not that cruel, I called them an hour later, and told them it was a prank. The case indeed settled, and best of all, the client DID make an amazing recovery. He did go back to running marathons, and opening new businesses. He's one of the few former clients who have become a friend, and fortunately the worst thing to happen in his life lately is a divorce. Then again, during some of the proceedings, he probably wishes he were back in a coma... Other than that, my usual fare was telling friends and relatives that Wifey was pregnant. Of course, this got funnier as the years post menopause increased -- at least to my friends. But I've decided to give Wifey's virtual uterus a rest, finally. If my B.S. reports were true, we'd have about 20 kids by now. So no April Fool's Day for me. Maybe the fact that Mom's birthday is coming up -- the first one since she died, as well as the anniversary of her death. If she were religious, we'd have her unveiling. As it is, we'll take a trip to Biscayne Bay, where we scattered her ashes, and remember her. Either way, I guess that dampens down the holiday spirit -- at least for this year.