Five good things on a Friday afternoon.

Good thing #1. Burger King is finally ditching its creepy mascot and redirecting its marketing efforts to moms rather than stoned teenagers. The result will be a “healthy Whopper” topped with a wad of guacamole. I’m not sure I understand the health food angle, but practically anything is better than that grinning plastic head.

Good thing #2. Sam and I have moved forward with part two of our back yard remodeling project. We signed paperwork today with a local hardscape contractor who will triple the size of our patio, add stamped concrete, cover everything with a custom red cedar arbor and build a flagstone circle around our ornamental tree. We’re so excited we can hardly stand it and I’ll probably spend the afternoon celebrating with a bag of Cheetos, a Marcy-tini and “Millionaire Matchmaker” reruns. Construction will start by the end of next week, so keep an eye out for progress photos in the Howdygram.

Good thing #3. It may be too early to knock on wood, but today, at last, I’m finally seeing some improvement with my new injectable diabetes medication. My blood sugar was NORMAL this morning — 32 points lower than yesterday! — and I’m so encouraged that I’ve decided to wait until Monday to check in with Dr. M. Stay tuned.

Good thing #4. Today is President Bill Clinton’s 65th birthday. I don’t know about YOU, but I miss Bill and I definitely wish I could vote for him again. He was the smartest, most articulate president of our generation, had a terrific accent and America was much better off during his two administrations. If you want to show your appreciation you can click here to post your own birthday message and/or make a donation to the Clinton Foundation. Tell them Marcy sent you.

Good thing #5. Today is also Debbie Reynolds Day on Turner Classic Movies. This means absolutely nothing to Sam, who is decidedly NOT a Debbie Reynolds fan, but for me I get to record and watch three of my favorites: The Tender Trap, The Mating Game and Singin’ in the Rain. 

And now I think it’s finally time for a late lunch and an afternoon nap. Thank you for reading this. Please turn out the lights when you leave.