Daily Warm-Up

“I try to think of myself playing Elaine Stritch. That helps.”
- Elaine Stritch: At Liberty (2002) (TV)

The replacement me pulled out a bouquet of roses from his jacket. My children – well, I guess now that I was no longer me and he was me, his children – clapped and asked for more. He could do magic tricks? He could do tricks, my wife said. She giggled at her double entendre. I asked what that meant, sternly, although without much authority. Oh, you know. This, that, and whooo! She giggled again. I looked down at my finger nails. Oh, don’t be such a spoilsport, she said. You knew this was a temporary assignment. Yeah, but I’ve gotten rather attached to being me. I can hardly remember who I was before I was me, actually. All in good time, she said. She picked the keys up from the table and gestured towards the door. Where are you flying to, anyway? I checked the new assignment. Alaska, I guess. Alaska? Wow! See? What fun! You’ll have so much fun as someone else! Now, let’s get you to the airport before you’re late. As we left she kissed the replacement me and delightedly screamed, “Wheee!”