Good nose, robust color, earthy undertones

I won't lie to you, covering politics is more fun than field dressing a moose.

But on occasion The Boss needs some help with other stuff. Often that stuff suddenly puts things in perspective. I was speaking with a breast cancer survivor this morning (she doesn't see herself that way.)

She was quiet. She was funny. She was clever. She was unassuming. She builds birdhouses with power tools. She's in her 60s.

She talked about work a little, about her grandkids a lot, and about the birdhouses. Not a word about illegal immigration. Not a word about bribery. Not a word about Tina Fey.

It's like cleansing the palate.

Who am I kidding? It's like scrubbing week old lasagna off a pan with an SOS pad. And it felt good. Thanks, Sylvia.