I'm back in a house.

Fast work from my landlord and an HVAC business out of Rice Like hooked me up with a new furnace where I can stay warm and not die.

Now I return to a spartan existence in my house but it's still my own and not anyone else's.

Tonight I will lay my vast head on my huge albeit unclean pillow and sleep soundly after a dinner of Jack's pizza and box wine.

I am, as always, appreciative for those who reached out during this additional weird time in my life.

And I'm reminded of the guiding principle of the Buddha, who said we cannot stop bad things happening in our lives but we can change our reaction.

I knew when my landlord called me and said I couldn't return to the house that somehow everything would work out. Twenty years ago, that call would have devastated me. Today, well today, I deal.

Some folks were either shocked or put off by my jokes on the situation. How I worked on a headline for my obit or how appreciative I was that I could get 10 percent off my obit. (By the way, the latter is a joke. It's full obit price.)

Humor has always been my coping mechanism, good or bad. That's how I make it through. Once in couples therapy, I joked for the first 15 minutes and then the counselor asked me how I dealt with difficulties. I said I use humor as a coping mechanism. "Nooooooooo," he said sarcastically.

Yeah, he was a dick.

So sometimes, even more often than not, life will suck. And I've learned to deal -- a long way from where I've come.

Peace and a big-ass pillow for you and your massive heads unto you my brothers and sisters -- so long as big-hearted brethren.