In terms of weather, what is your outlook for 2006? Is it optimistic, such as "Gray skies are gonna clear up...", "The sun will come out tomorrow...", or "Here comes the sun..." (stop me, I'm on a roll!)? Or is it more like, "Raindrops keep falling on my head..." or "The weather outside is frightful..."?

Had you asked me this question this morning (that is, had *I* asked myself this question), I would have replied, "Partly sunny." But in the space of a few hours -- all because of a few words innocently sent my way via e-mail -- my skies have darkened and storm clouds are rolling in. But it won't be rain that falls. It will be my tears.

I often say that I would rather feel (emotional) pain than nothing at all, but at the moment, I wish that I could just flip a switch and become numb all over.