this is exhibit A. until 10am exhibit A was a stylish and comfortable-enough mission chair worth a few hundred dollars. after 10am exhibit A had a street value between four and eight dollars depending on how badly the customer wanted to build a fire at the moment of purchase. exhibit A is part of my argument against recent or soon-to-be parents investing in nice and/or expensive products for their home. fact is, i would recommend against acquiring anything you will care about in any way, form or fashion until your children are old enough to, oh i don't know, buy their own home.

exhibit A is a product of alex's most recent play-date. we didn't see exhibit A bite the dust, but we heard it, a full floor away. as marty gazed at the splintered wood on the living room floor, the two boys stood quietly at her side. after a few moments alex turned to his cohort and softly said "my mom is angee." he at times demonstrates great acumen in sensing the moods of others, especially when that mood is 'angee'.

should you be curious how many exhibits will be part of my presentation, i can give you a hint; a lot. i cannot be more precise because my bank of accountants have not yet finished itemizing the heap of tangled objects piled in the far corner of my basement. problem is, the collection is growing faster than they can complete their paperwork.

thus far i've learned this; you can love your stuff or you can love your children, but you can't love both.