Or the sudden and curious increase in crime stats for New York City which, by coincidence, comes as the NYPD is ready to slash the number of cops on the street. Or I could launch this column's back-from-vacation return by talking about the enough-already news conference by one Tiger Woods, as he readies to emerge from his scandals at this week's Master's golf tournament.
But I won't. We'll likely deal with at least two of these stories tonight at 11. But what's on my mind as I sign on to this work computer for the first time in 10 days is the memory of my children visiting their relatives in California, and the graves of my parents. They have done this before; well, the two teenagers have. But bringing an infant on this trip - her first - literally took my breath away as I stood over my parents' headstones.
What would they think, and feel, seeing this brood that they helped create? How proud they would have been to have their children get together with their relatives - at a reunion so much like the ones they used to host for their far-flung clan?
I know the answer, of course. They would be smiling. Oh, it's all so ephemeral, and I return feeling that sense even more acutely than normal.
How does all this affect how we might cover the news? A good question, but the answer eludes me, at least for now. And how long before any feeling of insight from one's vacation evaporates? Again, I don't know, at least not yet.
I hope you can join Liz Cho and me, tonight at 11. We'll have any breaking news of the night, plus Lee Goldberg's stunningly beautiful spring AccuWeather forecast, and Scott Clark with the night's sports, including the Mets home opener.
BILL RITTER
