Hello and welcome to the happier podcast. It gives me strategies and tips for how to build up your habits into your daily life this week, we'll talk about how you can design your summer and will deep dive back into the emotionally charged subject of. Thank you notes. The I'm Gretchen Rubin, a writer studies, happiness, good habits and human nature. I'm in new york city and with me right here in the gorgeous new panoply studios in new york city, is my sister Elizabeth craft. That's me elizabeth craft, a tv writer and producer living in l, a grudge, I'm in new york, because you and I are going to go beyond sampler. Yes, the show I love hosted by brittany loose about podcast. Yes, that's very exciting, so it gives you get excuse to visit here in new york city

I'm so give us an update on what's going on with your pilot and all that, gonna swell as a whole. The pie, that sir and I were producing, did not go to serious ha. and then the show, though we ve been on the family, our beloved family guy, Hence all answer and I pitch to show that got passed on so I've been seeing everything we ve touched in the last six months has turned to ashes like Mr Martinez. We have to rise from the ashes. Did I do something now say it's gonna, be a home, a whole new, clean slate akerana. What's gonna happen, something so you can stay tuned, excellent, like fox from Harry potter, you can arise up more beautiful than ever

oh and garage. I want to thank our listeners because a lot of them reached out to me- and let me know there are watching the family so yeah. That was great. So thanks guys for watching and hopefully have something else for you to have relatively excellent and also we want to remind listeners that we're getting ready for a very special episode. Seventy, where we want advice, the best advice it you ever gotten, whether about puddle of your life at work. Relationships, parenting whatever it is, we want the best advice you ve ever receive so be sure to sunday into us were dying to here. Ok, listen! This week's tried this at home too. is to design your summer yeah grudge this comes out because in episode, twenty seven you talked about how you done. You didn't have a good plan for your summer and then I asked you a little bit later. Have you thought of anything

and you hadn't know, and a lot of people started writing into us about the desire to plan a summer. So we thought this would make a good try this at home, which is so. How can people design their summer right? Because it's the that, if you want to her- or maybe some people pointed out their summer might not be in the summer but like, could you have a different part of your life? Could a part of your year be different from the rest of your years? You have that sort of summer feeling like, for instance, Paula Johnson, says, I love having a summer only habit. A few years ago I masterminded Al Fresco fridays which occurred ray friday between memorial, day and labour day. I found it. A strong with a huge back patio customers ordered at the counter than found their own tables reveals an His tea in lemonade were self serve very picnicking.

I spread the word to all my friends that I would be lunching from twelve to one thirty. Every friday. Anyone can join me. They could bring friends, they could arrive on time and leave early arrived late and stay to the end, zip in for just a soda. Whatever I always brought a book in case no one showed up the people always did. I had lunch with two friends at minimum and over a dozen on a few occasions, I might good again this summer. So that's an awesome idea. The outcry me in that fervour, they kind of makes me think of. You know in new york and the publishing industry its half day friday us now. Always like the greatest half an hour and half a friday, us yeah yeah. So have you come up with anything yet I have an I'm so excited to reveal my plan and in I'm too, and in here's the thing, because people at all these ideas about like concerts and and and excursions outside and I kept thinking here? That's good! That's good that I realized it. Just wasn't true for

me. Why wasn't I wanted for my summer, and so I thought to myself: ok be gretchen. What really makes me we. What could I have more than the summer and I thought its family friends reading and writing and said this is my plan so profound I read about this in the happiest project from Older daughter cause, I don't have much time to hang out with her she's a busy. We would go on these weekly adventures and we had to stop it which became a junior because she's so busy, and so but she's to be home for the summer during an internship, so I set out we're going to have at least one maybe two adventures a week in new york city. So that's away too for meat to spend like precious time with her. You know when she's almost leaving home, so that's great per family. For france. I've decided that I aiming to plan a lunch state every single day I am in new york city. While my children are not are not in school, I'm going to try to do one every single day. Now someone suggested that's too many lunches out but I kind of like I want to do something that so different high out be dramatic

when you're, not someone who goes out to lunch and blows if you're eating you'll you'll eat the exact same thing, whether you're at lunch or at home yeah, and a lot of these people probably just want to go to a diner. But it's like every single day and then like. I was just today speaking at the new york times, and somebody said: oh, you should come to the times for lunch. I'm like Yes, I should go somewhere where I have a lot of friends and then like have lunch with everybody all at once, and that's going to be great for the summer, so I'm really excited and I started making plans with a bunch of people. You know there's always those people where you're like. I really should call them. I want to what's up with them, but then you never get around to it. This is my chance to get around to it and really touch base with a lot of people kind of in my life so excited about that said in reading this is very exciting, so I have four writers who are among my favorite writers and they're, also the most useful for me as a as a writer myself and both in their fiction and non fiction. That's george orwell,

plenary oconnor, virginia wolf and samuel Johnson LUCA. So what I want to do is going to pull out all the books from shells that they ve written fiction and nonfiction. I'm gonna put them on a shelf and then every day in the morning for two hours I'm in a red something by one of those authors and it's gotta be in the morning it. I was going to do it in the afternoon, but then by then. I just can't really focus as well, and it's going to be two hours, because it's gotta feel like a lot of time. Yeah and I I have been meaning to do things like- I want to reread Flannery O'Connor's letters that she's writing. While she was writing wise blood and then and read wise blood concurrently- and I just my whole life- I've been meaning to do that. I'm going to do it or I want to reread a writer's diary, which is does the virginia was selected diary on writing is so is, and I want to hear that I want to reread samuel Johnson I want to. the gun, the essay that orwell road. That's like my favorite piece of writing ever so. I'm so excited to amaze me so excited about that and then find in writing. Somebody give myself a little summer,

to find a little the list of projects I mean this is what it is. I am all in favour of its called. out or order inner com, one of your favorite, but Tom dick s, obsessions and there's this amazing book called food rules by Michael Poland itself, the little charming book and I'm going to rip off totally in terms of structure and I I love thinking, I'm going to clutter it's like it's much fun to think about clearing clutter as to actually clear clutter, maybe more- and it's going to be this fun little book and a perfect summer project. And I'm so excited Roy summer la I'm impressed you're really going for a grudge. I am I really decided at this is what I said I have to embrace. What's true about me, and really changed my experience of my day, so it's gotta be dramatic, but yet still, you know, it's all sounds like things. You would do you now on any given day just planning for that's us. It's like what I actually consider fund, which is like a have a picnic outside

like, I really should do that. I'm fine, but if like this is what I actually feel like would be fine Now how about you? What about your we're? What's wrong? for me, as summer is kind of my fall june is usually when most shows star so summer. For me is really more alike April and may is that's when were usually it can be on hiatus. Hiatus is sort of just the time when nothing's happening between seasons of shows right, so so my summer is actually kind of coming to an end, and this year I was doing a pilot. I sort of did a pilot for summer vacation, but usually to mark the beginning of it. Sarah and I always go to toast this restaurant in l a and sit outside and meet a couple of friends and that sort of our schools out feel, but I usually hike Do pilates like that's when I you know a conservative settle into that sort of self care stuff and then it

miles away as the season gets going and one of the advantages of designing or summer is that one of the downsides of habits. when you do things the same way over and over and over time, speeds up, and that's like how we've all had experiences where, like you know the first three months on seemed to take a long time, but then that the third year on the job, this flies by because you're in this right, and so one of the reasons that doing Something like designing your summer is good. Is it because it disrupts the usual routines and habits, and it's a different way of experiencing time. It will make time feel slow more and more rich and you'll. Remember it better because its different and so having these breaks in your year is real a good thing and making your life feel more does more rich like for you. It's something you really want to do. Like rereading flattery, o connor, you just it could never happen. If you didn't set aside this time, yellow it's like it's, is to set aside time for different things in life

write anything. But what was important for me and if I can't do it all the time they beckoned like build it into a summer experience. So I mean everyone can I haven't. I would love to know what other people are doing to design their summer, because even if you work like a regular ninety five job that never has break the way what you and I do to us you could still do like what Paul a dead, which is the owl fresco fried it's like. Is there some were on the weekend? You can do something that makes its summer that it marks the time in a different way yeah. So I want to hear what people do yeah absolutely. So let us know if you try this at home how you design your summer and twitter, facebook email a grudge podcast at gretchen, Rubin, dot com, and as always, you can go to half your cast dot com, slash sixty seven. This is episode sixty seven,

for any kind of information links anything related to this episode. They want to look up or common time. Ok. Now, in episode, sixty three we talked about. Thank you nets. Specifically, you had had a party for jack, his six birth. They had thirty guess and it was about whether or not you should give yourself a demerit for not having written think So I did give myself that you were questioning it. I was. I was firmly I want to say I'm giving myself a de mer. You definitely gave yourself a dimeric and I dispute. It was a dispute because of the absolute day, lewis of responses that we have received on the subject of. Thank you notes. We are introducing a new segment, yes because some times we hit if I'm gonna be hot, both an issue that gets a lot of reader response and it feels like it needs its own sort of time to discuss, not just in an update or something so we're calling it.

dive dive ordered the dealers, we're doing been debating back and forth because we been been deluged with email. But then the deep dive indicates we're going. Deeper into something so we'll see what sticks yet, So this deep dive segment is on. Thank you notes. Yes, now gretchen alai appeal. I do agree with you about the importance of thanking us. Now I will say some people agree with the usa is not unanimous now, and I think that the people who agree with you, I will say more vocal than them two don't disagree, so it may be skewed a slight amount but People really think thank you. Notes are important and gretchen I'm. Press that you're gonna sit here and have this discussion because, as an upholder, I know it's difficult for you to be criticised. people were definitely criticising both of us, but I think,

I don't think it bothers me as much. It is tough room. We criticised and let me state my philosophy because many people took my what I was saying to mean that I don't value. Thank you units and the fact is, I absolutely believe and thinking it. I wrote a thank you know just last week for dinner party In fact, I did a facebook live video about the pie. Castaway do every week, and I showed my stationery. So if you want to see the stationery that I use, if I'm writing, thank you notes. You can see that and I'll put the link in the in the on on the website happier: caste dot com, slash sixty seven, and I absolutely you re thinking, notes when I feel like its appropriate to the situation, and so really,

I felt like was given the reality of the specific situation that you are in and that there were thirty children for a six year olds birthday party and people had brought gifts to the party in person that you did not unwrapped them that in that situation, I would have not given myself a demerit or put the expectation. I myself through. I too. Thank you in a specific situation. although I would have written a thinking in other sectors, thus does not that I just needed to get that on. A lot of people were very critical of having thirty kids and a birthday party, and they said if you dont, want to write. Thirty. Thank you notes. Either have five kids or say no gifts some people talk about that rule like if your four years old, you forgot your five year authority if I've gets

yeah now in jack's class I mean everyone just tends to invite all the boys on which is thirty, so it would be sort of a remarkable thing not to invite everyone. So I will say that is sort of the custom as far as I can tell so, that's why I invited all thirty kids. It certainly wasn't because I was just like wanting gifts yeah and I certainly, I wouldn't say no gifts, because I I'm sorry but for me, as I still have such great memories of having birthday parties and getting all my birthday presents, and I just would not deny that Troadec will in here's another thing about saying: no gifts. First of all, if what you care of, if, if you care about being polite like doing the polite thing, that kind of you know, let's look it up in an etiquette book, it's not polite to say no gifts, because the the theory is unique. If you tell somebody, no guess it's implying that they were going to bring raft and that's maybe they

organ and when you get so that's rude and then also another thing I have to say is I tried that, because I was sort of similar situation when eliza was little, and so I said, no gifts on the invitation and here's what happened. Some people didn't bring gifts, but some people bright gifts anyway. Why and then the people? I didn't bring gifts, felt really bad and I was like, don't I I said: no gifts like it's no big deal, but a couple of people like it really clearly bothered them that they were like. Oh I get it. This is like the secret handshake, Everybody knows you say no gifts, but then people bring gifts anyway. But I didn't know to do that, and I feel that until we sort of didn't work very well right so so that that, on the topic of gifts or no gifts, we could probably do a whole other segment on that rach. But back into the deep dive

by the way men detects today Monday was a guest on our show, our very special home for the holidays episode and I don't think she's waited for the part session. I mailed. May she texted me saying listening to your podcast right, a thank you, email to all and in future sent email with a picture of the party and say thanks, but I'm a total believer in. Thank you note, and it's never too late to send one, and I said, can I read your tax tonnage of coming and, I said ha, I kind of had a nagging thought that you might suddenly, ass, you can and write a thank you know so boy. Can I just do it? Can I just say something yeah so really like to step back and look at this from, like the happiness perspective, what I think was fascinating to me was the both of us, as we were talking about it like, as we did

these were pouring in. Is it where it really shows is the range of values that people have to get used to be like when people talk about values and happiness and like self knowledge I was always. I thought this is sort of ridiculous, because people either have in values are bad values and everybody agrees that being kind is good. So why do we have to belabour like what are our values? But actually, the fact is people have very different values from each other, and this is an excellent example of how people very sincerely come to this situation and have a completely different understanding of what appropriate behaviour is depending on their values. So, for instance, mindy point says, take a picture. Send a group email right, okay, but to me if you're writing a thank you note that need is not satisfied by a group. Thank you. That's just like a like a that doesn't answer the problem of having written a thank you know so to me that wouldn't sat if you feel like you should really think you know that does not satisfied

requirement, but then other many many many people suggested doing that yeah or they suggested sending a text of the person in the case of like his birthday party, the child, using whatever the gift was that in other people, insisted on the hand written this. May I we're like the hand written this is essential to the graciousness and the idea that you're taking your time and the here that you would use a text is like abomination, right echoes other people. Their point is the person took the time to go out and get a gift and be thoughtful. So if they spend that time, then no you can spend the time saying. Thank you, which I mean it's hard to argue with that logic, grudge. Ok, here was a logic, and I think it was katy who sent us in where issues like this but that you have a gift bag and have a guy that cause that's a very strong cotton kind of custom. Now, if you give someone to give back, that's like saying thank you for coming to my party, so give is giving the gift

as to the child. Essentially the thank you know which we did give out gifts at the end, I mean, and then there was a listener and new zealand who she resents. Getting. Thank you because she things it the it it's just starts a cycle of having knows said then do I have to thank you for my. Thank you know that guy she's, like we don't do that here, will then also somebody from Portugal and germany and Australia, and then other places were saying that they don't have this. At the time of writing thinking they were like. Thank goodness, we don't do that, but it's just like not something that you would be expected to do, and so it's it's it's not it's not a universal, because So, what's of like a, The community. You live in, dictates a lot of the rules for all this stuff. The reason I gave myself demerit was because I thought I was wrong. I thought I should give a thank you know, and I I have to say all of this male has confirmed my opinion that I should have written. Thank you notes, boy. But I also think that

Maybe there is room for the less intense, like you know the group email, the text with the picture that kind of thing and I think you know I wish, as I said in my de merit? I wish I had written a group. Thank you now because I would have been far better than nothing and men these still pushing me to go back and write those thirty. No it be funny to do it and see what word wouldn't it, but it's hard to imagine it happening

I it's like one of those things a longer the time goes by the harder and harder. That's all. I wanted to ask the hard core thinking and people do you? Did you write a thank you note for having attended the party? Did you have your child write? A note saying, thank you very much for a very well prepared as it anne, but I don't think that's not quite unfair graciosa. Thank you know. Four gift is I mean this is american standard tradition. I think- and I now and I do want to say, like absolutely a hundred percent like expressing gratitude, there's just no end of research. That shows a hundred percent expressing gratitude is a critical part of. a happy life and the people who regularly express gratitude day, their healthier, they feel happier feeling gratitude. Crowds out. Emotions like anger and resentment, and so and in so many people wrote about heart but like a nurse wrote about, like the thank, you know that she got from her patients by us. Gotta run like similar kind of thing from a doctor who have come from

it was to get these notes or in also like o. My son was in the icy you and he wrote these thinking, it's for everybody who worked on him and it was so meaning ball and you know, and then people taking that they would like spontaneously right. Thank you know it's not connected. We will get to sleep, you know and how it's so powerful and one hundred per cent like yeah, and I think those are really power for those. This is more of an Emily post. Like you know pro forma thing like, of course, you would never say it is wonderful to write a thank. You know to someone who is really impacted. Your life, yes, I guess it's sort of like where this is where the values come in, because it is like at what point do you sort of say? I guess I just find that, point sooner than you find that point. Where is this on the?

where, where do you say hey, I gave you a give back here. I hate yourself flank. One listener pointed out that you being an upholder grudges, might have had a different take on this, and a lot of people is, of course, our earn a lot of upholders out there. Okay, so can I read this email bs from terran in it I was soaks. I may be so ecstatic because karen showed such a deep command for a tendencies that he noticed. Something about me and my tendency that I had not even noticed- and I was just like this- is so exciting to me with it. So again, this is the question of what's your tendency in my tendencies: upholder, sectarian rights. Doesn't your attitude about thankee notes, comport with your type I am a classic oblige her. However, even the therefore, even I don't really like writing. Thank you, know it's or even see much value, and I always write them because I think that is what exceed what is expected by those who buy you. Gifts following my children's birthday parties. I make myself or them if they are old enough to do two to five per night. Until I am done even

tibet, the obliging seems to think she should be doing them. She actually does things you should be doing them, even if she couldn't find the time we're desire, since she felt she was ignoring external expectations. She felt that you and the other sent hand don't have any expectations to do them. As an upholder, you don't feel like you have to it's, not your value, so you don't do it you're, not that interested in external experts, patience right how's that for armchair happiness, analysis, excellent, armchair analysis cause. I think I recognize that there is. There is an external expectation, but I'm just sort of like, but I have my own internal expectation for how I'm gonna spend my time. energy and on the kind of the continuum of you save my son, life in the icy you too, I gave you If the trans, I just sort of feel like or the group text, it just feels like yeah, I just, but I have to say

seeing everybody's values and everybody express explaining how they think about it. It really got me thinking about a har yeah. It's it's there's it's as what the reasons are calling a deep dive, as is clearly a deep topic. It's like apologies and such like one of those things that people have a lot of ideas about anyway. I would say everyone right in, but they ve already written in all this. We earn a lot yet. Oh thank you for that. Everyone fastened area, interesting. Yes, yes, so grudge, time for a listener. Question this week are question, comes from anna. She said As I got married last year to my love of nearly seven years before we married his mother seem better, but now that we're married, she seems absolutely ravenous for time with us. She in fact, went so far as to move a couple blocks from us against my husband's requests that she not do.

So my husband and I are very busy professionals who rarely have time off. I see my on family who lives far away it scheduled times like major holidays. Has my mother in law, ask so frequently to see us. I feel like I'm constantly in the pacific, saying no and it's making me anxious to come with excuses and his becoming a real happiness, stumbling block any advice as to how to set boundaries about how much time it's reasonable to spend. With her to get out of my constant cycle of refusing her advances. Will this is a great question. This is a really interesting question so. One of the things that I would think about is that it might be that she sort of panicking and worried about being shut out, and so what might help is to have regularly actual times legally, several we're gonna have sunday dinner with you every week or every wednesday, woken we're going to come by and do whatever play cards are some

either, because if she knows that at certain times she can count on seeing you in doesn't have to ask which I'm sure it's like anxiety, provoking for her as well, she knew she had. She could see what certain times then may she could back off of other times and also maybe she would just realise that these are the times that she has and she just couldn't shouldn't keep asking for additional times because it sort of like this is a schedule here, seeing us plenty, and so that's what the that's kind of how we're going to set this up, and it makes sense, us. Given our schedules- and you know, I also think this is one of those things where it's really a husband issue, because it's hard when it's! You know you do forbearance your mother in law. You know she probably feels a lot of pressure to please her mother in law. And it's really like. Maybe her husband should be managing this because it's his mother, it's kind of his responsibility now I know a lot of husband, so just won't do it. So if you just won't deal with that, there's nothing you can do, but one thing I would say is like-

If your mother in law emails, you and says, do you want to This movie thursday night. Email, her back see seeing the husband hiding in the husband and saying, I'm not sure if we can do it, like royal husband right, an unkind of play on him to respond right, yeah that has its hard. You dont want to be the daughter in law reside! No, no! No! No! I totally right that right, so you want to set it up so that you're, not the one. It's I mean it's it's a very tricky issue, because there's a lot of you want maintain goodwill, but then you also want to live a life that, where you have plenty of time to do the other things that you want to do, especially if you're like she uses the word ravenous, where, if you feel like the person's just going to, if you give them I'm not gonna want more and more and more in this can become all consuming Yeah, and I mean one thing I thought of grudges, something you said to me, which is, if you can't get out of it, get into it, and I would say maybe and this is sort of off topic, but for the times

He is with her mother in law to really embrace it. And just not even tried, not to feel resentful about a budget try to embrace it I mean, she's gonna, be around for a long time right, right and settling oh, maybe every time we're together we're going to watch if the cards and are like you know a thousand seasons of the simpsons or or or like find something to make the best of it. Yeah that's really good advice. It's a tricky issue. Good luck, anna, ok, american gold stars Elizabeth. The merit were gradually I've talked on the pie cast about how we are re. Doing a lot in our house were kind of right in the thick of it right and part of that is Adam, and I moved out of our bedroom and bathroom into the guest room. Guess bathroom causes they ve completely demolished our bass or mike. It's gone. No longer exists

So, as part of that we had to empty are closets, and you know we don't have other places for the staff, but we're veto sort of makeshift right on making and what happened is I kind of got eighty percent of the way there? In other words, I packed up like all clothes that I don't need, that's all done, but the closed I'm using currently on a day to day basis. I sort of put some of them into random drawers and other places and some of them on a hanging rack that I have but then like I just did do anything was sort of the remaining twenty percent. So What kind of floating around the house like? Sometimes I have stacks of stuff on top of like the washer and dryer, or in laundry baskets folded or you know in a corner on the floor. But it's like I didn't finish the job of figuring out where to put that staff, and now I'm like living in total chaos. Will I think this is something

happens in a lot of actual moves, and- and I know people whenever, when I move people have said like make sure that you do everything like render the beginning, because if you don't hang a picture in the first two weeks, it'll take two years before you hang the pic and there is something about getting more the way there and then you you lose steam. But in that rested that that discourage you crazy that last remaining percentage of unfair, is it is driving me nuts? I mean you know me. It drives me less nuts and drives Adam know what I mean like I'm caught. You know I'll, but I for his especially. I really wanted to try to be organized. So may. When I get back from new york I'll try to like manage that last twenty percent and its be at least another month, so it's worth taking. It would probably only take me thirty minutes. I wish I could come over and do it with yeah. I love that stuff. Only you are coming to l a that would be great alright.

So that's my de mara? What's your goldstar, so my daughter realizes a junior and as anybody who listens to her podcast allies, sturdy and sixteen knows that she's very stressed out, because she's, a junior and so and so my husband and I were giving her this big pep talk. You know Jamie and I are like it's the finish line, and you know it's the end of the years inside and you just like you have to sprint towards the end, and it's not that much longer than I thought What I'm gonna do. I'm actually make a counter. So we had this poster bored. I left over from some project and I made like made boxes for the day. and I label in I'm put made a calendar and then I got some stickers and put some stickers on it, and I put on the problem, and I put on the lcd too and I put unless at school and marked out the days that we're summer and because I accidentally made an egg in an extra long, they didn't measure correctly, and I put it on the refrigerator.

because I was just like if you could just visually see their only for more monday is really the end is in sight, and I think sometimes it's just feel like. Oh my gosh I have to I have to think about physics for the next six months. It feels and minimal. What when you're like? It's really bite sized at this point and so thou really get. L and Elinor was so enchanted by this calendar that we made one for her too, and she put it up on their refrigerator with all her stickers and her things you know labelled, and it was really fun and I think it added suitable light. Hearted element is something that's a bit grim, exam museums and it showed kind of I I felt like it was an. It was a gesture that showed my empathy for knowing that it was all see still felt like she had to do all the stuff and but really you no kind of underline, underscoring the fact that the end is in sight in a truly is, if it s

at the finish line now, can I say cause I saw those both the calendars taped on your fridge. I love that Elinor also put the prom on her calendar cause, I guess to her. It's probably a big deal to see eliza get all dressed up and go out and she's excited for the prom too. So I got a big kick it's on my cal. It's on the family calendar for sure, I'll, post pictures of the calendars on my websites. If you're curious to see what it looks like and that's it for this preserving happier. Remember tried this at home design your summer and let us know what is your design. I cannot wait to hear And remember, to send, in your great advice, were very special episode. Thank you to our per sir henry velocity and also thank you too Andy, bowers and laura mayor of panoply, get in touch grudges until

at Gretchen Rubin and I'm at elizabeth craft or email address his podcast at gretchen, Rubin, dot com, and, if you liked this show it really does help us. If you tell a friend or if you subscribe to us or rate and review us in itunes, it really makes a difference in helping other listeners find the show. Until next week, I'm elizabeth craft and I'm Gretchen Rubin thanks for joining us onward and upward.