Alternative Sources Of Happiness When Reality Is Overwhelming

Sporty, my alter ego, is massively depressed after a sports weekend that sucked.

The NY Giants are a certifiable nightmare and disappointment prevails in every aspect of the game.

To add insult to injury, the Giants cry baby and explosive superstar wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr., is out for the season with a fractured left ankle.

Sadly, I still bleed Big Blue.

It is now necessary to find solace elsewhere.

I went deep undercover this weekend to mine salve for the pain.

Drugs and alcohol aren’t my thing.

I decided to mainline live theater and TV.

I was parched for pleasure.

Saturday, I took in the Off-Broadway hit, In & Of Itself.

The creative team is magical starting with the star, Derek DelGaudio, who is a magician, a raconteur, a conceptual artist and  a mind reader.

The show is directed by Emmy Award winner, Frank Oz, original music by Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo) and executive produced by Neil Patrick Harris.

After entering the Daryl Roth Theater, audience members choose from a wall of cards marked with various identities, from the literal to the lyrical.

This comes into play at the end of the performance.

I chose, “I Am Your Worst Nightmare”.

The show is astonishing as long as you are willing to suspend reality and do not demand that everything be tied up with a bow by show’s end.

In & Of Itself definitely took the edge off of the debilitating NY Yankees Friday night loss.

The play was on my radar screen, but a shout out to my outdoor inspiration, Karen, who highly recommended it.

The fact that she took the time to stay indoors without her Peloton bike or gave up the opportunity to climb a mountain is sufficient reason to see In & Of Yourself.

The show has been extended twice from its’ original 10-week run and will be on the Broadway Board until April 2018.

Sunday, to deflect from the horrendous Giants loss I binge watched, Better Things, a TV show that my TV agent daughter highly recommended.

Better Things is not a total diversion…the realities of life, the ebb and flow, hit home.

The show is about a 40 plus actress and single mother, raising three daughters with very distinctive personalities and contending with a quirky mother who happens to live next door.

The genius of Better Things is that it ignores what mainstream television has told us about how families operate and the manner in which mature women relate to the world.

It is painfully truthful regarding the burdens of adulthood.

I read that a recent study confirmed that women over 40 are scarce on TV.

So let us celebrate Sam, a multi-tasking woman past 40 who has no time for a midlife crisis.

Pamela Adlon stars as Sam. She is co-creator along with Louis C.K. and directs the entire second season which from what I hear, is incredible.

Forget the chocolate and french fries, binge watch, Better Things.

The first 10 episodes are available on Hulu.

Season Two is showing now on FX.

The sports tension of the weekend kept on until late into Sunday night.

And, finally, as Monday crept in, the Yankee Stadium victory song, Start Spreading The News, resonated throughout the city.

My NY Yankees came through and won a tense, angina inducing, must win game, 1-0.

Sleep is elusive so I intend to binge watch Season 2 of Better Things and lose myself in someone else’s life.

*Photo:Joseph McDermott/Getty Images