Recently my mother had her 5 year anniversary with her guy. He's great, and we all get along, and everything is fine and good it's just...well, it's the little differences.

First a coffee maker showed up in her kitchen a few years back. Then a microwave. These two appliances, individually, don't really amount to much. It's just that they'd never been there before. It was odd.

Then she started celebrating Christmas with him. Had Eisenberg become a Catholic name when I wasn't paying attention.

And I still shudder when this comes up.

Finally, the other day while out to lunch, Mom announces that she's given money to a candidate who I won't name.

"But Mom," I said, disbelief in my voice, "he's a Republican!"

Now I'm not saying her guy is an alien and he's replaced her with a pod. I'm just sayin'.