What do you do when you recieve terrible news?

Step 1 is, of course, denial.

No. That can't be right. Read it again......ok, it's still true.

Step 2. I generally sit frozen in place for some time, muttering profanities and researching ridiculous plans of action such as how much it would cost me to fly to some random place in the US and assume a new identity.

Step 3. Call someone I trust loves me. It has to be someone who loves me kindly. It can't be someone who will say "Well you should have seen this coming" or "Well, it's your own fault this happened, you know". Because it's still too early at this point to be reasonable.

Step 4. Repeat Step 2, but add in some depressing music.

Step 5. Luckily, at this point, my best friend arrives with the best step of all-- comfort food! and in this case, it came in the form of Black Cherry Icecream, Kraft Dinner Mac and Cheese, and Ristorante Pizza. Mmmmmmm Mmmmm!

Step 6. Escape to some happy place and do happy things while gorging on your comfort food with a few of your favourite people and refuse to think about the problem for the rest of the night-- thus reducing likelihood of a minor stroke.

Step 7. Which may come a short (or long) while after Step 6 is when you actually have to start thinking about things. I rarely have any say over what happens in this step. The only thing I can do is "sum foo cup". Deep breath. Here goes nothing.