Paul, your writing reminds me of drama masks; it is both a bit sad in the reality of it and yet entertaining through the humor of it, which is what sustains us all through life. You really have a gift.
I like humour laced with pathos, Chaplin, of course, would be a good example, or an old British sit com like Steptoe and Son, but I don't know if that ever reached over there...
oh and she said that she'd keep it under her pillow, since it was a little pink and a little yellow..:)