OAK BAY -- Rob is sitting on his patio, flipping through papers, searching for a sign to inspire a smile.

“My wife and kids would probably tell you I have really weird sense of humour," Rob says.

They know that although they can pose for normal family photos in public, their dad will post a sign back home saying, "Around Here, Normal Is Just A Setting On The Dishwasher."

“It’s kinda something for us in the family to have fun with,” Rob explains.

Although Rob has been changing their sign’s mirthful message every week for more than 18 months, its silly spirit dates back almost 37 years, to when he married Karina.

“I always say [to her], part of my job as your husband is to make you laugh every day,” Rob smiles.

It’s a job he takes seriously because (as he posted on one recent sign), "It Isn’t Easy Being A Mother, If It Were Fathers Would Do It."

A couple months ago, with the pandemic in full swing, Rob felt compelled to expand his job description.

“I saw people walking by [our yard], and a lot of them were looking pretty grim,” Rob says. “So I thought I’d do something to get them to smile.”

So Rob built a wooden signpost in is yard, facing a public walkway. On top, it thanked frontline workers. On the bottom it said, "I Need To Practise Some Social Distancing From The Fridge."

Since that first message, Rob has posted a new one every day for more than 60 days. They’ve ranged from, "My Hands Are Consuming More Alcohol Than My Mouth" to “Why Am I The Only Naked Person At This Gender Reveal Party?” 

“If they start giggling, I know I’ve done my job for the day," Rob smiles.

After a recent lightning storm, Rob posted "Sounds Like Thunder, But The Way 2020 Is Going It Could Be Godzilla." And based on the way positive public feedback is going, Rob’s produced three months worth of more daily messages. 

“This situation that we find ourselves in, I think it’s important to share a little joy everyday,” Rob says. 

If a marriage can thrive for decades because of a little daily laughter, perhaps the best way to survive the pandemic is to stop "Feeling On The Surface: Cool As A Cucumber. On The Inside: Squirrel In Traffic" and start trying to "Be The Mr. Rogers In Your Neighbourhood."