Day 223

I talked to my bank today and they told me that the number they gave me the other day was correct and that the Germans were wrong. Unfortunately, the Germans are the ones who still have my money. I wish my client and the bank could just agree on a number. This shouldn't be this difficult. Unfortunately, even the most mundane task can end up being difficult these days. I've stood in line forever while a cashier tried again and again to get a bar code to read on their scanner. I've even occasionally had trouble buying stamps at the post office. I'd like to get myself one of those "easy buttons" you see on the Staples TV commercials. I think someone forgot to give me my easy button.

I had coffee at Starbucks with my friend Alan this afternoon. Alan never fails to introduce me to something new and interesting. Over the years, I've come to depend on him to provide me with a preview of what I'll be doing this time next year. Today, Alan was telling me how he had just finished publishing his own book on a website called Blurb.com. He showed me the book and it looked beautiful. I had never heard of blurb.com before, but I immediately began thinking of books that I'd like to publish myself. Apparently, the business model for book publishing has changed radically in recent years. Publishers don't need to find the next Steven King and sell millions of copies at Barnes & Noble to make money anymore. Nowadays, they just need to convince everybody on the planet to create their own book and give copies to their five best friends for Christmas. Alan's book looked so pretty that I'm going to have to do one of these things myself.  I'll probably be the only one that buys it though. That's usually the way it works with me.

I wish I could figure out a way to get Dot to overcome her fear of bad weather. What started as a fear of thunder and lightening has now morphed into a general fear of rain. It rained today, but I could barely hear the thunder. It was way off in the distance somewhere. The distant thunder was enough to set Dot off though. She went through her usual routine of barking and hiding under my desk. We bought an Anxiety Wrap for her a couple of years ago and it actually works, but usually by the time I can remember where I put the darn thing, the rain is over.

Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day