Day 1154

I forgot to send in my quarterly estimated taxes again. This wasn't the first time I forgot, and it probably won't be the last. I have gotten so accustomed to e-mail reminders and smartphone messages that I've almost lost the ability to remember anything on my own. You'd think the government would have the resources to send a little reminder to my phone like everybody else, but apparently not. At any rate, I mailed in a check today and I'm up to speed again, but I wouldn't be surprised if I forget again in April.

After I finished my website work for the day, I paid a visit to a nearby exterminator to get some advice about getting rid of bugs. I learned that cockroaches seek out both moisture and heat, which might explain why I see them in the bathroom and near the furnace. If you don't like chasing after them with a paper towel, you can just spray them with rubbing alcohol or a mixture of soapy water. Both elixirs will apparently kill the bugs quickly. After talking with the bug man for about twenty minutes I came home with some stuff that your spray on your exterior walls using a pressure sprayer and some encapsulated powder that you squirt into cracks and crevices inside your house. Poison is surprisingly expensive. I hope this stuff works.

Did you watch the Grammys last night?  Some of the awards were baffling, but the all-star tribute performances were great. The tribute to Bob Marley with Bruno Mars, Sting, Rihanna and several Marleys showed considerable musicianship, but was an odd sort of tribute since they didn't play any Bob Marley songs. Much better was the tribute to Levon Helm. I always liked Helm's "The Weight" and it was fun to listen to Elton John, Mavis Staples, Brittany Howard and members of Mumford & Sons and The Zac Brown Band trade verses. I guess it made sense for Fun to win with We Are Young, but Frank Ocean's odd performance of the odd song Forest Gump made no sense at all. I wish I still had the HD channels on my TV. It would have been fun to watch the Grammys in HD. I learned on Facebook this morning that the now full grown son of one of my Seattle advertising friends produced the Grammy nominated album by the Lumineers. Jeez, how time flies. The kid was a baby when I lived in Seattle.

I keep waiting for a Dalmatian to win the Westminster dog show. At least last year, the Dalmatian won the non-sporting category and got to compete for best of show. This year, the Dalmatian wasn't so lucky. The non-sporting title reverted to one of those little white Bichons that look like a child's stuffed animal. Oh well. I thought the Dalmatian was the best tonight. I changed the channel as soon as the Dalmatian lost.

Lady Gogh is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 791 - Valentine's Day

You could tell that I didn't have much going on today. Once again, I waited forever in an impossibly long Valentine's Day line for some seriously overpriced cupcakes. Yup. I went to Sprinkles. I'm not complaining though. I really like these cupcakes. Sprinkles is a way to be genuinely indulgent without actually spending all that much money. Hey, you don't have to go out and buy a Porsche 911 or a Cartier Santos watch. Just go pick up half a dozen cupcakes at Sprinkles.

Texas weather keeps confusing me. This morning I wore a down jacket while I walked the dogs. By the afternoon, it had warmed up so much that didn't need a coat at all. It was practically T-shirt weather this afternoon. I hope the warm spell lasts through the weekend. We have a big outdoor Dalmatian Rescue event this weekend. It's an annual Mardi Gras pet parade and you never know what to expect because the date for Mardi Gras changes every year. This year it's a bit earlier than usual, but if this nice weather continues, everything will be fine.

I'm watching Westminster Dog Show as I write this. This year a Dalmatian actually made it to the finals for the best of show competition. Amazing. Dalmatians never seem to win this show. I can't even remember the last time a Dalmatian won the Westminster. Maybe this will be their lucky year though. As soon as I post this, I'm going to go root for the Dalmatian in the best of show competition.

The Sprinkles cupcakes were delicious. Especially with a glass of champagne. Valentine's Day is a weird little holiday. Nobody ever gets off work for Valentine's Day and yet it's quite important for many people. It's kind of like Halloween. Merchants love this day, even though nobody gets the day off. I think we should get off work on Halloween and Valentine's Day and just forget about President's Day. Who even cares about President's Day?

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day