Looking for Arnold While Trying to Clean Out My Desk

It's through this world you ramble, it's through this world you roam, and you have to learn to take the bad with the good and keep a watchful eye out for both.

Regular readers of the newsletter might have noticed I was a bit steamed last week, a wee bit disgruntled, and downright pissed off. It was a long week at the office. It only seems like when things go wrong, they all go wrong at once.

So it was a bit nice to discover that Max the Cat did me a huge favor. After closing on my house, my funds were a bit down and it didn't help matters any that I forgot to notify the state's finance department of my move and thus they sent my last paycheck to my old address. With a car payment and other bills due, it was looking a bit bleak financially. Luckily, last week I got my damage deposit back for my apartment and it was much larger than I expected. Seems I had forgotten the cat deposit I had made all those years ago. So all the bitchin and moanin I did over the years about the cost of cat food, shots, miscellaneous toys, catnip and supplies, forget all that. Max saved me this past week big time. Thanks little buddy... That was the good news.

The bad news? I put in a day and a half extra work just to keep my head afloat. By the end of the week I was so tired I barely had enough energy to sweep my lawn (a homeowner's duty I never envisioned).

The good news? I was the benefactor of some fine customer service this week. I ate at Bruegger's Bagels downtown and was served with a smile by a pleasant woman who joked about herself as she struggled to put my turkey bagel into a bag. It made me realize that I am so accustomed to indifferent or bad service that I now almost expect it. Just a smile, a nod of acknowledgment can really make a difference.

Bad news? Mr. Puckett's still blurry vision, diagnosed as Glaucoma. Mr. Carew's daughter losing her battle to cancer. Two of my baseball heroes going through tough times.

Good news? I began getting ready for the upcoming softball season by whipping a Nerf ball against the living room wall. The arm is slowly coming around and it looks like my curve ball is still there.

Bad news? ABC deciding to postpone this week's episode of the Muppet's Tonight with guest host Sandra Bullock. Seems they were going to do a spoof of Speed (mad muppet bomber) but the episode was scheduled to air on Friday, the one year anniversary of the Oklahoma bombing. Another Friday night shot.

Good news? I got an unexpected phone call that same Friday night from my friend who just called to tell me she had noticed I seemed a bit down during the week and just wanted to chat. Sigh. Made me feel like I wasn't so mired in the primordial muck and that there are those out there just as sweet as the next wine tasting.

Bad news? The Man is out on the road again but he isn't coming anywhere close to Minnesota. So far the setlists are very similar to last year's with the exception of the wonderful inclusion of This Wheel's On Fire from the Basement Tapes. Soundcheck included Seven Days and Watered Down Love yet to be played during the concerts.

Good news? I swapped a rice krispie bar for a brownie and both of us enjoyed the deal...