This was a new lake for us... Leavenworth County Fishing Lake. It's just outside of Tonganoxie (indian for "place") and about 45 minutes from Topeka. We got there before noon and started fishing. Doug had a fish on in about ten minutes, and he had caught ten before I caught my first one.

This lake has been closed for the last three years for fishing while they drained and dredged it and made it a better fishery; they got rid of the rough fish population that predominated and stocked with bass, catfish, crappie and white bass. As a result, the bass population ranges from nine pounds to three ounces. About half of the fish that we caught were under a pound, some as small as 6 inches. They were mighty aggressive, not having seen lures for a long while, if ever. The largest fish we caught were about 17 inches, in the 3-4 pound range. It was a partly-cloudy day, with the clouds increasing as the day wore on, and the wind changing from the north and increasing. A fine day for fishing (as they all are).

We left about 19:00 and I was home by 20:00 and in bed by 21:00. Karen came to bed with me and read a while; I was asleep before she turned off the light, unusual for me.

And I got up today at 11:00. Very well rested, I might add. Fourteen hours of sleep should clear up any sleep deficit I have remaining. Right now I feel great, and I am wondering where to direct my energy...

More later...

I found something to do with my energy, all right. I worked on my checkbook. Quicken is wonderful. Using it sucks. I'm not really sure which I dislike the most... knowing how much in debt I am, or not knowing. And red in a checking program is so damned irritating. Couldn't they find some other color to use?

I did get everything on Karen's list done, though. That's not what gave me a headache. The checkbook did that. There is a reason why I only work on it every six weeks or so. I hate it. If one is to be judged on how much money they have, I'm in the bottom division. Luckily, the people I associate with don't do their judging that way.

I started this day off really good, I thought, but now I feel weary and I have a headache. My energy has diminished to zilch. My enthusiasm for living the rest of this day is negligible. And I'm on my second pot of coffee, too. What I need is some chocolate... well, Karen will be home from work soon, and she and I will have the weekend to spend together. Now I'm starting to get a little more enthusiastic!

Still here, but I'm thinking about going to bed soon. Lacee is here, I picked her up after dance class. She was really surprised to find me waiting instead of Gramma Karen, but she got over it really quick. Kim and Steve were playing softball, and should be here to pick her up shortly. Damn, she is a cute little girl!

If I kiss Karen in her presence and forget to kiss her too, she will screw up her little face and say, "uuuMMMMMmmmMMMM!" until I kiss her. Then she tries to get at least one more kiss than Karen, and if she does she gives Karen a haughty look, like, "See how good I can do!"

So I've learned to divide up my kisses evenly, so as not to stir the pot of jealousy. Ain't I a nice guy? Besides, if that would happen, probably neither one of them would kiss me, then where would I be?