Didn't wake up on time either. So I skipped showering and ate oatmeal for breakfast instead.

Got to work just in time to clock in.

Well, you know me. Any day that starts off crummy invariably gets crummier, right?

For a change, it didn't work out that way. It was an OK day at work, and so far it's been an OK evening. Karen made some excellent salmon soup for supper and I probably ate too much of it, but it was sooooo good!

I'm really getting frustrated musically though. Ever since Jody told me about using my thumb instead of my palm for support on the neck with my left hand, I've been trying to do that. And trying, and trying, and it's damned hard, and I feel like I'm making no progress at all. And the things that I usta be able to play, I can't. But I shall persevere, I will.

On the keyboard side, though, I'm making a lot of progress. Like Jody told me Saturday night, there are only twelve notes. I'm really beginning to see the relationships of chords on the keyboard, and that must inevitably help me once I really learn to play the guitar.

For instance, I never really realized that in most songs, the melody follows the notes in the chord, they are actually part of the chord. And in the cases where they aren't, it's kinda cool, but grating. I never knew what caused the grating, heh.

And I do think that my singing is getting a bit stronger too, following the logic in the previous paragraph. Sing the notes that you're playing. Damn, that's pretty simple,heh?

However, my voice is pretty grating, but not because I'm singing the wrong notes, it's just naturally that way.

So, whilst I'm having fun with the keyboard, my guitar sit on its stand, mocking me.

The days are, naturally, getting longer now, it's no longer dark when I'm getting off work, and that's kinda nice. Except that the sun glares on my dirty windshield, and I keep forgetting to put windshield washer-cleaner in the reservoir.

But hey, the clutch continues to work!

Karen and I went to see the financial councillor the other day, and he suggested that we pay off the car. And then when we mentioned that we may have to buy another vehicle, he recommended that we get a loan now, because the rates were so cheap. Of course, the day will come, probably sooner than later, when I will have to replace the truck, but damn, I hate to pay off one loan just to replace it with another one, y'know?

But that's the way the world works, ain't it? Damn the world for being that way.

Actually, it's not the world, but time. Time is the great enemy.

Or friend... in time, BabyBush will no longer be our president.

Hmmm... maybe I should start going to bed later, then the bad nights would be shorter?

I'm getting discouraged with my weight-loss program lately, I seem to be holding at about 220 for the last coupla months. I needs more vigilance, I think. Yesterday I had a piece of pie with lunch. It was made with nutrisweet, but still, the carbs were probably really high. But damn! It was good!

Of course, I can blame part of that on the holidays, and at least I didn't gain anything.

Heh, kinda hopping all over the place tonight. Sorry, I suppose that I should aim for coherence here, but some days it's way outta my range.

O'yeah, yesterday (or the day before) was my brother Dan's (or Jon's) birthday... happy birthday, Dan! (Or Jon!)

The thing is, his *REAL* birthday is 13 Jan, but official records say 12 Jan. And his *REAL* name is Jon, but growing up we called him Dan (a diminuitive of his middle name). This isn't really confusing, 'cause the birthday bit only comes up once a year, though it seems more often, and he never seems to get offended no matter what we call him.

He's a good kid, he is. And we all love him.

OK, lights out here.