I let my old pal Johnnie Walker walk over me again. Oh well. Then I was going through the garage and discovered another case of steamy beer that I forgot about. I love surprises.

The patio door was installed yesterday. The back yard is shaping up nicely. But I haven't poured buckets of sweat into it for about a year and a half. It's contractors now. At least it's all getting done.

Yet another furniture purveyor has moved into the old music store across the street. French provincial this time. They'll be competing with the also new Italian furniture store down the block. The more the merrier. At least I hope they do better than that tacky futura store which lasted all of two months. I've given up any desires to regain that building as a music store. The landlord doesn't have a very good reputation in these parts. Maybe if it changes ownership. But more likely, when and if I finally decide to move up to larger digs, I'll try for something I can layout like a modern music store. They call 'em formats. You've seen 'em. Drum room, acoustic room, keyboard room. But that costs a lot of money to set up. Not today.

But I do find it a pleasant change that my dwindling portfolio is worth more this month than it was last month. Haven't seen that happen for a few years now.

This free speech thing isn't all it's cracked up to be. OK, so you won't go to jail for burning an American flag. You might go to jail for burning a cross. But you will go to jail for barking at a police dog. Doesn't matter if he started it.