My friend D and I were walking down the sidewalk back to work after lunch. She is walking while reading the newspaper. She turns the page without missing a step and asks me: "What's your sign?" "Scorpio", I reply. "You know what is in store for you? Love, passion, power, many triumphs..You don't believe me?. well you will see. Stop reminding that person their own past sins and mistakes. Remember you also have your history, you aren't precisely a saint. Today's opportunity: Planning ahead." D turned to look at me after reading this and almost had to sit down on the street laughing. I have to take her word for it: apparently I had turned a bright, bright shade of red. Really funny, laughing at MY expense.

Need to be absent from work: make arrangements for a trip (I never thought my life would be a Tony Bennet song), go to the bank and sign the house loan, meet with the realtor and give her the down payment. I have $6,000 in the bank and suddenly everyone wants them, the realtor, the bank, the trip, my favorite authors, assorted friends in need of financial rescue. ARRRGGGHH!