While I was putting together the archives a couple of weeks ago, going through them and cleaning things up and being sure images were showing up, etc., I realized that I had put this design up a year ago--November 2000.

When I did it, I remember purposely making something very simple and spare, hoping that that would let me keep it for awhile without wanting to redesign every other month--it seems the more complicated a design I come up with, the sooner I tire of it.

It worked, apparently. But, a year! That really surprised me. I was searching through some old emails for something tonight, and ran across a message from a friend saying how much they liked my new (at that time) design, and I checked the date, and they were talking about the "cherries" design that I had before this one. I liked that one, too. I've liked them all. I don't know what other people have liked, really, although--what's that phrase?--"of respondents who expressed a preference"--most liked what Bob calls "The Fat Lady."

The one with the image of the Sleeping Goddess of Malta expressed as a rubberstamp by Kate Cartwright. I liked her, too, but right around that time was when I started to get really interested and involved in web design, and I wanted to try some new things.

Right now what I'm thinking is that I'll keep the current design through the end of the year, and maybe do a redesign for 2002. Start the new year fresh. I did make a really cool special design for Florida Vacation Week, so while I had originally been thinking about not taking the laptop with me at all, I guess I'll have to now, so I can use my extremely cool design.

Bob was off today; he had a dentist appointment in the morning, then he met his dad for lunch at the casino, which is very close to my office. He came by afterwards to say hello and to give me $100--he had won at video poker, and he always gives me half (or more). He said the only reason he came down, though, was to see Diehard, but unfortunately Diehard wasn't there today, since Dave worked from home. I guess he'll have to make another trip, and call first.

He told me to call him when I got ready to leave, and he'd call and order Chinese food for dinner, then go pick it up and have it ready when I got home. I called him, and asked him to get me shrimp and brocolli, and he was gone when I got home, so I knew he must be out picking it up.

I guess I had probably been home about ten minutes when I heard his car drive up; I was still walking around turning on lights, lighting candles, booting up the computer.

I saw him coming up the sidewalk, and heard him talking to someone, then I saw him put his packages down on the sidewalk and bend down. I wasn't really watching him, just sort of idly glancing out the window, but it looked like was talking to a cat.

Then he unlocked the door and came in, and he had Pyewacket in his arms.

The best we can figure, she had slipped out when he went out to take down the flag after he got home, and had been outside about an hour without him noticing she was gone. At least she didn't wander very far away or if she did wander, at least she knows where she lives.

He said he thought at first it was the neighbors' cat, but when he spoke to her, she trotted right up to him with her tail in the air. I think she was pretty glad to see him.

I remember a year or so ago when I came home from work and drove into the driveway to find her standing in the middle of the garage, eyes wide. She had apparently slipped out then, too, and he hadn't noticed. Fortunately, I saw her before I ran over her. She's adventurous and friendly to a fault--I've always said she'd go home with the pizza delivery guys if they'd take her.

Whenever the doorbell rings, she runs to meet whoever's on the other side, while Dinah generally runs the other way. Which I much prefer in a cat.

We had one large group of kids last night--about ten or a dozen--all polite, including one little princess who brought up the local newspaper that we hadn't brought in. There was one older child (judging by height) that seemed to be indicating the I hadn't given him enough candy, but I think he might just have not been able to see out of his Scream costume. Whatever the reason he kept standing there after I'd dropped a candy bar in his bag, I just let him stand.

Then a half hour or so later, there was one little girl in a cat costume, along with her mother (I told her, "Don't step on your tail!" as they walked away), and that was it.

We didn't buy an enormous amount of candy, since we usually don't get very many kids, but I guess a couple of people in the office went way overboard, and are planning to bring it in to work. We're going to be eating candy for a l-o-o-o-o-n-g time.