In the picture, Mr F is holding a rake. In the car. That's his thing, sometimes. (3 Good Things From 4/6/10)

Last night, while swimming laps, I lost count about four times and so I don't know if I swam 55 or 57 or some random number of laps. Also, when I say "laps" I mean what swimnerds call "lengths."

Here's something easier to count: my 3 Good Things from yesterday:

1. I got a raise. I'm not going to say how much, but yesterday was my annual review and it went really well and I got a raise, and in celebration, last night, I had KFC's popcorn chicken (while the rest of the family had Burger King. Don't say we don't know how to celebrate in style.)

2. My computer was de-virused (again.) For the second time in two weeks, I got that stupid virus that keeps telling me that I had to activate a security program because my passwords were at risk of being posted on eBay or something -- an annoying virus that interfered with my working at a rate of about 3 popups per minute over the last week. Have you ever tried to write a brief discussing whether or not an incorrect legal description voids a sheriff's sale in foreclosure while also being told your computer is at risk?

It's harder than you'd think.

But yesterday Steve "The Computer Guy" came and de-virused my laptop, so I'm pop-up free today.

I also learned that I'm not supposed to call him "The Computer Guy." He'd popped his head into my office when I was on the phone, and then left. So when I finished up my phone call, I went looking for him, and each person I met I'd say "Have you seen Steve?" They'd all say "Who?" and I'd say "The Computer Guy," at which point they'd nod and point me in the right direction. But one coworker said that Steve hates being called The Computer Guy. So to his face, I called him Steve.

3. I was first, but you can be next. Go and follow "Abbie Turned Normal," a new blog by Abbie, a blog in which she's going to talk about her friends who are all (as far as I can tell) named "Allison" and are distinguished by the varying number of l's they use in their name. I've already followed her, and I was first (so take that, TS Hendrick!).

Abbie Turned Normal looks to be an entertaining blog-in-progress (which I'm hereby naming a blogress) and Abbie commented on The Best of Everything, so she's obviously smart and worth following, which I've done and you should, too.

111 Down, 10,634 to Go: If you're around my age, then the chances are that at one point or another you tied on rental roller-skates and skated around in an oval, your feathered hair flapping on your head, to this song: New York Groove, by Ace Frehley.



In my case, it was at Skateworld in Hartland, Wisconsin. They also had Space Invaders!