I've come to dread those days when Mike has an appointment. He usually wakes up earlier and more anxious about everything. Yesterday he had one at 8 am, today it was 9 am. He worries that I'm oversleeping, that I won't help him get ready, the dogs will run off and not return, etc., etc.

I've tried to reassure him, but that usually makes him angry. Today I threatened to beat him with his own cane if he didn't shut up and calm down. He was ready to go an hour before he needed to leave, so he finally relaxed. "Thank you for ..." he started. "Not beating you up?" I concluded. "Yeah," he laughed, "for not beating me up." We both laughed.

When Jerry Lee Lewis started with "Whole lotta shakin' goin' on," (on Imus), I started dancing, and we laughed some more. If anything ever happens to my sense of humor, or his, we're sunk. I don't think I could physically abuse the poor man, but thinking about it sometimes gives me great delight. Then my conscience kicks in, and I feel really ashamed, but not for long.

Mother Nature surprised us with rain yesterday, and enough thunder and lightning to make Jay-Jay tremble for about an hour. The weatherman described it as a "summer shower in October." Not unusual in Mississippi.

I said I wasn't going to watch as much tv news this week, but it's been too captivating to turn off. I love it when the lid is blown off scandalous cover-ups, especially if it's Republicans' cover-ups. This latest story about Foley and the pages just really creeps me out. Seems there should have been red flags all over that playing field.

And how did the 9/11 Commission miss the smoking gun in Condi Rice's hand? To think she gave George Tenet and Cofer Black the brush off when they tried to warn her 2 months before the attack is, like she said, "Incomprehensible!" But they went back and found the testimony that was given in a private session under oath. Why was it not in the summary? I've said all along that Bush's secretive administration will be leaking like a sieve by the end of his term. I just didn't expect the timing to be so fortuitous.

I probably shouldn't feel too cocky about all this, since the Democrats probably have as many skeletons in their closets as the Republicans. October surprises may not be over.