About a week ago my March Analog arrived. Yesterday the January/February double issue arrived. And today's mail had the April issue. What gives? Just another manifestation of post-K postal service. At least I'm getting my periodicals, unlike many people in the 701xx zip code areas (New Orleans), many of whom have had more than one address in the last five months and are lucky to get first class mail.

So, I now have three issues of Analog waiting to be read. I usually start with the editorial, then the short stories, and then, if I have time, the longer ones. I usually also read Probability Zero and the letters to the editor.

The thing is, I also have those books I bought the other day, although I went on a reading binge yesterday and read the entire Sue Grafton book. It went out in the mail today to a Calif. friend. The other book I bought was the latest J. D. Robb, and I polished that one off today. Tomorrow I shall mail it off to the Michigan friend who first called my attention to the Robb books. And then I will get back to reading Assembling California. And the Analogs.

It's not there there isn't plenty of other work to be done, but I've got about a month more before I can really get down and sit on the floor for cleaing out lower shelves of bookcases. Or for spot cleaning carpet. Or a lot of other things.

And since I am not getting backed up on grading this spring it might be nice to actually get my income tax in by April 15.

Bad Cat has got a sort-of routine down. In the morning when I go out to get the paper she shoots out the door. I know she's going to do that, but I make a feeble attempt to stop her, knowing that she's too fast for me. She'll wander around, sometimes appearing, until either I go out for the afternoon or it's dinner time. Then she comes back in. She has compromised on the in-out stuff, and as long as she has her morning wander she'll stay in the rest of the afternoon and evening. There is no problem with the dogs--they know she belongs here, and she knows they belong here. And they tolerate her taking an occasional nibble from their dry food. Neither of the other cats shows any interest in going out.

The mother of one of my long-ago swimming students checked me out at WalMart today. Her son is in the Marines now and will be heading back to Iraq in a month or so. She said he was so glad he'd taken the swim lessons because he was a bit ahead when the Marines all had to learn. As I recall, he was one of my less-enthusiastic students, but I guess he absorbed the basics and put them to work at his own pace.

I don't think I'll be quite as caught up in Assembling California as I've been in the mind candy books, so maybe I can get more grass seed out tomorrow.

I wonder when the next issue of Analog will come.