If it wasn't for red tape, a trained monkey could do my job. I figured that out today. Payroll and cost reports are the only tasks I do regularly that benefit the business. Everything else I do that matters is for the government. And ninety percent of payroll is government technicalities and procedures.

You have to make so many deductions, and keep track of them, and then send all that money on to some agency or other, and fill out forms every time you do it, and more forms at the end of the month, and still more forms at the end of each quarter, and then you have to bring it all together at the end of the year.

What a racket! And I'm so glad for it, because otherwise I'd have about three hours of work to do every week instead of forty or so. And I'd probably have to go door to door asking my neighbors if I could wash their windows for a dollar to buy those tubs of tapioca pudding.

So thank you, Washington and Sacramento. Let's hear no more talk of tax reform, or streamlining government, or reinventing anything, thank you very much.

The sun came out and lifted my spirits today, but it's not just that. The sun came out after a fierce overnight storm that flooded the driveway and strewed brown and yellow leaves all over my green garden, giving it a whole new character. The rain and wind woke me up and kept me awake in the middle of the night, but the sky by mid morning was a brilliant blue.

Did I say that one sunny day would be enough to bring me out of my funk? It's a good thing I live in a place where the sun comes out at least every three or four days, even in the winter. The sun was even shining when I walked out to the mailbox - in the rain - this afternoon, producing a perfect rainbow in the eastern sky.

Notes: Car running. New battery, fresh oil. It's a relief to know every time I turn the key, it'll start. I'm not quite there yet, confidence-wise.

Target. Couldn't find a space heater. Forgot to look for boots, sweats. Not mentally ready for Christmas shopping yet. But time will run out fast.

Post office. Two days' mail didn't amount to much. Glad I didn't worry about not being able to get there yesterday.

Raley's. Good: cut celery sticks. Bad: poor yogurt selection. Mostly okay, though. Friendly checkers. Still miss Safeway.

Home. Work. Payroll and cost reports. See above.

Such was my day. In brief.