RANDOM: Thoughts from this morning's dog walk, not related to dogs or walking:

I remembered when I officially lost all interest in school -- eighth grade science class, the segment on carbon chains. Sure, they came close to losing me the year before in English class, all that sentence diagramming. But it was carbon chains that really drove me to the dark side.

I think it would be fun to start posting critiques of our local graffiti artists. Like this guy from this morning, Sir Majesty. I mean, first of all, the name is so cheesy and lame. So I would say, like, hey, Sir Majesty, that has got to be the most gay-sounding street name I've ever seen! Oh, and you can't spray-paint at all! It looks like a fourth-grader wrote your name! C'mon, man, if you're gonna deface the side of a building, at least go all out. Call yourself like "El Grande" and use a stencil.

I'm talking to my next-door neighbor about the notion of "finding your calling." For me, I said, reading and writing were always my greatest pleasures, so I guess that's how I became a writer. For him, he says, he always thought taking a shit was life's greatest pleasure. And, I shit you not, the man is a gastroenterologist. Talk about following your bliss...