I was having a hard time thinking of what to write for today. Didn't do much except enter data, and curse software (in this case it wasn't Bill Gates and Microsoft... it was the person in our outfit , who shall remain unnamed, who set up one of our database reports).

You see, it didn't work. Nice, pretty headings and all, but no data.

Scoured and scoured the database. Data is there. Started digging through his report forms, what I can understand of them. Looks okay.

Not the way I would write them, probably, but still okay.

So why no numbers?

After hours and hours (and I mean that literally), I get an inspiration. How about if I replace all the blank entry fields with zeroes?

Worked just fine. Everything printed where it was supposed to be. 'Course that took another hour, since Bill Gate's fancy instructions for mass replacement of null values did not work, so several thousand blank entries had to be found and zeroed by hand.

But anyway, that is not worth writing about, so that's not the entry for today.

Neither is the fact that yesterday, while getting frustrated at the hyper heeler sisters while en route to the vet (not for them... needed to visit about CWD sampling), I took my frustrations out on the poor fly buzzing between the dash and windshield.

When it veered towards my face, I just snatched the thing out of the air. Between one finger and my palm. (While driving in town, I might add.)

Shades of Karate Kid. Although I didn't use chopsticks. Was so surprised I vented the thing out the window unharmed.

No, my entry today is about chicken.

As in, that is the entire gist of my guestbook entry number 420.

No identification, but it apparently came from someone at "stockwell-205-107.reshall.umich.edu". And they got there through Alternamommy's reading list.

"chicken"

I have no idea what it means.

My first thought was that it was from the wife (probably upset because the phone line is tied up on the internet) and that she was making a suggestion for dinner.

But no, she's not in Michigan.

And it's Friday the 13^th, which is a special day for us. We've already made dinner plans. Chinese.

So, what does "chicken" mean?

Now, this is probably a student. And not a regular reader, at least not on Dland. Perhaps they are just trying to identify the bird pictured on the left, there.

Pretty good guess, for a college kid. But it's not a chicken, even though many uneducated people (and some educated ones) call them sage chickens.

It's a grouse.

So the next thought is that this is some sort of cowardly insult. Okay, may be. I'll admit I have been quite lucky. Others write of receiving harassing emails and notes, and I have never had one. So I guess I'm past due. But if it's an insult, I'm too dumb to get it.

Sorry.

Of course, a person could flatter himself and assume it's some sort of cryptic flirtation. Some cute hen out there trying to get the center cock's attention. I'd strut in response, but it's way past season for me. What's the point?

Now I know anonymous posters are like pigeons. One is kind of cute by itself, but if you feed it a response, a whole flock will come down and crap on you. But I couldn't resist.

I really had nothing else to say today.