Now that the primary is over, I would like to address the rumor making the rounds that I was recruiting Democrats to run against incumbent Democrats in the primary. I'm sure this was fueled by my wife's run at the incumbent county clerk.

I'm a little bit giddy. The Democratic National Convention is a little more than four weeks away and I can't wait! I will celebrate my 40th anniversary of being glued to the television watching speeches; some good, some not, and every once in awhile a masterful oration.

Since I don't like the speeches interrupted by idle chit chat, I usually watch alone. This is serious stuff going on. I do get a visitor from time-to-time, but they know talking is for breaks between speakers only; or they soon learn. No wonder my circle of friends is not very big around.

During the '96 convention, then State House candidate Eber Phelps was watching the convention with me. It was later in the evening for the headliners. I noticed he kept staring at the VCR. Finally, he looked over at me and asked, "Are you taping this?"

I replied that I did tape the conventions from the afternoon through the evening sessions. I explained that if there was a really, really good speech, I could watch it again. I then would watch the taped afternoon sessions which feature the non-headliners; and try to predict who would be the next Bill Clinton.

He looked at me and exclaimed, "I'm proud that you are my chair!"

I meant to apologize to the citizens of my town two weeks ago, but inadvertently omitted it from my blog. So, please accept my belated apology for planting my backyard with buffalo grass.

After my rant on dog walkers sans poop picker-uppers, I figured there would be some fallout (so to speak). And the readers did not disappoint.

The first communication came in the form a phone call from brother Mark in Texas. He reported, "The dog gods must know I'm your brother! I went out to the mail box this morning and was greeted by a large fresh present."

One of my neighbors across the ditch let me know he would now walk his dog back and forth in front of my house until, well, you know. More than one reader warned me I would most likely have a lot more of the stuff in my yard from now on.

As I turned onto Fort Street from 27th Street and settled into my single-file lane, a sign in the vacant lot caught my eye. But this wasn't a stop sign at the end of a one-block street leading to a dead-end, nor a no U-turn sign on a one-way street, this was a sign I enthusiastically can support. So much so, that I called Mayor Barb Wasinger and e-mailed City Manager Toby Dougherty and thanked them.