I suppose in some ways I've missed the purpose of having a blog.  Most people who have their own blog post something new on a daily basis.  But then, maybe, most people who have blogs are not over 40, with a family and a full-time job and... well, a LIFE outside the internet.

Profound topics don't present themselves every single day, but I guess I could just post for the sake of posting every once in a while.  Just sit and type about nothing in particular; use lots of slang and pop culture references to let you know I'm "hip".  But my problem is (one of my problems, anyway), is that nobody says "hip" anymore - it's the 21 century for goodness sake.

I was "cool" once, for about six months in the early 80's - or, at least, that's what my friends (all three of them) wrote in my year book: "Stay cool, dude."  So I must have been at one time, if I had any hope of staying that way.

But being cool cost more than it was worth.  And nowadays, I don't have time for all that.  I have way too many mundane things to do.

For instance, I took my clothes dryer apart this morning.  It's been rattling like crazy lately and I thought - or, rather, my wife thought - I might be able to fix it (no, she hasn't lost all hope for me yet).  She even found a website that sells parts for old machines like our Kenmore.  She was careful to add that the website specifically said their instructions were intended for repair professionals; a warning to armchair Mr. Fix-Its who might accidentally off themselves with 220 volts (220... 221, whatever it takes).

So, duly warned, I dove in to see what I could do.  Answer: nothing.  The part that the website suggested I might need to replace is somewhere behind a maze of wires and circuitry that I frankly have no business tampering with.  Score one for the appliance repair industry, who will shortly get an invite to fix my machine.

On the upside, I found 86 cents in the base of the machine (along with a winter glove; two ink pens; assorted buttons; and about 63 gum and candy wrappers).  And the dryer got a thorough cleaning, inside and out.  When the repairman gets here, he'll never believe the machine is more than 16 years old (it doesn't look a day over 12 now).

But the morning is half gone.  Nancy is out on an errand and probably thinks I'm being "productive", or at least getting ready for the day (I promised her lunch and a movie this afternoon).  But I haven't even showered yet.  My hands smell like a mixture of tool grease and Bounce sheets.

So, there you have it: a "true" blog entry.  I can't be poignant all the time, can I?

Later, dude.  (Stay cool).