Ever Seen a Beagle in a Raincoat?

McKenzie procured a yellow slicker for Levi from Target today. He just now made his first appearance in his rain gear. Yes, the rain came back, but hopefully the weather will return to 70 and sunny by the time my parents and Mackenzie come to visit in early March.

Taxachusetts? More like "Californ-ya gonna get taxed"

I just completed my 2007 tax returns - love Turbo Tax. While Massachusetts may have a liberal, "Taxachusetts" reputation, I never once owed income taxes there, including the 2007 return I just finished. I am also getting a refund on my 2007 federal return. But California, where I resided for merely 114 days last year? I owe the Governator $194.

The other kicker: in Massachusetts there is no tax on clothing and a 5% tax on everything else. California? 8.5% on everything.

Thoughts on the Super Bowl

For everyone mourning the Patriots' loss as I am, let me just say it is infinitely worse when you are not surrounded by fellow fans. I walked into work on Monday and the Production workers pointed at me and laughed. And I never talked trash or was an arrogant fan the whole season long! I can't tell you how many Californians, most of whom could care less about the Giants, told me how ecstatic they were that the Giants won. How they think the Patriots are a bunch of jerks. It was a dark day.

Even though the Pats have only been good for a few years now - after decades of being the "Pay-toilets" - there seems to be a true hatred of them. So what changed from 2002 to 2008? To me they are still the same team, with most of the same players, with the same team-centric attitude. Tom Brady may be a little prettier, Rodney Harrison talks smack, and Randy Moss has a horrible personal life, but what could merit such vehement hatred?

Bottom line: if the Pats make it to the Super Bowl next year - which I think they now have ample motivation to achieve - I may need to fly home for the game to be in the land of my people.

My therapy in the interim? I bought tickets to the Oakland A's opening game against the Red Sox and tickets to the A's-Red Sox Memorial Day weekend game. Hope springs eternal!

Versa

I finally took a picture of my car with its California license plates (which arrived in a speedy 4 months from the DMV...). It took me awhile to get used to Versa after nearly 5 years with Focus. Versa may look small, as so many people comment, yet it is quite roomy inside, with more head room than most cars. I don't think Versa is as hardy as Focus - no snow tires, has yet to experience temperatures below freezing - but we're getting along quite nicely.

"Rainy Season"

During the month of January I kept hearing Californians reference that we were in "rainy season." I figured we were entering a period of three months of Seattle-esque weather, with non-stop gloomy, wet days. Au contraire. While there was indeed much more rain than I had experienced in the fall, there were still some days of sun each week and some days were merely gray. And this only lasted about three weeks, much shorter than the New England definition of "season." I don't know whether we are officially done with "rainy season," but it has been about 60 degrees and sunny the past few days and the extended forecast looks to be the same. No complaints from me!