My new MacBook Pro will be here today. Holy crap.

Show of hands! Does everybody love the Howdygram’s NEW LOOK? The biggest change — okay, the only change — is a new text color. I switched it from a neutral taupe to dusty blue, which is actually a lighter version of the color in our cowpoke mascot’s neck scarf. I continue to dick around with the Howdygram’s design features because: 1) I enjoy it; 2) it’s free; and 3) I don’t have anything else to do.

I also changed the color of the vertical rule between the main post and the sidebar area and the horizontal rule at the end of every post … they’re both a lighter version of the new text color.

I’m positive you’ll appreciate these tweaks and enjoy them for years to come with your family and friends. Thank you for your support.

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So here’s what’s going on at Howdygram headquarters this week!

A VISIT FROM MY OPTOMETRIST. Dr. Munson will be here on Thursday to check out both pair of my new glasses. They’re progressive trifocals, and the new prescription is perfect for distance and reading. So what’s the problem? I can’t focus on my computer screen, which is a middle-range distance of about 26 inches from my face. Dr. Munson said he’d stop by to “do an adjustment” but I’m pretty sure he’ll have to re-do the lenses altogether.

THE RESULTS OF MY LAB WORK. This morning I got a printout from my doctor via Baylor HouseCalls’ website, but I have no idea what the any of the numbers and abbreviations mean … so Nora (my doctor’s medical assistant) just called to explain the important parts. First, the bad news: 1) my white blood cell count is low; and 2) my vitamin D level is VERY low. I need to drink more fluids and take the high-power vitamin D prescription that the doctor faxed to my pharmacy a little while ago. And now the good news: 1) my uric acid level is normal this time, which means my gout is under control; 2) my kidney function has improved; and 3) my hemoglobin A1c is excellent. HOLY SHIT. I haven’t had an improvement in my kidney function for ten years, and my hemoglobin A1c number is absolutely outstanding. I wish I could do a cartwheel! (Actually, I just wish I could STAND UP.)

LOTS OF FREE CLIPART. You probably won’t give a crap, but I snagged a pile of wonderful new cartoons, illustrations and backgrounds (see below) from Vecteezy.com that I’ll be able to use for my greeting card designs. For the past several weeks I’ve been expanding The Howdygram Store with lots of new cards, mugs and tote bags. You should stop by soon and spend a little money!

MY MACBOOK PRO IS COMING TODAY. I’m so fucking excited I almost can’t stand it … but I hope I’ll be able to figure out how to set it up without sending Sam to the Apple Store! I bought the MacBook so I can sit in the family room after dinner and type Howdygram posts and don’t plan to load any of my Adobe Creative Cloud software (InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator). I’ll be using the MacBook primarily for Internet access with Safari and Blogspot’s composition software. Please stay tuned for additional developments, okay?

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It’s time for my nap, people. Don’t try to stop me.