My almost-21-year-old housepainter and I did a little birthday shopping and had dinner at the new fish place in the mall, Bonefish. Tasty crab cakes and coconut shrimp, mediocre salad but nice service and pleasant atmosphere. Not too noisy…my main concern…whatever the food is like. She leaves for college in Lubbock in a few days. But she has promised me never never never to become a Republican no matter how long she’s over there.

The perfect house painter, doesn’t drink, smoke or cuss. At least around her grandmother. She’s studying interior design and architecture so this is project #1. Guess I should have dusted the back porch lamp before taking this photo. Don’t look, okay.