I finished my assignment today about four minutes before the new assignment came sailing in. But I have to sit on it like an egg and it will hatch in the morning. So I puttered around the internet. I really hate those prurient comments and come-ons that lead you into a thicket of ads. Better to follow your own quirks and fancies. Well!!

I found an item about blogs, the fifty most popular blogs on the planet, for the moment. And oh my, so popular! The mind boggles. Tens of thousands of followers, astronomical hits per day, so demanding that one poor little blogger (I didn't read the details about all of them) employed 10 to 14 people to keep her audience supplied - with information, titillation, recreation, whatever. I am so grateful to my loyal group of three.

It made me feel, of course, very humble, but also quite light-hearted, -footed, and -headed. I guess I won't worry if I miss a day or two, being busy with other things, because I am assured that blogging will survive, will assuredly go on without me.

Anon, anon.

You have heard of the most famous of the Official Rules. Everyone knows it as Parkinson's Law, about work expanding to fill the time available for its completion. A whole book was written about that. Closely related was the idea that people rise to the level of their incompetence. And I like the one that advises, "when all else fails, read the instructions". There are more, by all kinds of people and they have been gathered into two collections that are very precious to me.

I'm sure I've mentioned Paul Dickson before because I quote him a lot in my day-to-day life. He is a prolific American non-fiction writer and I own two of his books that I store on my quotations shelves: The Official Rules (1978) and The Official Explanations (1980). They go far to explaining a lot in this world we live in. The aphorisms, instructions, rules, laws and explanations are collected by Dickson; very few originate with him. For example, he cites Robert Benchley's definition of travel (two kinds, first-class and with children). You already know how I feel about Benchley.

My copies are not only well-worn, with loose pages, but they are also studded with post-it-notes highlighting favourite items. I didn't need such a colourful bookmark to find Rebecca's House Rules. "At Least One Fits Any Occasion." They are embedded in my memory but I had to look them up to get them in the right order.

1. Throw it on the bed.

2. Fry onions.

3.Call Jenny's mother.

4. No one's got the corner on suffering.

5.Run it under the cold tap.

6. Everything takes practice, except being born.

(Credited to the person who said it - Sharon Mathews, Arlington, Virginia.)

This has to be one of the most useful blogs I have written.