Now that my taxes are all filed and I’ve given the government my pound of flesh (Hey! No fat jokes…), I’m back in the saddle (or basket, if you will – see my profile picture). And fair warning to the IRS – if you even think about auditing me, I’ll give a whole new meaning to the term “ankle biter”. I’ve got wicked kitty ninja skills.

First and foremost, I’d like to offer a moment of silence on behalf of “Meow”, my 39 pound brother in fur that passed away over the weekend at the young age of 2.

Obviously, Meow had some serious eating skills, which I’m sure contributed to his demise. As the only cat I ever saw that truly made me feel skinny, he will be missed (although at that size, not much could miss him).

Spring! With it comes glorious, sunshine soaked window sills. Just thinking about it makes my stress meter drop a few points. However, I’ve noticed that, while lying in the sun and soaking up the heat is a stress-reliever for me, the heat tends to make most of those around me irritable. Why? Who cares. But I digress.

Ironically, for those without a fur coat, heat tends to cause discomfort, which, in turn, causes irritability. For those who would like to stay comfortable (and less irritated), there’s air conditioning (I’m not a big fan – no pun intended). A properly sized and installed air conditioning system will remove that unwanted heat from your home or business and deposit it outside. Too bad air conditioners don’t work on in-laws.

Now, to the point (occasionally these things do have one). If you have air conditioning, now is a great time to have it tuned up in preparation for the season. If you don’t have it, it’s not too late. Depending on the configuration of your home or business and your existing heating system, there are a variety of options to choose from.

“Who can help me with service and installation?” you ask? I know just the people – Day Heating.  You can find them the same way I do – follow the kitty treats. If that doesn’t work, try (503) 363-4822 in Salem or (541) 452-5111 in Corvallis and Albany. Now move along – you’re blocking my sunshine.

I think it's definitely time to share some more feline wisdom. If I go too long, you may go into withdrawal, and we wouldn't want that to happen!

As I was taking a bath the other day (I guess I'm kind of like Timex - I take a "licking" and keep on ticking), I was considering my busy schedule for the day (no laughing, I'm a cat with plans). While I was pondering my planned events, I realized how busy life can be and how easy it is to overlook or forget those things that don't scream for attention - like your heating and cooling system. That silent soldier that guards the comfort level of your home needs occasional attention. Adjustments, cleaning, filter changes and replacement of failing components all keep your system operating at peak efficiency and reliability. You change the oil in your car, go to the dentist and do a myriad of other things that maintain and bolster various aspects of yourself and your possessions - don't forget to do the same for the system that keeps you warm all winter and cool all summer.

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Last time my excuse was holiday over-eating. This time I'm going with "I couldn't get to the computer because of the flooding". That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. But now that we're dry(er), I'm out of excuses (well, I do have "The dog ate my keyboard", but I was saving that one for when I really needed it), I'm here to discourse on hot water. Not the "I forgot our anniversary" kind, but the "that hot shower was really relaxing" kind. If you need help on the first one, call a marriage counselor. If you need help on the second one, call Day Heating.

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Just a quick reminder that many incentives change or are eliminated at the end of the year. If you are waiting on having a project installed, make sure you check and see if there are changes in the incentives. Federal geothermal tax credits are not supposed to be changing until after next year, but with Congress trying to bring things into balance, I wouldn't count on anything being immune to change. State and utility programs are also subject to funding limitations. It's always good to double-check.

I gotta say that Christmas was worse on my expanding fur pelt than Thanksgiving was, but it was a good time for the family to get together and pay attention to me.

During the holiday I heard a lot of stories told - some of them quite nostalgic. I thought I would share a few of them with you (keep in mind these are not mine - I was born around June of 2008).

Remember when:

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