I played hooky today, skipped school and went out to the desert instead. I decided to set out to Pepperwood Spring, as the seclusion sounded nice. I got a later start than I'd planned, and it took longer to get there than I anticipated, because the dirt road wasn't the best (though my Corolla handled it nicely, I thought). But I ended up doing the bulk of the hiking under the noon-day sun. And then I got lost. I couldn't find Pepperwood Spring, though I reassured myself at least I knew the way back to the car. But once I gave up and decided to head back, I found out I was wrong on that account, too. Ended up going around in a circle three times before I began to get concerned. Fortunately, I found some shade where I could rest, and I had enough water, so I wasn't too worried, but I'd still have felt like an idiot if they had to send search and rescue out for some idiot wandering the desert alone. Once I rested and thought it out, I realized that I had walked a fair amount of the way into the desert along the fence of the private parcel of land I was now adjacent to, and after following that a short ways south, I was back on track. I actually think now I realized where I made the wrong turn, and could get to the spring now. But the spring's probably pretty much dried up already, so no reason to drive all the way out there and try again. But I learned to better appreciate the perils of the desert, and to wear a hat next time. I enjoyed myself, though. There were some nice wildflowers in bloom, and some wildlife to observe, and whatnot.

I recently wrote that I put in an order for Fannie Mae. Well, right before that order came through, some yahoo on the federal reserve made some nasty comments about Fannie Mae's risks, and the stock tanked about 6%. So I was able to up my order and get a real bargain. Also, after seeing the rest of the market tank on Monday also, I reviewed the stocks I've been monitoring and bought some Hasbro. Its management has proven itself incompetent plenty of times, but it seems like a good price, and they have some Twister dance game that sounds like it wants to bring DDR into the homes of middle america.