Thank Goodness!

Watching as even more houses in my town become empty while others remain empty is just getting sadder and sadder. I don’t know how many times a week I say to myself, thank goodness we didn’t get caught up in some of the slimy deals banks and mortgage companies were doing. Also, thank goodness we didn’t get into deep credit card debt. Not every decision we have made along the way was the right one, but these sure were.

We are managing to survive without a big screen TV, without granite countertops in our kitchen and without matching stainless steel appliances too. Whew, how did we do it when everyone knows these are all “must haves?

My Michael Jackson Story

I tried to make my first marriage last and I tried for almost ten years. I thought maybe he would realize he couldn’t handle alcohol. I thought maybe he would stop being so amazingly controlling. I thought maybe one day he would break away from his doting mother…at least as much as most people do. I thought one day he would stop criticizing the things about me that I had no control over. I thought one day he would see me as his equal. Yes, I know I should have known better, and those thoughts never came to pass. I told him I wanted a divorce.

I know he really did love me in his own sort of way, but there were many hurdles he couldn’t or refused to cross. When I brought up the subject of divorce at first he was stoic but weeks later he was hurt and it showed.

The last time I saw him was the day I took him to the airport as he left to pursue a job in the northeast. This has also played a part in the timing of our going our separate ways. I didn’t want to move back up there and continue life the way it was and had been for ten years.

As I was driving back home from the airport after telling him good-bye for a final time and remembering the tears welling in his eyes as I left him at the airport, the radio in the car was on and the song “She’s out of my Life” by Michael Jackson began to play. I began to cry so hard I could barely see. Many of the words of that song could have been written at that very moment by the man who I had just left at that airport and I knew it.

Two Good Things and One Day

Yesterday was the big electrical hell day that Pop had been dreading. The great news is the power only had to be off for two hours and the temperature in the house only rose five degrees. Talk about things that make a human smile.

It was also a kinda special day for Mr. Pop. This past Christmas he read “Team of Rivals” by Doris Kearns Goodman. He was so impressed with the book that he sent Ms Goodman a letter telling her how much he enjoyed her book. Yesterday he received a hand written note from her with an apology for not writing back sooner, seems she has been doing a lot of traveling. This made both Mr. Pop and Pop smile.

Little things and special things really do mean a lot to animals and humans alike.

Have a great weekend and remember to enjoy the little things

Sincerely,
Fred the Cat (the cat that loves you guys)

Note to the people of South Carolina

Once you folks get your hands on your (Where’s Waldo?) governor Sanford, you might want to think about putting some sort of tracking device on him so you don’t lose him again.

I realize “Argentina” and “Appalachia” both begin with an “A”, but most people don’t get them confused. Just thought I would mention that.

Oh, and from what we heard from him yesterday, you might want to neuter him also. That seems to calm dogs down and keep them close to home so it might work for governors too.

Just a quick follow up to yesterday’s post.

Regarding clothes and clotheslines. I got my first clothes dryer only ten years ago. Until then I always hung everything on the clothesline to dry. There were times when it was so nice to see the sheets and towels on the line and blowing in the breeze. Then there were the times when I raced Mother Nature to get the dry clothes off the line before the rain arrived.

When we moved to this house the area had changed and they had a restriction against hanging clothes on a clothesline. Code Enforcement people were hot on the trail of anyone trying to smuggle in a clothesline and clothespins. Okay, they wouldn’t shoot you or anything but you could be fined.

These past ten years have been a whole new world for me. I didn’t have to check the radar every five minutes if there were rain showers in the area. I didn’t have to haul heavy baskets of wet clothes out to the back yard. I didn’t have to cringe when the robins migrated through and consumed mass quantities of red Brazilian Pepper berries. It was, I must say, rather nice. And yes, there were times over those past ten years when I did feel like Miss Fancy Pants because I had caught up with the modern laundry world.

Oh and guess what? The electrician called last night and the parts he ordered didn’t come in, so now it will be Thursday or Friday before I experience my day in hell. It’s kind of like hearing from the governor that your execution will be delayed for a day or so. It feels good at the moment, but it doesn’t mean much.

It really is always something

Last Tuesday night we smelled a strange odor in the laundry room. It smelled like plastic melting and it also smelled like hot electricity. It seemed to be coming from our electric circuit breaker box. Both Mr. Pop and I are very respectful of electricity. We phoned an electrician and he came out the next day.

When he opened the box he found parts of it had gotten so hot they had melted other parts. Aren’t you impressed so far with my use of professional wordage regarding our problem? So bottom line, lots of things needed to be replaced and some would have to be ordered. The electrician gave me a choice, I could either be without AC for a week or be without my clothes dryer for a week. Since it’s in the 90s here every day now, I opted for door number two, can the dryer.

Okay, it’s been close to a week and since I have no clothes line outside, the dirty clothes are stacking up. I could wash them all and go to a public laundry to dry them, but god I hate doing that. Plus we aren’t running short of clothes, so far.

The electrician called yesterday and he’s hoping to get all the work done on Wednesday. The bad news is that all of our electric will be shut off for at least four hours. I know I sound like a spoiled child but damn, no tv, no computer, no AC, no electrical anything for four hours on a hot as hell day? It sounds like tinges of hell to me.

I know, as they say, It’s always something, but does it always have to be this kind of something?

Quick thoughts on Iran

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m getting pretty tired of the Republicans and even some Democrats mouthing off about what President Obama should do regarding the situation in Iran.

With our recent track record of sticking our noses into other countries’ business, I think the best thing we can do right now is be respectful of the Iranians and also try to get our own country back in some sort of reasonable shape.

Funny, seems to me those howling loudest for the President to take a firmer stand regarding Iran are the same ones who were so excited to invade Iraq. How did that work out for everyone?

Until our country can figure how to give every American good healthcare, maybe we should just keep our noses at home and keep them to the healthcare grindstone.

Typical Summer Afternoon at the Pop home

Weather radio warns of afternoon thunderstorms for our county.

Pop- Fred, come inside from the patio so you won’t get wet and frightened

Fred the Cat- Grrrr!

Pop- Come on Fred, come inside now

Fred the Cat- Grrrr!

Pop- Fred, either come in or I’m coming to get you

Fred the Cat (now under the patio table): Grrrr!

Pop- Okay big guy, you asked for it

Fred the Cat (still under the patio table)- Grrrr!

Pop- Okay you jerk, if you haven’t sense enough to look after yourself, I guess I’ll have to do it for you

Fred the Cat- Grrrr!

Pop (now also under the patio table on her hands and knees picking up Fred the Cat )- Fred, why must we go through this every day?

Fred the Cat (now being carried inside in Pop’s arms)- Purrrrr

Have a great weekend and stay out of thunderstorms!

Sincerely,
Fred the Cat (the cat who loves you guys!)

Fox Cable News Whines

After Fox Cable News has lifted it’s leg and dampened the President’s every move since January 4, 2009, they now whine because he won’t come on one of their shows or kiss their asses as they had become accustomed for the past eight years with the last administration.

Well tough stuff Fox, maybe the President thinks your cable news channel is as irrelevant as I do. To acknowledge you as an actual news channel would be an insult to the rest of us.

Could she please shut the hell up?

If I never hear another word by Sarah Palin or another word about her family, I will be a happy person. That woman represents everything bad ever said about women. Jeez, can’t she please just shut the hell up, tend to her work and family and leave the airwaves alone?

Too bad we can’t sue John McCain for ever shining the spotlight on her in the first place. The thoughts of McCain and that woman in the white house deprived a lot of us a lot of sleep before November 4, 2008. Could that be considered damages?

They aren’t stupid

Let’s say you are one of the innocent people who have been detained at Gitmo for the past five or six years as a “terrorist”. Let’s also say that you are one of the fortunate ones who will be brought to America to face trial. As a result your name and photo are plastered over every newspaper and television channel.

You have your trial and are found innocent of all charges. Now what do you do? Do you stay in this country where probably half the population still sees you as a “terrorist”? Do you stay in this country where every mental case seems to have a gun? I doubt you would want to spend even one minute on the streets of the US. I’m guessing you would want to get out of here just as quickly as possible and go to almost any other country but this one. I know if I were in that situation, I wouldn’t want to hang around here.

I doubt very seriously that anyone needs to concern themselves about a “terrorist” released from Gitmo spending anytime wondering the streets of their neighborhoods. These detainees are not stupid, but many Americans are.

A Frog Sitting on the Toilet

Saturday morning we were about to leave to go run some errands. Like everyone knows, the last thing you do before leaving the house is make a trip to the restroom. I was going about following this sage advice in the bathroom that adjoins our bedroom . I went in and closed the door, lifted the lid on the toilet and got one hell of a surprise. There sitting on the seat of the toilet was one large Cuban tree frog.

I stared at the frog and he stared right back at me. My first thought was that Mr. Pop had caught the frog outside and placed him on the toilet seat to get a rise (no pun intended) out of me. I opened the bathroom door and called to Mr. Pop. I said, “Did you do this?” Mr. Pop came into the bathroom and saw me looking into the toilet bowl. You can imagine what might have been going through his head until he saw the visiting frog.

Mr. Pop caught the frog while I held Martini. We didn’t need a frog hopping all over the place with a little dog going after him. The frog was released outside unharmed. We have no idea how he got in the house or on the seat of the toilet. We know he couldn’t have come through the window screen, as even small lizards can’t do that. Mr. Pop swears he had nothing to do with this frog caper. I do believe him but for the life of both of us, we just don’t have a clue how he got there.

Republican’s Plans

I, as a feline, understand more than you might think. I understand the Republicans say they have plans to solve the problems the country now faces. This is how I understand what the are saying:

The Republican Energy plan
Put hamsters on steroids and put them in larger wheels

The Republican Health plan
Don’t get sick

The Republican Global Warming plan
No, it’s not

The Republican Economic plan
Don’t spend money if you’re a Democrat

And finally the Republican plan to take back the white house
Just say, “No” to everything for the next four years, and hold your breath and stomp your feet.

Have a great weekend and what are your plans?

Sincerely,
Fred the Cat (the cat who loves you guys!)

Amp it Up or Tamp it Down

I’m not ready to say right wing talk show hosts and radio people are in any way responsible for the tragic shootings we have witnessed lately, but I do think they are in a perfect position to try to tamp it down. They know who their audiences are and now would be such a good time for them to calm their fears rather than amp them up.

This is a little follow up to yesterday’s post regarding Fred the Cat

The funny thing about Fred’s stays at the vet’s boarding facility is that he has never bitten or scratched anyone there. They say that he just hisses and growls when anyone comes anywhere near his quarters. No matter why the people who work there are in the same room with him, he raises holy cat hell.

Thing is, I have never seen Fred show any aggression, except toward me if I try to brush him. I doubt seriously he is even angry with the folks at the vet’s, I think he’s just screwing with them because he can. If cat’s can have fun, I think that is exactly what he’s doing. Kind of like a cat playing with a mouse except Fred has no intention of eating the vet techs after he finishes playing with them.

The Decision has been Made

After a couple of weeks of thinking and talking about , the Pops have made a decision. Martini will go on vacation with us next month.

We finally decided to do this little experiment and see what happens. We called Sunday and reserved a beach cabin where we usually stay in Sanibel because in the cabins you can have a small pet. This should be interesting because it will be the longest trip Martini has made in the car and for four nights, he will be in a house that is new to him.

There are positives and negatives to traveling with a pet. We sure do know that. But neither of us can fathom boarding him right now. He’s just really feeling at ease with his daily life here and to put him at the vet’s where he wouldn’t see us for that many days might bum the little guy out. Plus, not seeing him for that many days would definitely bum us out.

So from now until the end of next month I’ll be making lists and preparations for Martini’s incredible journey. The great thing about this made to order little twenty first century dog is that anytime we leave the house, we just point to his crate and he hops right in. We’ll take his crate, his bed and some toys and food. He should be good to go.

How does Fred the Cat feel about Martini getting to go on this fancy vacation? He would much rather make life a living hell for all the employees at the vet’s boarding facility. The last time we went to the vet’s to pick up food for Martini, they told us that one of the employees saw us getting out of our car and asked the girl at the desk plaintively, “Oh no, are they bringing Fred in for boarding?” She was actually frightened and they say she was very relieved when they told her we were not. She won’t be so lucky at the end of next month.

Who is this man and what did he do with Mr. Pop?

Over the past years anytime a stray animal showed up in our yard, I was the weak minded soft hearted person who gave the animal food and water. Each time I did this Mr. Pop warned me that I was setting myself up for problems and usually a heartbreak. For the most part he was proven correct.

Last week someone dropped off three little kittens who found their way to our backyard. I tried to steel myself and avoid looking at them or getting involved with them. I was doing pretty good too. Mr. Pop kept assuring me that he thought one of our neighbors was feeding the kittens and that they looked just fine to him. He was helping me fight my unspoken fight.

Saturday afternoon a man came into our house who looked exactly like Mr. Pop and he was carrying a bag of kitten food. Sunday morning the little feral kittens were playing around in the flowers in our backyard. This new Mr. Pop was watching them from the patio and I was inside our house. He came inside and told me he thought the kittens looked hungry. For a few minutes I didn’t do anything but then I took out an old Tupperware bowl and put about a cup or so of the kitten food in it. I passed this new Mr. Pop on the patio as I was going out to give the kittens their food. As I passed him I asked, “Thanks for the guilt trip, how much is it going to cost me?” He just smiled at me.

So now it appears Mr. Pop, the sensible, sane, reasonable man has been replaced by this new weak minded soft hearted man. I mean Mr. Pop has always had a giant heart when it comes to all animals but now this new Mr. Pop has become as squishy as I am. Yikes, we’re in trouble!

2009 Hurricane Season

Hi kits and kats! The Pops have one more reason this year to be nervous about hurricane season. Hurricane number six will be named, Hurricane Fred. Nuff said?

Have a great weekend and if you live in hurricane country, check your supplies

Sincerely,
Fred the Cat (the cat who loves you guys!)

The Rhythms of Life

Tuesday morning I saw a clip from Brian Williams interview with President Obama. During the conversation between Williams and the President, the President spoke of the rhythms of our lives. He totally had my attention with that. He said he missed the rhythms of say a Saturday morning when you get up, take your dog for a walk, run some errands, then maybe take your kids to a museum and later maybe surprise them with a trip to the ice cream shop. He said due to his responsibilities he can no longer do these sorts of things at will and he misses that rhythm of his life.

I love the precious rhythms of my own life and I truly feel for him having lost those. I have written how much I love Saturdays and the routine rhythms here in my home. Those have been enhanced and enriched lately with the addition of Martini. Many times I have wondered if others recognized and enjoyed these life rhythms the way I do. It’s nice to know that the President shares that value. It shows me that he values moments even the small priceless ones. I like that in a person.

Hey, did I miss it?

Maybe my memory is failing me but I don’t recall a message coming from Osama bin Laden since President Obama took office. Why all of a sudden is he so quiet? Could it be he only communicated with the bush administration? That would seem weird, wouldn’t it?

Update
Within just hours of my posting the above message I heard that Osama had released a new audio tape. What are the odds of that happening?

What about the other possible victims?

I posted a light hearted snark yesterday at this site because I wasn’t ready to really deal with my feelings regarding the murder of Dr. Tiller. I had to sort out the anger from the fear. My emotions were all over the place and I didn’t want to hit my keyboard half cocked.

Now I have had time to let the steam die down and try to express what that event meant to me. A good man is dead, his family grieves deeply for him and so many women have lost a friend and someone who could come to their aid when much of the country would turn their back on them. I think those women are to be grieved for also because without the professional attendance of this doctor, they too may lose their life. That is my fear.

Now I get it

Now I understand why the right wingers are so in favor of automatic weapons. They can’t repeatedly shoot themselves in the foot as fast with any other kind.