Old Girl's Birthday

Today was Missy's birthday. She turned 15 years old. With my record, she has 1 - 3 years to go. Anymore than that would be a record. This year she got terribly thin. She spends most of her time outside where it is hot enough to keep her warm. I try to feed her treats and good food...especially old kitty food. She has gotten very sweet...which is highly unusual. She hasn't tried to slash Kim in quite a while, so he has been very sweet to her.
Missy has always been my "chemo kitty". I got her nearly a year before I had to do chemo and lost my hair. She took up the large job of keeping me warm by sleeping on my pillow around my bare head. She never gave up that job except in the summer lately. She is still the queen of the house and I love her dearly.
CubeDog: MA_WAHHH!

the world is a sadder place

Goodbye, George

Thanks for the laughs.

The Brave Ones

Before this month gets away, I want to give props to a branch of our military that is reviled by some, ignored by many, and hailed by few, but without whom we would be in serious dooky: THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD!
SALUTE!
The brave men and women do a tough job that unfortunately only those on the seas get to fully appreciate. They deal with everything from smugglers to errant sealife to stupid fishermen. They are our coastal defense against terrorism and first responders to ocean tragedies and often hurricanes.
They just don't get enough respect.
I wanted to put this out on the net, because, well just because.
From the 1st of June to the middle of the month (2 weeks-approx,)the Coasties have saved 17 people down here. They only lost one...and that one wasn't their fault. He was gone before they got there.
The most spectacular rescue was at night, with no light, in the middle of the open water, they found 5 survivors of a wrecked sailboat. Thank God one of the victims thought to grab a flashlight-that's what saved them. Kudos to the Coasties for not giving up-even in the face of such odds.
Also kudos to the Coastie they interviewed after the rescue of 7 people on a small fishing boat. They went too far out for the size of boat and engine and had to be rescued after they had tied off to a rig after getting swamped. The Coastie stopped himself short of saying, "That's the stupidist thing I've ever seen." Because, of course, it probably ISN'T the stupidist, but it was close.
My heartfelt admiration goes out today to the professionals of the U.S.Coast Guard. They bravely face machine-guns, storms, rough seas, roughnecks, stupid boaters, and the disrespect of the other 3 branches of the military.
SALUTE!

The first hook

What can I say-its beautiful and everyone who has touched it has fallen in love.

BigDog did good, very good.

Otter: Oh yeah! BD did REAL well. I will certainly have a bag of bones waiting for you next month! Hey, like the background also.

Cubedog: Thanks thats the Bargello Heart Afghan I'm working on. I took it to Knit night and got lots of" what the heck technique is that!" Made me feel oh so clever.

And Now a Message from the Office of Tourism

I would just like to know where its written that people cannot be honest about the place that they live? What cosmic law states that everyone MUST be an "ambassador" for their town?
Why is it verboten to discuss this city honestly, warts and all?
This is the 5th largest city is the US. We have the 3rd largest port in the nation. There are loads of opportunities. The economy of this area is 'boss'. The shopping, as you know, is phenomenal and I think even that might be an understatement.
There is TONS of stuff to do; beach, rainforest, aquarium, water parks, IMAX, historic battlegrounds, funerary museum, NASA, indoor rock climbing, ballooning, hang gliding, hockey, curling (yep), and now Quidditch. We have world class concerts; rock, classical, alternative.
We get international traveling museum shows. Heck, where else can you stumble onto a performance of Polynesian dancers in a gas station parking lot when on you way to Lowes?
Our avante-garde ninja knitters "Knitta Please" even made it to the May issue of the UK mag KNITTING. I mean, how cool is that?
Now for a reality check.
First there's the gangs. All kinds of gangs. And with the gangs comes the drive-by shootings, drive-up executions(even in fast-food drive-thrus), running gun battles on the hiways, flesh peddling(even minors/sex slaves), drug running, gun running, terrorist training.
We have 'Coyote' "holding houses" where the human smugglers hold their cargo as prisoners for more money.
We have home invasions where the invaders are wearing body armor.
We have cop killers and killer cops.
We have city employees embezzling from the public budget and corporations embezzling from their employees. And ISDs competing on who can build the most ostentatious 'sports complexes' with public money.
Our house appraisals are out of control which means the school taxes are astronomical. And the city council pats themselves on the back for a "1/2 cent tax cut".
On top of that, the city has pulled an interesting coup. Most of the county falls under the city ETJ(extraterritorial jurisdiction). This means that any decision the council and mayor make, effects all those areas, but the mayor and council are only elected by those living INSIDE the city limits...not the ETJ. This amounts to taxation without representation.
Hello? Does anyone remember 1776?
ur public transit is a joke and a mayor that thinks he's solved the public transit problem. We have a central business district that the busses serve and business districts all over town that the city ignores.
So why can't people just be up front about the reality of living large? Why is it necessary to bury their heads in the sand? Are these the same people that believe America has no enemies or that we should just talk to our enemies and they will stop hating us?
I can understand denial as a coping mechanism-used it myself plenty. But people! Denial about the reality of this city can get you killed! Funny thing is...I bet not one of these deniers leaves their house or car unlocked.
And if this is Disneyworld with traffic, why are 'gated communities' so popular?
I'm so befuddled..I'm going to go take a nap now.

just wait for it

I plan on off-gassing here is the near future...like tomorrow or later tonight. I badly need to formulate my thoughts before I turn this into an R rated blog.....cuz I got some stuff to get off ...my ...chest.

And it begins

Meet me at the seawall and lets torment some seagulls. Oh how I want to be right there today with the clouds and choppy seas, and cool winds........

We had a couple of 100 degree days last month. But it would cool back down to normal. Of course, it doesn't really matter much since it has only rain a hair over 2 inches in over 5 months.

But today they promise at least 100 degrees and are hinting it may be hotter than that through the week. I hate living in the south in summer.

On the bright side.....I am all alone out here. Hubs and his dad left this morning. Dad is going to stay with hubs this week. He has his sister and her family up there. So hubs didn't take the Harley. He just knows that since he didn't take her, work will slow down next week after his dad leaves and he will regret not having the bike to amuse himself with.

But for me....it's so wonderfully quiet out here. That is, except for the rig going up across the road. I know one is going in on my road, and it sure sounds like it is across the road south of me. I hope if it is, they make lots of noise.....that would be justice for the snippy remarks from the neighbor south of me after I asked her about the heavy construction equipment out my bedroom window.

Oh, and let's hold a minute of silence for Gretchen. She crossed the Rainbow Bridge this morning after 15 years on earth. I am sure she was gladly met by Dad and Buddy.

CubeDog: Yeah, guess what OUR heat index is forecast for today...100-106! I told BigDog to either get to the yard early or not at all. I don't want him dying at home. Can't afford it. He can just go die at work...but then, they have those lovely ocean breezes at work...

Roc'pera Monday

WOOHOO!
I’ve got my first swap partner. I’m so excited. She’s in Spain. I guess I’d better get off my duff and get her package together since overseas shipping time sux.
BTW- Do you have ANY idea how much of a difference summer school vacation makes in the commute time here? It’s like this town is deserted. I cannot fathom what all those people are doing in the school system, but apparently there is a glut in the bureaucracy of our local ISDs. Grrrr
I’m having a “Monty Python” moment at work. Actually, it’s a Monty Python morning. Let me expound:
“Life's a piece of shit

When you look at it

Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true.

You'll see it's all a show

Keep 'em laughing as you go

Just remember that the last laugh is on you.
And always look on the bright side of life...

Always look on the right side of life...
Apologies to Eric Idle. It just fits so damned well.
Guess I’m just a little down this morning.
Over the weekend, I convinced BigDog to try his hand at carving bone crochet hooks. He was all excited about bone arrowheads, then I explained that he could actually make money with the hooks…out the door he went. We’ll see what come of it.
So if you have any deer bones lying around out there…send ‘em on.