Further Enlightenment

I have written this blog for sometime, realizing that other than my two children no one else reads my writings. I was thinking about that today, on the one hand I do like recognition and I think it would be enjoyable to find others who enjoy my meandering thoughts. However, there is another side of me that says the purpose is also over time to provide some insight into my philosophies, my values and my ideas. After all, isn't that how we come to know people. So perhaps my children may gain insight into my motivations, my grand children may peruse my writing some day to understand their grandpa. In fact, it might help them understand some of the things that motivate them, after all I do make up 25% of their gene pool. So the fact that this is a relatively anonymous blog is OK with me. While I would enjoy a ticker tape parade down Broadway for the quality of my writing, it won't happen, and I'd probably be embarrassed by it all. The thought is nice though.

Is There Something in the Water?

Here we are, a time of year when families get together, goodwill abounds, and joy and happiness are wished profusely on all. Then some ex-spouse dons a Santa Claus outfit and shoots up his ex-in-law's Christmas party. Some guy beats two young boys to death with a baseball bat, and three teens are killed in Houston in a car crash. Even my beloved U.P. isn't left alone, a teenager died in a car accident Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas everyone. There are good stories out there, a K-9 Unit in Kentucky brought Christmas to a young boy whose Dad died of Cancer this season. A family about to be evicted was saved by a friend who blogged about their plight. So there are good events too. I guess what it really means is life goes on, all the evil, all the good. Evil does not take a holiday, neither does death. I wonder what that means to those who believe God has a plan. Yeah, right!

Out of the Ordinary

My wife flushed a red pen down our commode last weekend. That's not the story. During the process of clearing the blockage I broke the lid off the commode. Not the seat mind you, the lid. I cannot repair it. One of the plastic brackets that fasten the lid to the seat assembly broke and cannot be attached to the hinge. So, now we have an economic decision. Should I replace the entire seat assembly, or should we just go with what we have.

This has led to a debate on the merits of the lid. I don't sit on the lid. The seat is still functional. Yet when one approaches the commode it appears incomplete. So now I consider the value added a lid provides. Other than some aesthetic appeal the lid has no functional value. Perhaps hiding telltale tracks on the sides of the commode, otherwise known in this household as "skid marks" has value. Perhaps hiding an incomplete flush has value. But what the hell, all a lid would do is hide the problem, not get rid of it. Still when I approach the commode to make use of the facility it does look odd without a lid.

I've decided I have to be practical in this matter. The seat is still comfortable and the lid provides no economic value so for now the commode shall remain lidless.

Give Up and Give In vs. Get Up and Get On

It is now the third day since our dog Cilla passed away. For some reason this has seemed different as opposed to some of our other pets passing. There are moments of relief that she is gone. Cilla could be quite a pest. Go and get yourself some cheese to snack on and there she was staring at you waiting for her share of the cheese. Not that I begrudged her the cheese, but at times I was put off by the starring as though you were depriving her of life's sustenance. There were times when I was working on the computer that I did not want to hold her in my lap, it interfered with my ability to type. Many a time I typed one handed just to hold her in the crook of my left arm. So there are a few times that there is relief from her being gone.

Other times there are moments of profound sorrow and tears. She was after all just following her nature of wanting to be with us and dogs are always hungry. We took her constant asking for table scraps as a sign perhaps as a pup she had been deprived. We also know that when she was with our daughter and her husband that her shoe chewing banished her to the porch. She lived outside on the porch for several years not allowed in the house. Cilla was deathly afraid of thunderstorms so I can imagine what that was like when she could not find shelter or comfort. We did provide her with shelter and comfort and good food and medical attention. We gave her love, seldom was a lap denied her or a head scratch or belly rub. Many times I would get down on the floor and we'd play bite the pesky hand that grabbed your feet. She enjoyed that.

For some reason her death is a little more difficult for me. The last pet we lost, other than Rosie the Cockatiel, was five years ago. I was 58, and I had not had cancer and major surgery. So perhaps my outlook was a little different, perhaps not so sensitive to aging and the end of existence. Now I am amazed that she was here Friday, Saturday she was gone. I cannot see her, I cannot hold her, I cannot tell her I love her or play with her, or feed her her share of the cheese snack.

I don't feel guilty for feeling relief, we are encumbered with all kinds of thoughts that run counter to compassion and caring. In the end it isn't the thinking that means too much, it is the behavior. I rarely behaved badly toward Cilla, I was tolerant of her wants and tried to satisfy her needs. It is the fact that she is no longer here that plagues me. I miss her warm little body in the crook of my arm, or the warmth of her body stretched out along my leg in my recliner. I miss her quizzical look when I said her name, or her enthusiasm and excitement when we asked her if she wanted to go for a ride. She was here a couple of days ago, now she is gone. I miss her.

Yet the words come to me that in our lives these events will occur and some will be of greater impact than others. The loss of a loving dog is the loss of a family member. Yet those of us left behind have a choice. We can give up and give in to grief, sorrow or inaction, or we can get up and get on with the time we have left. When you think about it, there really is no choice. So I will get up and get on with life, and I will keep Cilla in my thoughts and honor her memory. For the rest of my days I will remember all of those who have been a significant part of my life be they pets or people. For now though I recall Captain, Mattie, Blondi, Rosie and now Cilla as those pets who provided me with another dimension of enjoyment.

Are We Just Stupid?

Detroit's economic affairs are being described in the media as kind of a ho hum affair. The automakers ask for financial help and then are ridiculed for flying to Washington in their private jets. The history of the automakers is not good, however they are not solely to blame for their predicament. Unions have hounded, badgered and out right held up the auto industry until the benefit package given to autoworkers is ridiculous in its scope. The American public takes no pity on the industry, and rightly so, that is the way of a market economy. Detroit fell into a trap after WWII when they allowed their quality to degrade to a point where they became easy prey to superior automobiles that appealed to the consumer's idea of spiffy.

Then a statement caught my eye in an article on CNN today. Here are the comments, I've cut them and pasted them as they appeared in the article. "If the GM board decided there was help on the way in early January, I'm sure they'd make an effort to preserve cash and get to that point," said Bob Schulz, Standard & Poor's senior auto credit analyst.Are we just goddamn stupid? What the hell kind of a statement is that from an S&P analyst nonetheless. I guess if GM feels there is no bailout they'll just spend their money and fall into the pit of financial doom waiting for us, the taxpayers, to bail them out.

First of all the guy making the statement, God, what can you say about him. I'd sure bet my money on his analysis. Secondly, everything the auto industry is doing right now is trying to blackmail Congress into a sweet deal. If they are hemorrhaging cash then they should stop the bleeding. How many cars produced this month are needed to be sold this month, probably zero. So, shut the operation down. There are contract provisions that extended supplemental pay to laid off employees, but at least stop the material consumption in making the product. You also won't litter the landscape with inventory that has marginal value. Yes, there are costs to shutting down. You typically don't save money, but you don't spend a bunch right now and at least live to fight another day when some rational thought can be put to what kind of bail out package might be best.

I still can't believe the statement made by Bob Schultz, what a fucking idiot.

Political Pay Back

Are we seeing what it cost Barack Obama to gain the Clinton support. Hillary was named Secretary of State, there is talk that Bill might be appointed to her term in the Senate, really? Now what did the election cost?

Turkeys Pay a Visit

November 30, 2008 Terry's father pays a visit for his daily fix of coffee. While sitting in the kitchen he suddenly startled us by yelling there is a flock of turkeys in the yard. Now I wasn't expecting the neighbors, so I thought something might be up. Sure enough a flock of 10 wild turkeys spent about a half an hour scouting our yard as a possible feasting site. I hope we passed.

Several years ago I saw a lone turkey just come into the yard and look around, then left. Last year two turkeys showed up and ate of the corn on the ground and looked around and left. I thought we were getting looked over. Now, a flock moved through. Our field provides roosting opportunity and heavy cover. Wouldn't that be something if they took up residence in our area.

See the attached video.