Kitty is gone but never forgotten

My fourteen year old cat, Galron died two weeks ago. It was very hard to write about it then. He'd been sick, true, but he died in front of our eyes. My daughter kept watch as he lay dying, laying as comfortably as possible on an old pillow. He couldn't move and nothing could be done. Being a Sunday, the vet's are closed except for the emergency clinic and that wasn't close by. As it was, in less than 30 minutes he was dead. He's buried in a special spot in the back yard. We put him in a box, wrapped in a favorite ratty blanket of his.

I don't really want another cat. Too hard to loose pets. I still have a semi-aquatic turtle, fish, a dog and my favorite of them all, my amazon parrot, Opus. He's 23 years old!

Photo of the dog, "boo boo" (Mr. Magoo is his formal name, but we never use it.)

Religious double standard

Palin says 17-year-old daughter is pregnant

By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer
ST. PAUL, Minn. - John McCain's running mate Sarah Palin said Monday that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter is five months pregnant, an announcement campaign aides said was aimed at rebutting Internet rumors that Palin's youngest son, born in April, was actually her daughter's.

A statement released by the campaign said that Bristol Palin will keep her baby
and marry the child's father. Bristol Palin's baby is due in late
December.
"Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as
parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We're
proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and even prouder to become
grandparents," Sarah and Todd Palin said in the brief statement.
The
disclosure of the pregnancy came on the opening day of the Republican National
Convention, scaled back because of Hurricane Gustav, and three days after McCain
named Palin as his running mate. Other news was likely to overshadow the
disclosure.

A likely story.
contiunued...

"Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family," they added. The father was identified in the statement as Levi, but the campaign said it was not disclosing his last name or age.
Sarah Palin's fifth child, a son named Trig, was born in April with Down syndrome. Internet bloggers have been suggesting that the child was actually born to Bristol Palin but that her mother, the 44-year-old Alaska governor, claimed to be the mother.

Palin spokesman Bill McAllister emphatically denied those rumors, and McCain adviser Mark Salter said the campaign announced the daughter's pregnancy to rebut them.
"Senator McCain's view is this is a private family matter. As parents, (the Palins) love their daughter unconditionally and are going to support their daughter," said McCain spokesman Steve Schmidt.
"Life happens," he said.
"An American family," added Salter.
The advisers said Palin told them about the pregnancy during lengthy discussions about her background. At several points during the discussions, McCain's team warned Palin that the scrutiny into her private life would be intense and that there was nothing she could do to prepare for it.

Prominent religious conservatives, many of whom have been lukewarm toward
McCain's candidacy, predicted that Palin's daughter's pregnancy would not
diminish conservative Christian enthusiasm over the vice presidential
hopeful.
"I think it's a very private matter," said Roberta Combs, president
of the Christian Coalition of America. "It's a matter that should stay in the
family and they have to work through it together. My prayers go out to
them."
Added Combs: "We're excited about the governor and think she's going
to do well."
Mathew Staver, dean of Liberty University School of Law, said:
"We're all sinners."
"We all make mistakes. Certainly, the ideal is not to
get pregnant out of wedlock. But she made the right decision after her mistake,"
he said.
Staver also criticized anyone who would seek to make it a negative
campaign issue: "It's absolutely shameful to put her child in the spotlight.
She's not running for office. When someone can't face issues, they try to tear
down a family."

My two cents and then some.
This last part is so much bullshit. I'm all for the kid keeping her child if she wants to, but to force the two of them into a marriage is premature. Give them time to consider whether this is best for them, not just because it "looks good' for them to marry.

Also, I feel this is hypocritical of the so-called Christian Collalition to be saying this is "okay". After all, if this was one of Barack Obama's kids at the same age and preggers, they would be tearing him and his wife apart for bad morals and irresponsible parenting.

The Palin's have not armed their daughter with the knowledge she really needed to avoid a pregnancy and waited a while before telling them. That tells me there is a lack of openness in that family. Their support is not true support and love. It's judgemental and smacks of excessive control in their kid's lives.

In raising 4 kids myself, we have not sheilded our oldest from sex ed. She was present when our youngest was born and has no interest in sex (thankfully!) at the tender age of 13. Too many children have an unhealthy view of sexuality. A lack of open and honest sex ed from parents and schools (promoting abstinence without accurate information) and then too much sex-infused media content contributes to kids experimenting. Honesty is the best policy.

Captain Jack Sparrow

What is it about this character that makes us like him so much? I read this article about Depp and his acting in relation to Jack Sparrow and found that I agree with much that is said.

Some of the the text follows:

There is no doubt in my mind Depp became Jack Sparrow.
After reading the script, Depp compared pirates to rock stars and decided to
base his performance on Keith Richards, the founding member of the Rolling
Stones. His body language makes up a good 90% of the performance resembling that of a half-drunk, quirky walking sex-machine.

When I watch the Pirates movies, I never, ever see Johnny Depp. That's how thoroughly he became this character, I think. More from the article:

Given the nature of the character, Depp tailors
everything he has to create the flamboyant ‘Jack Sparrow.’ His body language is
eccentric, his voice and accent becomes slurred, and he uses his eyes to reflect
the mischief and trickery of his character. They squint, wink and say more about
his character than the lines he delivers. Depp often slows the lines down,
emphasising certain words to create a rhythmical quality, and even when his
character is not speaking, Depp still remains as ‘Jack Sparrow.’

A little background on how I came to see the first film is
in order.

I used to work at the Disney World theme park in Florida, so had ridden the ride numerous times. Hence, I was very familiar with the elements used in the film that were taken directly from the ride.

Participated in an online focus group that reviewed the first trailer (which was not used) and also a second that eventually was the one everyone saw.

My interest was not because of Johnny Depp or any other actor. I barely paid attention to the cast line up.

So, when I finally saw the film, I was completely blown out of the water by the Jack Sparrow character and amazed that it was Johnny Depp under the kohl makeup. To me, he made the film as good as it was (Geoffrey Rush was also good, but I'm talking about Depp here) and it would have just been an ordinary "pirate film" otherwise. You just can't take your eyes off of Sparrow.

Even now, years after the first viewing, Depp's performance endures. That's the real test of an acting performance, longevity.

It’s always a thrilling experience watching a performance the actor has
tirelessly prepared for, and I always find it enhances the film
considerably.

I couldn't agree more!

Pets

I'm concerned about my cat, Galron...he acts like he wants to eat, but when I put any food in front of him, he sniffs at it and does not eat it. It's frustrating and sad. He's lost so much weight that I don't know how much more time he has with us. He's 14 years old, but the blood tests came back "clean". He's healthy on paper! I'll call the vet tomorrow and see if there's anything else we can do.

Our new dog has completely adapted to his new home. I sometimes find him on our bed when I awake in the morning. He's a funny dog. I do have to make sure that the kids' toys stay off the floor. It only takes a few moments and "Mr. Magoo" or "Boo-Boo" likes to chew and chew! My husband bought him some rawhide chews, which Boo likes of course. The problem is that as a young dog (he's a year old) he likes to gnaw on everything he finds. I had a pretty little wood bookmark with beads on the tassles that I couldn't find. Unbeknownst to me, it had fallen on the floor next to our bed. Boo found it and it was in pieces by the time I located it. Oh well!

My bird is still going strong and he's 23 years old now. I'll post a picture when I remember to take one.

My daugther has an aquatic turtle (not a red-ear) that she rescued from fire-ants about 2 or 3 years ago. I've lost track of when she brought it home! It's huge and we need to build a turtle pond in the back yard soon. I could use more money for that.

Into the Wild

Checked out Into the Wild out of my local library branch and watched it Tuesday. As I watched it, I remembered reading at least an excerpt from the book years ago. It's the story of a young man that isn't happy with his comfortable life and sees hypocrisy in his parents and their lives. Material things and money aren't his aim in life. So, he donates all of his college money (quite a large sum) to Oxfam (a terriffic charity) and heads off on his adventure. To keep his parents unaware that he's left his apartment, he has his mail held for several months. Eventually, he ends up in Alaska's wilderness after a series of smaller adventures and people along the way. It's a good film and Sean Penn's style is wonderful in how he sets up the shots. Emile Hersh has flown under my radar until now. It's made me sit up and notice. Not Oscar-y, but damn good. I look forward to more from him.

Kitty is better and other news

We brought him to the vet back in July when he stopped eating. The blood tests came back inconclusive.

Galron is much improved from his mystery illness of a few weeks ago. It was touch and go for a while. I had to give him his meds by sticking them in his mouth. I think he hated it more than me.

He is fussy but now eats, meows and chases lizards as if nothing ever happened. His 14th birthday is on August 10th! Not doing too bad for an old cat.

I took Sigourney to get her annual physical today. All clear and ready for school. At her age of 13, it's a different set of issues than say, a 3 year old or even an 8 year old. We made it through and she is done with all shots unless the medical dudes come up with new ones.

Summer in Full Swing

My daughter is back from her very brief visit with her cousins. What was supposed to be a fun-filled time was boring. They just stayed home the whole time except for July 4th. There was so much they could have done, and not for lots of money, some of it free. They could have gone to the beach, a National Park or two...nada. She had her laptop, so would chat with me everyday.

Right now, our cat is asleep on the bed next to her.

His name is Galron (it's supposed to be Gowron, Klingon Leader of the High Council, but too hard to say Gowron unless you're a Klingon.) and he's going to be 14 years old on August 10th. He's still pretty active for an old cat.

It is nice to have her back home, though.

Steam

I want to make a little video with Johnny photos to this song.

The Peter Gabriel video is primitive by today's standards, but still imaginative.

Good Karma

Hubby had a week-day wedding, which was in a location south of us, about 45 minutes away. Normally, it's pretty easy to get around here. Yesterday afternoon, the weather was thunder boomers and lots of rain. Big round drops!

On to the story. The wedding was a small affair, planned to last only an hour at best. He leaves with plenty time to get there, only to have everyone ahead of them driving even too slow for the conditions. This puts him behind schedule, but not late. Then, traffic grinds to a halt. He calls me, an hour after the wedding is supposed to start, that he's not there yet. My heart starts to race, but no one has called me to ask where he is, so wait for him to tell me more. By a stroke of luck, bad or good, the Groom is behind him in traffic! Turns out that the bride sent him back to their hotel for something she forgot and he ended up in the same traffic jam. They think that the jam is from an accident, that's the usual reason. Later, when he calls me to let me know he's done, tells me that the tornado I had heard about and mentioned to him earlier, was the cause of the delay. Someones shed, foundation and all, had been deposited into the middle of all four lanes of the highway. All the lanes blocked!

I don't know if anyone was hurt, but heard that a girl with ruby slippers was reportly seen walking away with her dog.

Pollyticks

Go Obama!

Anyway, with him now the clear Democatic front-runner, the focus is now on a running mate. Patch up rifts, woo Hillary's supporters...forward!

Kung Foo Panda

My husband and I took our kids to see Kung Foo Panda. Before we went, I figuratively removed my brain. I thoughoughly enjoyed the movie! Jack Black is the voice of Po, the Panda. They play off the Panda's, uh, roundness, with good comic results. Produced by Dreamworks and not Disney, cliches did not abound. Lines were not predictable. The plot was well-developed. Panda wants to be a Kung Foo Warrior. Becomes Warrior because of fate interveining. Wise Turtle sees his potential and "specialness". Kung Foo Master does not believe in the Panda, but eventually does through a personal awakening and so forth. Worth seeing so bring some kids you know to see it.

It's only Tuesday

Sigh. Tuesdays are usually a productive day for me. Not this one. I started a big project in the house...the closet monster! All of us have sleeping bags and those things take up way too much space. So, I am re-arranging my closet so I can fit some of them into there.

This Saturday my husband and a nephew are going to my parent's house to pick up a king-size bed set. Since it's a 2 hour drive and they are only going over for the day, the kids are staying home. I'm still trying to line up a babysitter so I can go, since my mom has things she still wants me to look at and decide whether or not to take, too.

My parents are downsizing to a smaller place in a retirement community because they want to do it while they can still get around. They get tired more easily these days (my Dad will be 84 in June) so they are facing reality head-on. Because of this, I'm in line for the stuff they aren't selling or taking to the new place.

Why is it when you need a babysitter, there isn't one?

This is why I'm trying to make space in my bedroom. We have a queen-size bed so at least the king won't be that much different, but I still have to move some smaller pieces of furniture out of there. The trick will be seeing if they can go elsewhere in the house.

INDY 4

Harrison Ford can still crack that whip.

It was very enjoyable to watch Indy and Marian together once again. She was the best of all of Indy's women, the strongest personality. I saw this on Friday night, packed theatre, few empty seats. People actually applauded. Now, I didn't think it was that good, but it was still fun to romp with Indy through the adventure. Mutt was a welcome character additon, mostly since Shia is a good actor. He held his own quite well. Cate Blanchett was simply awesome. Her Russian accent was spot on and for a villian, not over acted. Refreshing! I do want her outfit, though.

A couple of very way out scenes, but this is a fantasy type of film, not reality. To go expecting "art" is a mistake. To go and expect to be entertained you will have a good time.

Memorial Day weekend blitz

I did not sleep well Saturday night. My youngest, the 4 year old, had a nightmare and came into our room. He couldn't stop crying, but he really wasn't awake. We just held him and I got him to dring some ice water. After several long minutes, he calmed down enough to sleep. Since he was now in our bed, I couldn't get comforable! He likes to roll towards me and I got less mattress and finally just got up and sat at my computer. That was at 3AM.

The next day, Sunday, we had plans to meet with my hubby's family out at Jetty Park in Cape
Canaveral. My neice was supposed to secure a spot, but being that she thought no one would be there on a Sunday, found the place full. After meeting with most of the family at a Walgreens, we drove around and found a better spot right on the beach.

I don't know what kept me going. It's like when I get enough sleep, I'm more tired. I was wide awake! I did have to drive my daughter to find her a bathing suit, since she didn't bring hers. Not knowing the area, I just guessed where a store might be with bathing suits and hit the road. We lucked out, as there was an outlet store a mile down the road. Cool. I didn't need a grumpy teenager and she was happy. Mission accomplished.

Monday, I had all the kiddies at home. How am I going to survive the summer? Activities to the max. When hubby came home, we decided to do dinner out at Univeral CityWalk. The "Nascar" cafe is pretty good. They even make chili like I do. My family loves my chili.

More tomorrow!

Deja Vu

The last time I posted, it was 3 years ago, about the same time of year. Here I am again, at the same place. 4 kids and facing the summer vacation dilemma. This time, I have more plans. I do know that i'll need to be very organized! I bought a snare drum off of ebay for cheap. It is a good quality student drum, so hopefully, not a problem to find replacement drum heads! I used to play years ago so can teach me kids. It helps with rhythm. I also have a guitar for my daughter which needs new strings. We're going to go gonzo with the music this summer!