Why is Crash Unhappy?

Why is Crash disturbed?
She likes to sit next to me on the couch. Sometimes she sleeps other times she just wants to be adored. Today though she couldn't lay in her usual spot.

She tried to get some sympathy by laying and trying to sleep on one of the scratching cardboards.

She barely fit and didn't look at all comfortable.
Then she tried squeezing between me and the arm of the couch. She still wasn't comfortable and tried pleading with me for more room.
Here's the reason for her problem. Burnie took her spot, something he has started doing lately. He keeps trying to take her favorite spots all over the house and she is not at all happy.

Eventually Burnie woke up and found another spot, probably another of her favorite. She quickly jumped up on the couch and was happy.
She doesn't look it, but she really is happy.

I don't like help when I entertain

Whenever I entertain I don't want any help. It's not because I'm a wonderful hostess or want to be a superwoman. It's simply because I have my own routines and also because I don't want my friends to see my sometimes messy and disorganized cabinets and refrigerator.

Monday I had some friends over for dinner. Later, while my back was turned they decided to help me by clearing off the table. I tried to intercept, but I missed one thing - my butter.

I use whipped butter because it's easier to spread. It's even easier if it's kept at room temperature so I keep it on my counter all the time. I've been doing this for years and have never had a problem. It doesn't get all runny the way a stick of butter would. It's my unscientific belief that it is the constant chill to room temperature back to chill, etc. that causes butter to get rancid. My container of whipped butter has never gone bad.

Today, I was looking all over the kitchen for the butter (I said I was disorganized) and couldn't find it. Finally, I remembered that I had company on Monday and looked into the refrigerator and there it was, hard and unspreadable.

Now, if I can only find the stainless steel cup that held my utensils at the Christmas party. That's been missing since someone "helped" my clean up after that party.

More on Taxes

Today I heard yet another millionaire say he would be glad to pay more taxes. I'm tired of hearing the likes of Warren Buffet, Jerry Springer, Hollywood personalities, et al say how it is patriotic to pay more.

Never in these interviews have I heard the interviewer remind these people that there is no law AGAINST paying additional taxes. They can always just send a check to the IRS for whatever amount they deem fair. OR, they can simply file and take no deductions. Wouldn't that be more fair?

After all, shouldn't people be allowed to keep the results of their hard work and sacrifices? Otherwise, what is the incentive to study hard, get a good education, work long hours, live within your means if you can't enjoy the fruits of your labor.

TAX THE RICH

Tax the rich! What a wonderful catch phrase. Who wouldn't agree with that? Aren't the rich evil? Don't they hold onto their money and count it every day? What do they contribute to society?

After listening to the president's plan to tax the rich (whoever they are), I've decided there is no incentive to be successful.

To begin with, his supposition that Warren Buffet is paying less in taxes than Buffet's secretary is comparing apples to oranges. Warren Buffet's salary from Berkshire Hathaway is $100,000 per year. From my experience in the corporate world and knowledge of executive secretaries, I'm sure his secretary makes more than $100,000. The bulk of Warren Buffet's income comes from interest and dividends on his holdings. Therefore, raising the income tax on the salaries of millionaires does not change anything and is not fair and raising taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains takes away any incentive to invest and save.

Why should a person work hard, save money, invest and then see the results taxed heavily, in some cases doubly taxed. It's much easier to show up at your job for eight hours a day, collect your salary and then spend that salary and more. If you run into trouble, you can always file bankruptcy and start over again. I once worked with a woman who did just that and saw nothing wrong with it.

I have often cynically said that in this country at this time we punish the successful and reward the lazy. It seems that this is becoming more true every day.

Taste of Fall

Today we got a taste of fall and for someone who hates the heat and loves the cold, it was wonderful. I turned the air conditioner off and opened a few windows. It felt so good to cool down and smell the fresh air.

As I passed the guest room, I looked in there was Crash lolling around on the floor in a patch of sun. She looked so happy, just luxuriating in the fresh air and sun.




She just rolled around and even posed for me.

September 11

Today 9/11/11 is a day of remembrance of that beautiful turned ugly Tuesday. It seems at times like it was only yesterday and other times that it was a lifetime ago.

At that time I couldn't get enough of the news reports that replayed the attack over and over again. I had thought/hoped that time would change that. Still, today I sit in front of the TV watching a replay of the attacks, collapse and escape of the survivors covered in the toxic dust from the buildings and victims.

I was working downtown at the time and when I returned to work at AIG a week later, Hank Greenberg had arranged for an interfaith prayer service for the two employees who were killed. There was a Rabbi who spoke and he said something that has remained with me. I don't remember his exact words, but the idea was that 3000 people didn't die, one person died 3,000 times. That made an impact.

Yesterday, Governor Christie in New Jersey said something that brought the number of those who died into perspective. He said that if we had a moment of silence for each of those who died starting at noon on Saturday, we would be sitting in silence until midday on Monday.

There were so many lives lost, we must never forget what happened. And we will surviv.

READ THE SIGNS

I can't say how many times I heard my mother say that.

When I was growing up, we never had a car so, we always took the subway. My mother always reminded us to read the signs before we got on any train.

I should have taken that advice this morning. I washed my hair using a new shampoo which comes in a tube, the same as the conditioner. I did my usual wash and rinsed the shampoo out. I then picked up the conditioner and applied it to my hair. When I was combing it through I was surprised to see that it seemed to be foaming. As I rinsed it out, I noticed that my hair felt very different. It seemed very coarse and knotted. I couldn't understand it.

Then I looked at the tube. I had used shampoo for a second time. Once I found the conditioner my hair felt much better. It was smooth and not coarse. Problem solved.

I guess I should be more careful when showering and read the names on the products I use. Mother knew best, "Read the signs".

Memories

Flooding in the northeast, fires in the west, tornadoes in the midwest. It seems like everyone is feeling Mother Nature’s wrath.

All these tragedies have gotten me thinking. I’ve been very lucky; I’ve never had to face the loss of everything. How do these people cope? We’ve heard from some of them who say they’re thankful that everyone survived, that homes can be rebuilt, furnishings replaced but that people can’t be replaced.

This got me thinking. Yes, we can't replace people and we can replace THINGS, but so many of those things are a physical representation of our memories. Are our memories only ours because of some photo album or gift we received? Or are they part of us and therefore always with us no matter where or how we live? Do we place too much emphasis on things that really have no effect on who we are and how we live our lives?

When I moved from my home where I started married life and raised my two sons I felt that all my memories were not in the house, but of the house and my life there. I still have those memories where ever I am. I can bring them back if I’m here in my new home or even when I take a vacation across the country or across the ocean. I can still see their first steps or first day of school, all their firsts.

Sometimes I wonder if I feel this way about memories because I chose to move and replace my old furniture, or would I still feel that way if those physical THINGS had been taken away from me. I hope I never get the opporltunity to find out.