Radio, TV and newspapers have been full of bad news lately, but now it's time for something a little lighter.
Recently I wrote about having to euthanize my cat, Burnie, of about 16 years. He was one half of the team of Crash and Burn. My friends, some of whom took care of them whenever I travelled, have asked how Crash was doing.
I'm happy to report that she is doing well, maybe a bit too well. I swear, if she could dance, she would be doing a "happy dance". I have made a few changes to make her feel a little better. I discovered that she does not like to eat alone, so I bring her dish into the living room so she has some company while she eats. While I'm preparing her food, she runs laps around the island until I produce her food dish.
After she eats, she has me trained to refill her water dish. She meows and I get up and give her fresh water. She doesn't like to drink water that has been in her dish for more than one hour.
A few months ago, I discovered that she was not ignoring me, she couldn't hear me. I could whisper that it was snack time, Burnie, as sick as he was, would pick up his ears and wander into the kitchen while she would just sit there until she saw the food. Because she's deaf, if she can't find me, she will howl. After she woke me up two nights, I now keep her in the bedroom with me, with the door closed so she will see me during the night and won't disturb my sleep. That is something I can't tolerate.
When Burnie was alive, she would meow so I would let her into the spare bedroom and close the door. She would stay there, sleeping, until she got hungry or had to use her litter box. Now, she is spending more time with me, sleeping and resting her head on my leg.
So, yes, Crash is doing well. About as well as a 17 year old, hyper-thyroid, deaf cat can do. And I'm glad. She is a good companion and very good at training her (dare I say) owner.
Friday, February 23, 2018
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Not Again
It's been a week since the horrible shooting in Florida. There have been many suggestions on how to prevent another. Yes, we should look ahead and look into ways to prevent another.
But, we need to look back, what signs were missed and many factors are to blame. First, part of the problem is the design of the school. Many, many years ago when I went to school, schools did not sprawl out, they were built up. We had heavy brass doors, there were no students on the first floor, an intruder would have trouble entering the school, if he did get in, he would have been stopped before going any further.
We've all heard how the FBI and police failed to follow up on calls. I hadn't realized that the weapon used could be purchased by an 18 year old, but that same child couldn't buy a handgun. The right to purchase a gun should not be on a sliding scale - one age for one type, another for another type and that age should be 21 for all.
There have been many suggestions made to ensure our children are safe - arm teachers, armed security guards, better background checks, etc. Very few people have suggested metal detectors. Of the suggestions, I think metal detectors are the best solution. I know, it is sad to think that our children have to go through them just to get to class, I did too at one time. Several years ago I was doing some volunteer work through my church in Queens with teenagers. The topic of metal detectors came up and I said that I thought it was so sad. All four of the boys in the group said that they were glad they were there, it made them feel safer.
Right now, everyone is angry. No decision should be made in anger. Maybe in the meantime, we should cool down and look at all the alternatives before any decisions are made. Maybe we should emphasize and encourage more respect for life.
But, we need to look back, what signs were missed and many factors are to blame. First, part of the problem is the design of the school. Many, many years ago when I went to school, schools did not sprawl out, they were built up. We had heavy brass doors, there were no students on the first floor, an intruder would have trouble entering the school, if he did get in, he would have been stopped before going any further.
We've all heard how the FBI and police failed to follow up on calls. I hadn't realized that the weapon used could be purchased by an 18 year old, but that same child couldn't buy a handgun. The right to purchase a gun should not be on a sliding scale - one age for one type, another for another type and that age should be 21 for all.
There have been many suggestions made to ensure our children are safe - arm teachers, armed security guards, better background checks, etc. Very few people have suggested metal detectors. Of the suggestions, I think metal detectors are the best solution. I know, it is sad to think that our children have to go through them just to get to class, I did too at one time. Several years ago I was doing some volunteer work through my church in Queens with teenagers. The topic of metal detectors came up and I said that I thought it was so sad. All four of the boys in the group said that they were glad they were there, it made them feel safer.
Right now, everyone is angry. No decision should be made in anger. Maybe in the meantime, we should cool down and look at all the alternatives before any decisions are made. Maybe we should emphasize and encourage more respect for life.
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