On feeling not quite myself

So this slump of mine seems to be lasting longer than usual. In fact, I haven’t had one like this since . . . well, I can’t even tell you what was going on, it was that bad.

I’m not sure if it started because Jon got a little down in the dumps and I felt like it must be my turn, too, or if it was my girlfriend Tiffany asking me how I really was doing after that awful lawsuit where I was told that basically there was nothing they could or would do to help keep my daughter safe and if she wouldn’t really talk about it (instead of just burying toys in the sand), then we were just shit outta luck.

And then came the Kathy Sierra story that seemed to push me over the edge in terms of my belief in humanity. For four years, I’ve been trying to get back to that Anne-Frank-People-Are-Good mentality, and it’s just not happenin’ folks. Not this week anyway.

I’ve been trying, with a relative amount of success, to learn to get through all of this with meditation and letting go. I can’t protect her 24/7, now, can I?

But I want to. And I feel helpless today. Helpless the way that Kathy feels. Helpless and angry. Angry that there are people in the world who are so selfish that they would hurt or allow anyone to be hurt, especially a child, especially MY child.

So there you have it. Tiff’s question apparently opened a Pandora’s box for me that I thought I had sealed up pretty well. Duct tape and superglue are supposed to be good for those kinds of things.

And I don’t talk about it much because A) it’s a downer, and 2) bringing her up on this blog just opens us up to the type of crap that Kathy is going through. But I feel like if I don’t figure out a way to work through these feelings that I’ll miss all the good things we have available for us this weekend.

That’s why I’m trying to work it through.

Courtesy Notice

I am not really a nice person. I just play one on this blog.

Seen and heard at my house

“So how well can you do really when your name sounds like a venereal disease?”

The Vote for the Worst campaign certainly does explain why Sanjaya is still around. Sweet kid. Good voice. Horrible performer. Power to the people, yo.

Lost and Found

If someone finds my sense of humor, could you please return it at your earliest convenience? I am lonesome without it.

Happy Spring!

I took these outside the office earlier this week and wanted to share.

Pet Food Recall

Good morning, loves!

While I strive to be the messenger of only good news, too many of you have kitties to let this one slide by. (Cats seem to be more susceptible to this than dogs.) If you haven’t heard about the pet food recall, check this list to see if you’ve been feeding your pets any of these foods. The manufacturers say they don’t know yet what’s caused the problem, but they’re guessing that it’s wheat gluten purchased from a new supplier.

Most troubling is that when they decided to test the foods, one in six dogs or cats died. Apparently, whatever it is in the food attacks the kidneys, causing kidney failure.

The list is extensive and can be found here at menufoods.com. Smokey eats dry food, so we’re thankful that this doesn’t apply to us. (Apparently, only wet food is harmful.) But it definitely has me re-thinking what I feed him and I know that many pet owners are concerned after the deaths. My gut says that many more deaths will be attributed to this before it’s all said and done, which makes for a sad day for yours truly.

I know that the media has picked this one up and run with it, so I’m hopeful that everyone knows and has checked their cupboards by now. On the off chance that someone hasn’t heard, I wanted to spread the news and get those cans and pouches thrown out as quickly as possible. Most companies that I’ve read about are offering refunds on the food, and it seems that the Today show reported that Menu Foods is offering “compensation” (whatever that means) for owners whose pets die because of the contaminated food. (As if a pet’s life has a price tag, but what can they do now, really?)

Time to go home and make sure there aren’t any cans of Mighty Dog in the pantry!

Posted in honor of Smokey, a good dog.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

“Wherever you go and whatever you do, may the luck of the Irish be there with you. May your heart be warm and happy with the lilt of Irish laughter. Every day in every way, and forever and ever after!”

And from sincere to funny, it simply wouldn’t be me if I didn’t also include a little Irish humor along the way.

Pick-me-ups for difficult days

“Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.”

-Lloyd Bridges as Steve McCrosky

Airplane!

The sound clip can be heard here, for all you die-hard Airplane! fans.

Because, apparently, transformation is available for everyone, even cartoon characters

First of all, Papa Smurf didn’t create Smurfette. Gargamel did. She was sent in as Gargamel’s evil spy with the intention of destroying the Smurf village, but the overwhelming goodness of the Smurf way of life transformed her.

-Donnie, discounting a Smurf sexual fantasy proposed by a friend.
Donnie Darko Quotes

And to think that I had never even questioned the origins of Smurfette (or heard of Donnie Darko, for that matter) before reading this! Where have I been? Living under a rock?! Oy! (And yes, I was Yiddish in a former life. That or Mike Myers’ hold on me is just too strong to break.)

Is it just me?

Or should a coffee pot be able to make more than 8 oz. of coffee in less than three hours? Houston, we definitely have a problem!