Fun While It's Cold

It's been a rough winter so far. Not just in tempature, but also in hardship. Finances couldn't be tighter for Amanda and I. It makes the winter all the more 'colder'.

I've determined, though, to enjoy myself amidst the bitter chill. For me, it's in simple things, like listening to a relaxing song or drawing. For my wife, it's been a long embrace with the cat hugged between us. Spring's on the way, but before then, I look forward to many days of dancing, laughing, and an occasional cartoon that doesn't make much sense.

Guess Who's Coming to the White House?

Many said they'd never see the day.

An African American is going to be our president! For awhile it seemed so far away, but in just a half a month, it will become a reality. This is no movie, folks. This is the ultimate Sidney Poitier milestone.

Of course you can't have a milestone without the crazies spewing their paranoia before the inauguration even starts. Like the Mormon prophet for instance, who-so accurately I might add-predicted that a huge nuclear war would break out on Christmas and also stated that Obama would not(despite being elected) become president.

But what I really love is the outrage over the scandal that concerns our president's hot relationship with a so-called 'Camel'. That's right. Obama smokes! He hits the nicotine now and again. A lot of people are pretty upset over this, apparently. For some, it ruins the "messiah" perception that they've laid on him. For others, it further magnifies their provocative outlook of him. He might as well be hitting off a ganja while growing his dreads out.

To cool tempers over this, our chimney-elect promised that he wouldn't smoke inside the white house. He announced that he would excuse himself outside to take the years off his life. Of course this decision means more photographs of this action which will only raise the tempers of the naysayers. Even as president you can't win.

On the twentieth of this month, like it or not, this man will be our Commander-in-Chief. When our economy is in the crapper, do you really care if he lights a stick now and then? Come on people! There are more important matters to get hung up on. Now will somebody tell me what dog he picked for his daughters?

Who Is This Creature That Lives in My House?

So I woke up the other morning by myself.

Or so I thought.

Amanda left early for work and I got to sleep in. I spent my twenty minutes of waking up with a fuzzy grey feline sitting on my chest. I pulled my hand out from under the sheets and held it toward her to sniff. She approves and pushes her mouth across my knuckle. She begins to purr, leans close to my face and licks my nose. I am becoming aware that she is waiting on her breakfast.

Who is this creature that lives in my house? This four legged beast, clothed completely in fur and armed with sharp teeth and claws, sits on my chest in the morning as if this is normal. The funny thing is that it's so normal that I rarely step back to take it in. I share the apartment with an entirely different species. This creature cannot speak English, nor will she ever. For the rest of her life, she will depend on me to feed her and clean up her waste. What was I thinking? Why do we do this?



Amanda was becoming convinced that our cat, Madison, was out to destroy Christmas. Our small but well decorated Christmas tree was knocked from its table within twenty four hours of being erected. We came into the room to find our poor tree and all it's trimings strewn across our living room. The gray criminal let out a pitiful meow and hung her head as if to say she was sorry. Of course she was forgiven, but she continued to knock off our shiny ornaments and kick the across the room like a soccer ball. Eventually they would shatter against a wall. She chews too. Weird huh? She doesn't really use her claws, but she chews like crazy. Our new sheets now look like swiss cheese as well as some of our favorite clothes.

We, like millions of pet owners, aren't sure why we signed up for this. Moreover, we aren't sure why she makes us so happy. Maybe it's those morning moments, or when she purrs endlessly, or maybe because she's incredibly cute. Or maybe it's because we know-that in her own way-she returns the unconditional love that we give her.

Tomorrow, I face another appointment as I wake up. There will be hair everywhere and cat saliva on my knuckles. Strangely enough, it'll be a good morning.