My birthday week and a 30 Day Challenge

It is 8:45 pm

     It's a beautiful warm summer day in SE Michigan. The cheetah is downstairs looking out through his window,he was waiting for me to come home because he knows its canned catfood night. He was meowing,, roaring when I came home to feed him.
Got ESPN3 going on the computer listening to the UAPB-Texas State football replay...


Its been a while since I wrote so this might take a while...its been a up and down week.

I turned 50 on 26 August....normally a reason for a celebration with loved ones and friends...but instead the day found me over at St. Thomas a 'Beckett talking to Debbie Miller. It had been three months since I last talked to my regular grief therapist,Becka,from Arbor Hospice. My time with her was only supposed to officially last a year but Becka extended it to 14 months.

  Three weeks ago found me in a most difficult time as I was in a bad way and pretty close to walking off this mortal coil. I came out the other side hurting pretty badly but knowing I needed to talk to someone. So I reached out to Debbie and set up a appointment.
   Coming into her office,I saw it had been changed around a bit from the last time I had been there.
We started our session and I shared with her where I was at,she seemed to get a little edgy at this and I picked up on this but what could I do? I am just being honest,Lori and my bond was that tight. She asked me a strange question,she asked me if I thought I put myself in that box as she put it.
   While that is not the case because as everyone who has lost a spouse or a loved,the journey is different. I do NOT want to sit here in this sadness,if I did,then why is the point of even staying alive? Who desires to live with only half of you being able to function at any level? I thought it was asked with tinge of anger and now I am feeling uncomfortable with this line of questions when Debbie stops the session. She looked past me and said that I wouldn't have know this but her husband had died in May. He had a massive heart attack and had held on for a month before being placed on life support. It was Debbie who had to make the call to let her husband go.

 And just like that,it made perfect sense...why the questions,why the anger. I said I was sorry and said I wish I could tell you something,give you some advice but I can't. She said "I am glad,I don't want to hear any advice".
   She said "I want to know how are you are going to start moving on". Well my face must have said it all because she retracted that statement and said it wasn't then term she wanted to use.
I said I was glad because I really hate that term and said you will come to detest it as well.
 We talked about what plans God has for us,I struggle with that question everyday. There has to be a purpose and some days I see it and other days I simply see nothing. I know this will always be with me or anyone else going through this.

 The session for all intent and purposes was over as we talked about what happened to her husband. He complete blockage of one aorta and 95% of the other,Debbie said they call a "widowmaker" as mostly men suffer from this type of heart attack. She mentioned the month after her husband had died,his sister suffered the same type of heart attack but survived. Just another strange twist to the tale.
   I must admit,I am surprised,Debbie said she took two months off before coming back to work,that she came back so quickly sort of concerns me a lot. As a pastor of a large parish,the different types of emotions she has to deal with every day is rough as it is but doing so with a such a heavy loss.....I don't know....but I do know I will be doing my part by not going back and instead will look for someone else to talk to.

  The rest of the day was nice,was treated to lunch and some running around before coming back home.
Wednesday was another quiet day as I spent the day doing chores. My friend Sue had called the night before to take me to dinner on Wednesday but I suggested we do pizza and watch the first college football game of 2014.

  Sue loves football and so it was a easy choice....so that is how we spent my birthday on Wednesday. The game was Abilene Christian at Georgia State. The game was pretty exciting as it came it down to the last 4 seconds before GSU kicked a field goal and won,38-37. It was a fun way to start the season.
  Thursday morning saw me getting up pretty early to make the trek into Detroit to meet up with Lori's best friend and bridesmaid,Deb. She surprised me with a ticket to see Derek Jeter's last baseball game against the Tigers.

  I caught a ride with Marlene who works downtown and we made it downtown is 45 minutes. Traffic was pretty light and soon enough I was camped out at Tim Horton's drinking coffee. I peeked outside at a park where the annual Detroit Jazz Festival was being set up for the four day holiday. The festival attracts world class musical talent and its also free.

  I saw a few musicians walking about,many would be busking later on during the day. I sat back,enjoyed my coffee and people watched until Deb made to downtown.
We walked through downtown and looked at the light rail being built. This truly is what Detroit needs. The roads going through the heart of the city are narrow and cramped and parking downtown can be a circus. The light rail,just as it did in San Jose,will bring relief to those folks heading to a event.
  Deb took me to the The Hudson Cafe,a big,airy room which specializes in breakfasts. The food was excellent and very reasonably priced as well. Deb had mentioned that coming here on the weekends was pretty impossible as the lines waiting to get in are pretty long. Well on a early Thursday,the room was only maybe half full and the service was fast and friendly.

  We walked towards Comerica Park and soon we saw other fans heading the same way. We stopped at a sports merch place to look at hats....they didn't have any Yankees caps for some reason and the Tiger caps were 35.00,a little rich for my blood.
  We came out and finished walking to the ballpark,the crowds weren't too bad at the gate and the mood was pretty festive. There were as many Yankees shirts and jerseys as there were Tiger ones. Deb looked pretty nifty in her Rick Porcello jersey I have to say...it felt strange to see the park in the daylight and also without Lori. She loved baseball and we always had a good time at the games we went to.

  Since the game was a "get away" game for the Tigers,there wasn't any infield practice or batting practice as well. We did wait for an hour behind the Yankees dugout hoping for a glimpse of Derek Jeter but other then the pitchers getting their running in,only Chase Headley and Ichiro came out.
 The day was perfect and the game was pretty exciting,turned into a pitching duel and Brad Ausmus out managed Joe Giraldi. The Tigers pulled out the game in the bottom of the 9th,3-2.
   The battle to escape downtown was the normal Detroit nightmare,narrow roads,crappy drivers and the light construction made it an adventure to get out.
  We made it to Michigan Ave. and headed home...as we were,we passed by a location shoot on the Batman/Superman movie being shot at a local deli. Overall it was a very special day and I am extremely thankful to Deb for taking me.
 
 Got home in time to get ready for the college football season opener as San Jose State took on FCS squad North Dakota. Last year I watched the game against Sacramento State and was completely bummed as despite SJSU won,24-0,it was a ugly,boring win. This year,with a new look defense and some real talent running the ball,SJSU took care of business and blew out the Fighting Sioux,42-10.
 The passing game needs a lot of work and our best tailback was suspended for this game and the one against 5th ranked Auburn this weekend. The defense was fast and much more effective...plus no real serious injuries. Which is a good thing as the Spartans will need every single player in playing the best team they have seen since played Alabama in 2008. The spread is 31 points so there isn't many who think SJSU can pull off the huge upset.
  The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN 2,hoping for a minor miracle...would be quite a coup to win!!
    Joining the gym this week,feel much more into it this time as a couple of others at my work have joined so am hoping to get a good routine going. The city I live in has a nice trail system and they just completed linking up the main trails with the one right by the house.



  I actually decided to take my first walk down the new trail this afternoon...got about a quarter mile into it and noticed an overcast sky was turning darker so I decided not to risk it and headed back...just as I got to the Rodger Young,it started sprinkling lightly...drove home in about 5 minutes and as I pulled into my driveway,the heavens opened up and a thunderstorm dropped quite a bit of rain...
Seems like our weather is turning into Florida's weather...hot,humid and then it rains. Could always be worse...be hot with NO rain.
  But tomorrow is another day and I will try and walk the trail again.

My friend Brad started something a while ago on his FB page,he started listing 5 good things everyday that occurs in his life,some are small and some are big but he lists something every single day. I always thought it was a neat idea when he first started it but I have to admit,I find it very,very hard to find things to be happy about. Trying to find 5???? I love to but just isn't there yet.

  Then a very nice person named Jennifer Blanc-Biehn started a 30 day challenge starting in September and I decided to give it a shot...I started out posting on my FB wall but since I decided to post here instead.
 Here is my list so far

Day 1
I am grateful for my brothers Phillip and Monte. You two have really been so supportive with talking to me at anytime,

I am grateful for my job. The job itself isn't that great but the people I work with kick butt!

I am grateful for my cheetah,Paladin. He has been a joy..he makes me laugh every day on some level.

Day 2
1. Grateful for my good friend William Clark who I met while starting my first blog. 
Not only is he a true fan boy but loves baseball almost as much as I do. I am taking this time to wish him a most happy birthday!!

2. Grateful I have a home to come to. While it can be a lonely place to come home to,its a nice house and I am glad I live in a quiet neighborhood.

3. Grateful for having the passion to read pretty much anything put in front of me. I am not picky on what I read as long as I have a book with me.


Day 3
1. I am grateful to my friend Michael Hoover (R.I.P.) who let me read his vast collection of books and comics. It was because of Michael,that I became a fanboy. 

2. I am grateful to Joe Kelly. It was through Joe that I got my start in the music business. I helped him break down the stage and he got me hired on as a doorman at Marsugi's. He also got me hooked on the Simpsons as well. 

3. I am grateful to the hardy daisies that keep coming back to bloom every year.
Its a nice treat to walk outside to a a bushel of flowers solaring in the sun!!

Day 4

1 Glad that I am getting to join a gym again. The first around wasn't so fun but I think this will be more my speed. What a nice birthday gift!!! 

2. Discovering new writers,well at least to me. Read my first Elmer Kelton novel this past week,Kelton was a prolific writer of Westerns. I only discovered him because one of his collections was at my local Dollar Tree. 

3. Speaking of Dollar Tree,I am grateful my store has customers who enjoy reading. Because of this,our store has a high turnover rate of books which in turns leads to fresh titles. This isn't always the case at other stores where they have the same old musty books for months on end.


 Okay,I am going to post this and hit the hay. Thank you for reading this and feel to drop a comment.

If you are on Twitter,follow me @Jinzo_2400


shout outs

San Jose State - We believe!
Sue,Cheryl and Deb - Thank you for my birthday week.
Marlene- thank you for letting me Crash sit next weekend!!
Jennifer- thanks for the 30 Day challenge! Its been fun so far!
Hello Kitty - We know you are a cat.
Donna - sending you light and peace
Rome - we got it right with the Rock as Black Adam!! Could be very bad-ass!

Writing Challenge - Day 7 - About the mighty Derek Jeter

Its 10:13 pm

     Had a rough day today,every day is getting rougher as I approach the anniversary of Lori's passing.

I am on edge outside of work....the silence is starting to get to me again. I am not sleeping very well,its very difficult going to bed when the other side of the bed is empty..I still wake up and reach for Lori,to hold her close,smell her hair,feel her breathing,her warmth.

   The dreams,when they come,are often of us just walking somewhere fun and new....Holland,Grand Haven,Chicago,Toronto...hand in hand,heart to heart,soul to soul. Just a reminder of what was and I hope to have again much sooner then later....I miss her terribly.

  I know we are supposed to blog new unpublished content but I am reposting this from my Notes on my Facebook. I am sharing this entry which I wrote about my cat Derek Jeter. Many of you know about our bond,many even got to see it and for the new readers who see his picture on my blog,well you can learn a little about him.

This was originally written 26 Jan 11.

 Its 11:34 am

As soooooooo many of you know,I have a cat. A 16 pound black and white domestic longhair/panther named Derek Jeter.I use him pretty much as my user picture because let's face it,he is a hella of a lot better looking then yours truly.

 Derek is a rescue..after my wife's beloved Geri crossed over after 19 years,it was agreed on that I would be able to get a cat. I hadn't had a cat of my own since owning a cat named Peanut eons ago....I had sort of adopted a lot of cats by proxy in San Jose...a fellow club pal named Chris Elliman used to have to tell all about his cat Sylvester. I used to invade my friend Pam Kelly's office every other Friday and we would spend an hour talking about the antics of her cats.  I wanted a cat as well but I was never home enough to seriously keep one. I was pretty much on the go,go,go...

  But now here in Michigan,I was finally able to get a cat for myself. We looked high and low for a suitable cat. Shelters,different animal groups and then one day,my wife said she found him. She emailed me a picture and when I got home,I was able to see him for the first time. He was living at the Cat Connection,a cat rescue group based in Royal Oak. As soon as I saw him,I was smitten...he had such a sweet yet curious look about him. And that beauty mark...

So we played phone tag with the Cat Connection,we wanted to adopt this cat...it was very nerve racking because it was last October and he was living in a shed with 6 other cats. Winter was coming and while the shed was safe and somewhat warm,still we wanted to get him home safe and with us.

  After 15 days,we were able to go over and meet "Loverboy" as he was then known as. He was very charming right away. While he was friendly enough,he hadn't been held much and wasn't used to it. He would tense up as soon as you picked him up. But he was very playful and we paid the 110.00 (I know,talk about a STEAL!!!!!!) adoption fee and off we went.

   The first thing we did was change his name to Derek Jeter. The 2nd thing was to see how he would interact with my wife's other cat,OSK (for Outside Side Kitty). I had a special place in my heart for OSK because he had overcome so much in his life,he had been abandoned by a former owner and lived in the woods behind my wife's house at the time.

Her mission to rescue OSK is a story all by itself and one to really make you cry...

 When I flew to meet my wife for the first time,I knew about her cats...when I told her I was part "cat whisperer" she laughed. Its true,I have been able to pet and talk about with about 99% of the cats I have met...except Michelle's Siamese which looking back was about 100% all feral and of course the infamous Phoenix,the cat of my friend Ellen. He still remains the meanest cat I have ever met. But other then that,I have been able to bond with just about every cat.

  But my wife said OSK was very shy and not people oriented. Her friends used to call him a "Ghost Cat" because while he in the house,you never saw him...

   So imagine my wife's surprise when she came home on the 9th day of my visit to see her "ghost" curled up on my chest sleeping away. I loved the OSK and any cat we brought in HAD to like the O,otherwise...it just wasn't going to work.

 Shortly after we brought Derek home,we moved. The move went smoothly except OSK now became a 100% indoor cat. I know,I hear all of you screaming "Hey...aren't you the all always screaming about cats being indoors all the time???" Yes,I am and I do....but as I said,OSK is a different tale and I had no control over his life. To this day,in the over 10 years I have had Derek and the 9 years we have had Ginger,they have never stepped outside ONCE.

  Derek liked to play with OSK but the O was 18 years old and didn't have much energy for a just out of kittenhood ball of fury. And Derek was a little rough,he would shoulder block the O and run away. When I caught him doing that,I returned the favor by doing the same....Derek loved it and that would trigger playtime. After we were done I would pick him up and talk with him. Each time I was able to hold him longer and longer. As the very first sign he was getting antsy,I would put him down.

    About 3 months after we got Derek,he woke me up by licking my head.I woke up and there he was,grooming me...over and over. Soon he started licking my arms and hands as well. But he never did to my wife. It was pretty weird and when we went to introduce Derek to Dr. Foss,we asked her about the behaviour,I thought maybe he was lacking salt in his diet...but Dr. Foss,after watching him lick my hands,said he merely saw me as a fellow cat and was indeed grooming me. She said he had chosen me as "his" human.

  My wife took to calling him "Licky",the first of many nicknames he was gotten over the years.

    Then one fateful day,my wife came home to find OSK on the floor very ill. We had no warning he had been feeling bad...she called Dr. Foss and despite it being 10 minutes to closing,Dr. Foss said she would wait...she had taken care of OSK his entire life. My wife scooped up the O and when he meowed weakly,for the first and only time,Derek hissed at a human,he was very upset at what was happening. She rushed the O in but time had caught up with the O and it was his time to meet God. After my wife said her good-byes and with Dr. Foss also crying,we let him go to reunite with Geri.

   Derek was pretty shaken,he walked the small apartment meowing for OSK. He and I walked the long hallway in our apartment until Derek flopped over and I would pick him up and walk back. It was a very sad time for all of us.

  I started noticing that when Derek flopped,he never attacked my hand when I petted his tummy. Normally a cat will show its tummy as a sign of ultimate trust but not always give you permission to touch it. Many of time I have seen owners see the tummy,start to pet it and get lit up for the trouble. Derek has never done that,it helps that just because he shows his tummy,I don't always pet it. I say "thank you,buddy" and pat him on his head.

  Derek is a pretty fearless cat and loves being with his family. He can be asleep in one room but when hears us talking in another,he'll come waltzing in and be like "What are you guys up to"? before curling up and looking at us. We noticed this and after waiting 20 minutes,would go into a another room and time him. Within 5 minutes,here comes Derek....with that same look.

    And his memory...one afternoon while walking the hall way,Derek spotted a spider in a corner,he then of course went over and promptly ate it. After that,everytime he went into the hall way,he would always go to that corner first. He never forgot his tasty snack...

  Derek's rise to fame started soon after we got him....3 months after we adopted him,the Cat Connection called us and told us that a local paper was doing a story about local rescues and that the CC had recommended us to them. I had to work but my wife took Derek down for a photo shoot and interview.  Once in a while I would take a picture of Derek with me when I worked. Dozens of people who either ask about him and/or share their animal stories.  I would get asked all the time about how Derek was doing and his latest adventures.

   Shortly before we moved,our apartment complex got hit with a mouse invasion...so imagine my shock when I was brushing my teeth when Derek came into the bathroom and stared at the trash can. Didn't move,didn't make a sound. I had never seen him sit like that so I said "Whats going on,buddy? Nothing in the trash can..." and as I picked it up,a mouse darted past me....he sprinted by us and made for the living room....Ginger and Derk both on its tail..Derek swatted at it and sent it cartwheeling across the room. I tossed a shoe at it and missed....it then ran towards me in the hallway...I managed to shut the bedroom door and kneeled before it,blocking it,it reversed course and headed for the kitchen,where Derek swatted it again....those swats took the air outta that mouse and a second later,it was all over. he had his first mouse kill. I took the bidy from him and buried it outside.

   Moving to our new house was really rough on both cats. Both hid in the basement for 3 days...normally I would have let them find their own way but see Derek crouched down really saddened me so I picked him up and sat with him in the den. I put him down,laid by him and talked sugar. After about an hour,we came over and rubbed noses with me. I petted him and he flopped and it was all good. Once Ginger saw Derek acting normal,she came upstairs as well.

   As you know,cats hate loud noises,our cats HATE the vacuum,you can simply touch it and they're both gone. We always give them time to escape,they both dash upstairs or if I'm upstairs,then down they go...

  But once again,Derek has surprised me. Now I always talk sugar to both cats when I get readdy to use the vaccum,to let them know to go to safety. But one day,Derek hung out on our bed. He didn't run...IF I gave him encouragement. So as I would clean,I would stop and tell him how good he was. And soon enough,he quit running when I was cleaning. Now he merely moves to another room and nevers runs. But some vacuums are louder then others so he does go upstairs if I'm using the Dyson. Hell,I can't blame him for that,that beast is loud indeed!

  Derek and I made it on the The Suze Orman Show. We watch Suze every week and our favorite segment is the "Can I Afford It ?". My wife and I wondered if we could afford to get a Scottish Fold kitten and so she emailed Suze our question. We didn't hear back,we thought with so many requests and so many different items,it just wasn't "sexy"enough. But a month went by and while I was at work,they repeated a earlier show. So I thought,what the hell,I'll try writing myself and so I did.

  3 days later I get a call from the Suze Orman Show and the producer loved my little note and asked me if I wanted to do it. What I had asked was for a infield partner for my cat,Derek Jeter. We did the paperwork and waited. After about 3 weeks...Suze called us and I asked her if I could afford a Scottish Fold 2nd baseman....she approved it and told me to hit a home run. Now you really don't get to chat with Suze before or afterwards,she is taping the show. Afterwards we waited and waited and waited some more. I had taped my call in July and we thought it would run in late August or so.

Imagine our surprise when the producer called and said we had made the Christmas show!!! So the show of Dec 2008,my call was on. It was very cute and a fun experience.

   But in the middle of 2009,the show called back...we were in the running for the best 3 calls of 2008! We were in shock because theere some seriously requests,cars,trips,robots....so we once again waited. The show called back and said we didn't make the cut but they wanted to know if we had spent the 1,000.00 needed to buy the kitten. Well,no...because we wouldn't buy a pure breed cat,we only get rescue cats and also because Derek is a one man cat. I'm his human and he is my cat...so I told show we saved the money and I was volunteering at the Humane Society.

Derek has many other celebrity friends,his favorite two are Kylie Ireland and Kelli Maroney,who often ask how he is doing and ask me to give him a pet for them.

   The Best Calls show came one....and while we didn't make the cut,we did make the most requested update segment!

It was pretty cool to say the least.

   Derek loves to play....he and I will play "spider fingers" where I'll make my hand walk like a spider and grab his back paws. He in turn will attempt to swat my hands. Its a pretty rare week where I don't have a small scratch on my hand. He is so fast! But he never,never tries to bite my hand. We play this game on the stairs,which explains why its covered with cat fur.

   He also is the master of the "flop". The flop? Oh yeah...when I follow him while he walks/runs around the house,he will roll on his right shoulder and show his tummy. But I don't grab his tummy,I go for his back paws and he'll flop back and forth while pushing with back paws and try and swat my hands. This is his 2nd favorite thing to do with me...his favorite is "talking".

  Other then in his carrier,Derek is a pretty quiet cat. He'll randomly meow once in a while...his "I'm here" meow. And when birds or rabbits cruise by,he'll make his hunting meow. But that is very rare and other then that,he is very quiet.

Until bedtime or making the bed. Then he and I will chat...he jumps on my bed and I look him in the eye,he'll go "meow" and I say "meow" back...trying to catch his tone. I do quite a bit as then we'll start meowing back and forth. Its goes anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes and always ends up with me picking him up and holding him very close. He snuggles in my arms and I hold him quietly until he starts moving. I never hold Derek anymore then he wants and often will put him down even before he is ready...but that is important because when we first got him,he was very shy about being held. But on his own terms,he loves to be held and his fur brushed. In fact,saying the word "brush" brings Derek sprinting up the stairs. I groom him 1-3 times a week.

 Changing the bed is also a great deal of fun....Derek loves it. Trying to put a clean sheet/blanket is an adventure and drives my wife crazy. He loves diving under the covers and will pounce on a hand if he senses it.

  The last thing I'll share about Derek is his love for Burger King fries. Its the ONLY people food he likes other then tuna.

He'll eat about 3-5 fries and be so happy. We don't do BK very much but when we do,we always ask for 3-5 fries and explain our cat really likes them....more often then not,instead of 3-5 fries,we get a small order because the cashier will crack up about a french fry eating cat.

So that is my cat...he really is the best cat.

Derek stayed with me until 21 Sept 13. I was honored that he picked me to share his life's journey.

shout outs

Thanks to all of you who have started reading my blog.

Have Cat,Will Love

Its 10:18 pm

   Its cool and dark outside,fall is slowly making its way here while summer is still hanging on. It was a rainy day but still pretty warm considering. I know I am racing the clock when it comes to get getting ready for winter. But after next week,I will be able to get some badly needed work done on my house and get the Rodger Young checked out for winter as well. My job is only 3.4 miles from my house but I happen to drive through the most dangerous intersection in Michigan on a daily basis so making sure my car is ready has to happen!
  So the big news of the day is I have a new cat to share my life with. I want to stress that while I wish I had more time to let Derek's passing ease a little,quite frankly,I just couldn't go much longer without some life in this house or there wasn't going to be any life at all. So I started looking at the various rescue groups in the area. There were no Scottish Folds to be had and I already knew that,so I started looking at other cats.
 After poking around here and not really seeing anyone who spoke to me,my friend Theresa suggested looking at Taylor and some of the rescues there. While I was doing that,a co-worker told my friend Kim about a small kitten that had been abandoned by her new house. We took on that and I asked the co-worker,Edie,if she could handle the cat. At first she said "yes" and that it was very friendly. But when it came to go get it,I asked her to secure it in a room until I could drive out there. I can't afford the gas for a wild goose chase and needed to be sure it was there.
  Edie gave it a run by trying to pick it up but it wasn't having any of that and it squirmed out of her hands and bolted away. It was a valiant effort however.
  I was looking for a pair of brother cats and that is what I was looking for...I asked about a handsome cat named Rex in Taylor but they didn't seem too sure about about any behaviour issues and if he could be handled safely. So sadly,I had to move on again.
  I went to another local rescue called Homeward Bound right here in Canton. I looked at their selection of cats and thought I had hit paydirt,there were two 7 month old black and white cats who were brothers,ready to be adopted. I sent in via email my paperwork for the adoption background check.
 The next day,the group sent a mail back saying they got my paperwork but not my answers! So I refilled and mailed back.
  Friday afternoon,the contact person,Nancy,called and left a message. I called her back,played phone tag and waited. 20 minutes later she called...
  Nancy was a foster mom for Homeward Bound and she was fostering the cats I liked. Fostering a dog or a cat is just as it seems. You are fostering them until a shelter space opens up or if they are recovering from a medical issue. You are a temporary home,not a forever home. It takes a special kind of pet lover to foster and ONLY foster. Nancy was not that kind of person. The first thing she said was the cat I asked about,well her son wanted it since they had raised him from a kitten. But she said the other one could go along with another litter mate. This was not my intention,I wanted the cat that I applied for and that was on the website. But when she said that the cats weren't neutered,I got a bad feeling about this. And when she said she had 12 cats in her home and that the adoption fee was 125.00 per cat,I knew it was a hopeless cause. She told me that Huron Valley Animal Rescue was having a huge giveaway due to a huge hoarding case in Ypsilanti that had happened this week. A total of 88 cats were rescued from some of the worst conditions animal control officers had ever seen. The shelter needed all the spots so every cat above 5 months old were being given away free.
   Nancy,whom I suspect we'll be hearing about in a future hoarding case,did her group no favors with how poorly she handled this. Her job is to place the cats in loving forever homes,not bait and switch the cats there. I definitely would never suggest Homeward Bound as a loving rescue group if that is the caliber of people they have working under there banner.
  Yesterday morning I woke and watched my first college football game of the year,Northern Illinois at Purdue. NIU was kicking Purdue's ass up and down the field. So at halftime I brought up Huron Valley's website up so I could see what and who was up for adoption. There was a lot of cute cats so I jumped up,grabbed by keys and wallet and headed to Dixboro.
  It was a strange feeling,this was the first time I had driven this route since Lori. This was the way I drove when she was in the hospital. It brought a flood of emotions to me as I drove and I had to pull over to compose myself.

  I reached the shelter and it was jammed pack,nary a parking spot to be had...I parked on a berm along with other folks and walked in.
  The hallway was crowded but it was a organized chaos. The volunteers and staff had everything in order.
You came in,signed some paperwork to get a pet pass (which is good for 90 days) and they guided you along the shelter.
  I did the paperwork,got my pass and went it. The first I saw was in a cage by himself with cute lettering saying he was Duncan,the Ladies Man. He was handsome but there was a lot of cats to look at. I walked through every cage and petted some nice cats. Many were older surrenders who had been there for months..but on this weekend,many would going home to new loving cat parents. I saw box after pet box of cats leaving with excitied families. As I was walked around,I kept thinking of that Duncan cat and how personable he seemed to be. So as I headed back to meet him,I saw a young couple walk into his cage and start petting him. Suddenly,I knew I wanted to adopt him,I could see how sweet he seemed to be.
  It was rotten but they were inside,I grabbed his adoption page and got in line. I felt better once they left but didn't bother to look for his paperwork.

   When I told the staff member I wanted to adopt Duncan,she was really happy. He had been turned in as a stray 6 months ago but he wasn't a stray. He had been neutered so he either was lost or abandoned...and in his case,I daresay he was lost.
   It took about 30 minutes to complete the paperwork,in that time I met the arresting officer in the hoarding case. Sadly,two cats had died due their terrible conditions with another 10-12 in a 50-50 mode for survival.
 The woman was charged with animal cruelty and her house was condemned because it was unlivable.
The staff told me Duncan was an escape artist and to be aware of that. Several members came back to say goodbye and that he was a good cat.
  With that,we drove the 15 miles home,I told him his new name was Paladin and he stayed quiet up right when we got home.

   Why only one cat? Because Paladin doesn't play nice with others at all....and when I let him loose in the house...it was pretty intense. He started sniffing very heavy and jumped on the window sill. He was hissing and growling but I excepted that....I had closed off the pantry and spare bedroom and let him have his head to explore.
I popped down and said hello every 15 minutes or so...but never approached him,forcing contact with only scare him and get my self scratched or seriously bitten. The roughest moment was he started coming forward growling towards me...I told him,I understand you are scared but if you attack me,we're going to have a problem. He looked at me and I said "A major problem". He jumped back on the window and I went upstairs after setting up his food and water and litter.
   I left to check Crash and spent some time with him before coming back...Paladin was at the door but I gently shooed him back. He hissed but didn't growl.
  An hour later he came upstairs for a visit and explore. He went back down but came up and jump on the bed...he marked me,gave me a head bunt and went to my bedroom window.
  I went down to secure the house and he rubbed against my leg and hissed. I had to laugh at that but he then played with his toys and meowed at me.
  Today is great,he has accepted me except he has biting issues when he gets petted too much,this can be corrected with training He loves the window sill and when I leave my front door open. He tried to come with me out the back door and I had to use my lunchbox to push him back. He does seem very unsure about the stairs,especially the basement. But again,those are things we can work on together. I am letting him call the shots as when he wants to play or be petted,he is relaxing quite rapidly. Next week I will see if I can hold him and how he reacts to that,he has to pass that test. I have to know I can handle him in case of a medical issue and need to get him in the carrier. So wish us luck with that...


Got my review today at work. It was a very nice review and my DH was very thoughtful in how she wrote it.
She was very respectful of what has been happening but she said she thought I had a "quirky sense of humor" with my peers while taking my job very serious. Hmm,sounds like my old days at the EDGE,I am all about fun but the job has to come first. She encouraged me to take the next step forward and I intend to do that,I feel like I really need to start pushing myself hard again. I can't stay in the dark forever,right? I know that Lori would want me to move my ass...but its very tough to do that at times. One thing I need to do better is stick with my to-do lists,get projects lined up and follow through all the way.

And I need to write here more again...I notice when I don't write,my mood worsens. Hence back to grind of more regular writing....


And with that,let me wrap this up. There is always tomorrow.

If you are on Twitter,please follow me at

@Jinzo_2400

For Derek

Its 11:46 pm



      The sound of silence is everywhere except for the sound of my typing,a clock and the tears that drop from my eyes. First Ginger,then Lori and now my beloved Derek Jeter has left me.

  We got Derek back in 2000 from the Cat Connection in Royal Oak,Michigan. He was 9 months old when we drove out there and picked him up. He was so beautiful and soft,Lori and I had fallen in love with him the second we saw his picture.
   Derek was a fun loving cat...full of joy and adventure. He loved tapping at the water from the bathroom sink and destroying the toilet paper on the rolls. This would sometimes cause problems as when he ruined our last two rolls and I had to drive in a snowstorm to get some fresh TP.

Derek really was the prefect friend for me...he loved to hang out where ever we were in either the apartment or the house. And he was a very brave cat as he learned to not run from vacuum or mini carpet cleaner. This took years but he slowly overcame that fear thanks to the bond of trust he and I built. I loved to pet his tummy and he would purr loudly and once he grabbed for my hands,I quit and looked for something to entertain him with.

He and I only had one rough moment in our 13 years,he once cornered OSK,Lori's older cat,in a corner and wouldn't let him out. This was pretty early in our relationship and while I loved Derek,I also loved OSK very much and was pretty angry to see him bullied in his own home. I could hear his sad meow and while Derek was only playing,OSK was almost 18 years old and didn't have any play left in him. So Derek and I had a small meeting and he agreed to be a good boy around OSK and he really was.
 To help relieve Derek of the small apartment,I used to let him walk up and down the hallway. Back and forth we would walk. He would explore every inch of that walk way and when he got tired,he would flop on his side,this was what Lori called the "Licky flop".
  Why Licky? From the first week we got him,he loved licking me. My hands,arms,legs and Lori shook awake one night because he was licking my hair! But he never once ever licked Lori. We were pretty perplexed to say the least and when we took Derek in to see Dr. Foss the first time,we commented on this weird habit. I thought maybe he had a salt problem,like not getting enough of it.
  Turns out all he was doing was grooming me,he saw me as a cat and this was what cats do with other cats. Except he really loved doing it. For a brief time,I had to resort to wearing a cap on my head when I slept just so we could get some sleep.

Derek had a sensitive soul. Other then being put in his carrier for the move over to the new house,he only hissed at us once...when Lori came home to find OSK sick and on the floor. When Lori picked him up,he meowed at her and Derek hissed because he thought she was hurting him. OSK died that day and for a while Derek was a bit lost until we got Ginger.
 Ginger and Derek were a odd pair at first,they liked each other but didn't have much interaction with each other. Ginger bonded with Lori while Derek was definitely my boy. His jumping prowess became the stuff of legend as he loved to jump on anything just because it was there.
  When Lori and I took in Leo and her two litters of kittens,Derek was often on point as to when they would show up at our patio. We wouldn't see a thing but Derek would and would chirp while looking outside,we would turn on our porch light and there were Leo,Sarge and the 5 kittens. Derek was more curious about them then anything but we didn't allow any contact.
  It was at the apartment that Derek got his first mouse...and where I trusted him if I saw him stare at anything. I was in the bathroom of all places when Derek started meowing and scratching at the door. This was common but the non-stop meowing wasn't. I opened the door to see Ginger and him standing there. Derek walked to the trash can and just stared at him....I was "what are you looking at,goofy cat"? and proceeded to movie the can...and a mouse streaked out through the two cats.
 This was their first mouse and while they went after it with gusto,including Ginger swatting it across the room,they ended up losing it.
   We discovered a hole in the kitchen sink and had the apartment repair crew plug it up. We thought we were mouse free until two later when Derek killed his first one. And one the following week. The crew came back out and rebuilt the wall and that ended that.

Derek was starting to garner his own fame as well....while working at Farmer Jack,many customers would come by and ask how he was doing...he ended up being mentioned in 5 CDs in the "thank you" section. Adam Marsland,who was doing a solo tour,enjoyed Derek's company at the apartment when he stayed over after a show.
   The house was a Godsend for both cats....well,after the first 3 days that is. As they became comfortable with it,the playful activity picked up. The stairs were often used as a race track as Derek would be forever running up and down...he became even closer to us. We started noticing that wherever we went in the house,within 5 minutes,Derek would show up.....while Ginger was happy to sleep somewhere. We would be sitting doing our Family Meeting when he would saunter down the stairs upon hearing our voices and jump on the table and stay for the meeting.
  I often told Lori that I knew it was a going to be a good day when I saw her and Derek in the morning...Ginger was always downstairs waiting for food.

It was because of Derek that we ended up on the Suze Orman Show twice. I asked Suze if we could afford a Scottish Fold playmate for Derek on her "Can I Afford It" segment. Not only did we make it on her Christmas shows,we also made it back on in a "Updated Calls" segment as few months later. And the answer was "You're Approved" (which surely wouldn't be the case now!! *smh*).
   Its funny how when you are so close to a cat,you instantly notice certain things..like how where once your buddy would jump on the table,he starts looking for a easier way up,his naps become longer,he no longer sprints after you when you jiggle the catnip can.
  I started knowing this...and hated it. I told Lori how much I hated seeing him slow down and she would tell me to stop worrying about him.
   We developed new games....the catnip chase,flopping and the cutting coupons "help". Life was good until Lori's cancer. Both cats really sensed that something was wrong right away. The past three years they were even more loving and watchful....Derek stayed close to Lori after her chemo and radiation,as did Ginger. I used to leave and say "Guard the house and guard Lori" and come home to see both cats sprawled out by her,either in bed or on the couch.
  When Ginger died of kidney failure in April,Derek meowed for her....and he did the same when Lori died.
In fact when I came home from hospice,he was curled up on her bed,waiting for her. He was the perfect cat in so many ways.

Derek and I played PS/2 as well.....note who is winning the game......his controller is hidden.




After Lori passed away,I blogged about his sudden weakness he developed and had to rush him in. Dr. King ran bloodwork and said his potassium was down and gave me a medicine to help him. It worked and soon,he was back to his old self.
  But last Thursday night,he started showing the same signs and I cracked open a can of catfood and mixed in his med. He ate half and sat with me watching TV. Friday morning he was still wobbly and I got the first sign that this was more serious when he didn't eat at all. I had to work that night so I put him in range of his food and water along with his litterbox.
   When I came home,he had dragged himself to the front door and was waiting for me. He was much weaker then when I left....I offered him food which he didn't want and then went downstairs to give him privacy with his litterbox....when I went down 20 minutes later,he was under the staircase and that was the sign I had been dreading. Cats often go somewhere quiet and hidden to die and that was what I was seeing with Derek. I took him and laid him in his comfy bed for the night and set the alarm. His vet was open at 8 am on Saturday and when I woke up....he had not moved from his bed. I did what Lori had done so many years ago with OSK,I scooped him up and ran.
   I just couldn't believe this was happening AGAIN! There is nothing worse then watching someone you love so much,die before your eyes.
   I rushed him and 25 minutes later,the X-rays showed a large mass in his lungs,he was dying and there wasn't  anything I could do about it..except honor my promise to send him home to be with Lori and Ginger. I thanked him for picking me to share his life with and that it was a honor to have loved him so much. And with that,my family was all gone.....the heartache I have...I don't know why I am here anymore...there is no joy here,only sadness and the awful silence that remind me of what was once a beautiful home. Now its just a place I sleep at....

   I like to thank my friend Rich G. from my job for helping me bury Derek. I buried him in our flowerbed out back,next to Ginger.

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

I love you Derek....I'll see you all very soon.
 

What Is Honor? (plus a Derek Jeter update)

Its 8:12 pm

    Been in a grip of a terrible heat wave here in SE Michigan. Our temps have been hitting anywhere between 95-100 with the heat index adding 5-7 degrees each day. Add in the humidity and its very damn hot.
 

   Our store is doing what we started last year,when its this blazing hot,we pass out free water to folks who are shopping. It fosters goodwill and ensures that no one will go thirsty while shopping with us.

Seems like so much has happened since I last posted a normal entry....Detroit is declaring bankruptcy,George Zimmerman got away with murder,the black community is targeted fixated on this one case while black on black murder rates soar in Chicago and Detroit. The media continues to drive a wedge between America both racially and economically. Folks continue to struggle in just trying to live a normal day to day life. The storm clouds are gathering....

So Derek Jeter is sick. What I thought was possible foot problems has turned into something more serious. Last Sunday I came home and he could barely walk....I called Marlene and asked her if she knew any 24 hour vets in the area...she wasn't aware of any so I turned to Google and started looking. The only one I saw listed was in Pittsfield Township which is slightly beyond Ann Arbor. I posted on my FB page about that and Michelle Ball was kind enough to direct me to a clinic in Plymouth.
  I got Derek in his carrier and head out to the ER at 9 pm. I can tell you,I was pretty scared for my buddy. He is my last family member and the thought of possibly losing my entire family in a mere 2 months time was just awful. I found the clinic and after 15 minutes we were seen. Derek was a perfect gentleman,came out of his carrier with little coaxing and buried his head in my arms. His weight was only 15 pounds,he has never weighed less then 18 during his adulthood and as much as 20 during the winter months.
  As the tech left and we waited for the doctor,we heard a man and woman crying outside our door. Their dog had a incurable illness and the time had come for him to cross the rainbow bridge. It was sad hearing them both crying...I stuck my head out and told him how sorry I was for their loss. The dog was pretty cute but skinny,I don't know what he had but I know Shelby was loved very much.
  The vet came in and gave Derek a quick check up....he started outlining treatment options,X-rays,meds,etc...by the time he was done,he had no idea what Derek had and wanted me to pay 750.00 just for him to share that with me.
 The only thing asked,was he in mortal danger? The vet said "no" and I packed Derek up,paid the bill and headed home. The next morning saw us in Dr. King's office...she was the vet that treated Ginger's kidney failure. Now we back with her again as she examined Derek. She couldn't tell right away but suggested we run blood and I agreed. Turns out that Derek's potassium and red blood cell counts are low. Dr. King has started him on Renal K and we will go back in 10 days for another check-up. Dr. King also waived the rabies shot requirement for any future nail clipping we may have need of.




This week saw me see Pastor Debbie Miller for the first time since Lori's passing away. Despite some really bad days,I seemed to have gotten a firmer grip on things and I felt okay when I walked in. So I was pretty surprised at how much pain was so close to the surface. It will be two months tomorrow that my Lori has left me and I am still just as lost and confused as day one. I do function better and am putting the bridle in between my teeth for a good pull. Seeing "Pacific Rim" tomorrow with my fellow fanboys,Dom and Rome,giving blood Sunday afternoon at St. John Neumann's. Our store is also having two volunteer projects that I signed up for,we are working to restore two community centers in Wayne and Inkster. We did really well on our car wash and with our new ASM spearheading and cheerleading our way to new projects,its a nice way to pay it back a little bit! Can't wait to get the ball rolling.

  One thing I have doing as of late is clearing my life of toxic people. Some people may have appeared to have cared about my situation but I can see that they really don't at all.Sometimes its take the most unlikely event to show someone that.
  Honor. What does honor mean? It means different things to many people,doesn't it?
So actor Cory Montieth overdosed this week. Locked himself in a hotel room with booze and some heroin and ended up dying a very empty,senseless and dishonorable death. And just like most famous deaths,you had people rushing to his defense,saying how talented he was,how he had a bad childhood,was sexually abused,etc,etc...the same yada,yada we heard when Amy Winehouse or any other "name" dies so early.
I posted the following on my wall:

Cory Monteith is leaving Glee for a new exciting role on The Walking Dead where he'll play a singing zombie who helps Rick form a choir...

I admit,maybe it was a little soon but honestly,seeing this happened made me mad. Now my brother Phil or any of my friends in the music/nightclub business can tell you,addiction sucks. I already related how my friend Larry got caught up in crack(but is in recovery as of this writing),my pals Sean and Johnny,both very good artists,got caught up in speed,my booking mentor,Nancy,became a alcoholic. I just posted about my friend Javier,whose brother and sister are both heroin addicts. To me,its about choice,freewill. We choose to abuse narcotics,alcohol or street drugs. Well,it used to be that simple....with so many doctors simply writing heavy pain meds instead of treating the patient,the next generation of addicts may rightfully be able to say "Its not my fault". Maybe....but for now,anyone who chooses to shoot heroin,crack,meth...you do it at your own peril. I don't have any sympathy for this Cory. To this I was accused of being judgemental and having anger issues. Simply because I stated that yes,I am angry at this dude who had everything going for him,a good career,a loving girl,respect of his peers..the world was his. I know he had issues and I respect that but to come out of rehab and say "fuck you all" as he slid the needle in his arm,yeah...I have a problem with that.
He threw his life away so easy while good people like Amy and my Lori,fought so hard against a illness they didn't ask for and wanted to live so much. I talked to Amy's husband Don about this and he agreed how this kind of story upsets him as well. Cory had a choice to live,not to let his past define him,to control him...he said "nope" and now he is dead.
  I had been invited out to lunch to discuss a chance to write for a website....but when the person saw this,she attacked me for not having compassion. She herself is a great example that Cory could have looked at and modeled his recovery after. This person had a problem herself and had to overcome it and everyday she has to WORK very hard at it....and that is good. Might have been better not to have ended up there in the first place but that was again,her choice. The difference is she realized that her choice was not healthy and decided to get help. She looks at Cory through the eyes of a addict,I look at him through the eyes of someone who never used drugs or drank barely anything. Looking at the glass differently.
  Soon after,I saw the following posted on her and her partner's FB wall "a code of honor". Soon after I got the following letter. Its actually pretty classless and again,attacking me and questioning my "honor". All I can say is this....my friends and co-workers know who I am. They know exactly how I conduct myself in regards to people and situations. Because I won't enable or condone the fact this kid tossed his life away like a empty Slurpee cup,doesn't give you or anyone else the right to question my "honor". I don't need cancers like this in my circle and that is why you're no longer welcome in it.

• Conversation started Thursday
• 

  4:0

  Adam Zientarski

  
  

  Patrick,
  

  TPE has just implemented a new code of honor that has a level of expectation for all people to be accorded respect. In light of your recent comments on Facebook, Trish and I feel it's best, at this time, to not forge ahead with any business relationship. We both understand you are going through a difficult time and we respect that, but we also believe you need time to get a hold of of your anger towards those who are not the reason for it.

  We would like to reassess a writing position at the start of 2014. We are still your friends and hope you understand we are fostering a community of respect and concern for all - please see our code of honor.

  TPE CODE OF HONOR

  1. Never desert a team member in need, danger, or trouble.

  2. Communication is key and expected. Respond to all emails, messages, phone calls, text messages and online messages, etc . in a timely manner or let them know when you will be available.

  3. Follow through on your commitments. A deadline is a deadline, if you need more time communicate why and how much more time.

  4. Always use honesty to resolve a dispute and good communication practices.

  5. Never desert an individual or group to which you owe your support.

  6. Never discredit your ability, but acknowledge when you need help.

  7. Never need praise, approval or sympathy.

  8. Realize that outside relationships and actions could harm TPE. Always keep TPE in your best interests.

  9. Never regret yesterday. If you make a mistake fix it. Don't dwell on it or make excuses.

  10. Don’t desire to be liked or admired.

  11. Set and complete your goals

  12. Keep all confidences with those working with you and toward the greater good.

  13. Respect those you work for and with by asking fulfilling your obligations.

  14. Help others, and if you can't, at least don't hurt them.

  Thanks,

  Adam Zientarski
  General Manager TPE
• 

  4:48pm
  

  MichaelNot a problem.

Now that felt pretty good....and speaking of honor,got a from the world of horror conventions. A couple of weeks ago,a actress friend of mine attended a show in California. She was one of the big name guests and posters and other PR went out hyping her involvement. Tickets were sold,promises in terms on contracts and hotel accommodations were given and all seemed in order.


My friend packs her table with her usual convention fare,pictures,DVDs,chainsaws and blood and heads north. She even posted pictures of the trip and how excited she was getting to meet a lot of fans.
 Well,she got there and the promoter turns straight up shady. My friend doesn't get paid,she was locked out of her hotel room (most likely because the deposit check bounced) and she had to pay for her meals....all things that a professionally run convention handles. I was pretty shocked to say the least...I thought conventions were booked like a live music show. You know,you call the artist you want agent or manager...they send you a contract w/a rider. You send back the contract along with a deposit and after the show,you settle with the artist or the artist's road manager. But I guess they do things differently and my friend expected a honorable settlement and it didn't turn out that way. Which is a damn shame because my friend is one of the sweetest persons I have come across. Out of respect for her,I am not naming names but if this janky wannabe tries to pull out another scam....we'll be dropping names for sure!

  This week is Lori's birthday week. She would have turned 54 on the 25th of July and I got a nice gift from Arbor Hospice,a 3,000.00 bill. I knew this was coming and I have been dreading this...I had hoped our insurance would have covered this but nope...its all on me. I wonder if anyone would help me set up a Kickstarter to help raise some money for this. I really hate how they sent me this bill THIS week. I mean,really?? Just another hurdle to overcome,right?

All is not lost as I will be cat sitting for my neighbor Marlene as she and her son go on vacation. It will be nice to chill with the famous Crash again. He is the most talkative cat this side of a Siamese and I'm sure he has an opinion on the state of Detroit and other current topics.


All right.....I'm outta here. Be safe and keep the faith,baby!

Back in the saddle

Its 8:42 pm

     Happy Father's Day everyone.

While I am not a dad in the true sense,I am still a dad to my cat,Derek. He greeted me at the door today,tail high and a couple of happy "meows" to welcome me home.


Been a busy week here since I last had a chance to write anything. Started my trial run at my new job,I like it  but am concerned at how I am being trained and at how high the turnover rate is for my job. I already have heard at least 4 people haven't lasted a month and all of them had quit. Doesn't sound too promising but I am going to give it a serious go....
  While that was happening,I took advantage of a slow week at my main job and slowly started to clean the house. I cleaned both bathrooms and emptied out most of Lori's old make-up. It was stuff that went old when she couldn't really wear it anymore. Old vitamins,outdated meds from the first round...I discovered that one can clean despite having tears roll down your face. But I didn't stop this time,buckled down and finished it.
   I resumed writing my "thank you" cards that I received and then wrote my managers and my coworkers cards as well,thanking them for their support. I know this will appear to be incredibly late and there really no excuse for it...but I simply didn't have the will to write those cards until this week. I also finished up and hand delivered the rest of the cards to Lori's team at Lane Bryant. It was good to see Jomana again,she is the world class baker I have written about before. She had baked several hundreds of cakes and other goodies for her own business until she came down with carpel tunnel syndrome and had to semi-retire. She now just makes these awesome chocolate turtles during Christmas time.
   She mentioned that they still haven't found anyone to try and fill Lori's spot. I can't really blame them...no one is going to be able to run that business and team build like Lori and I actually feel very sorry for the next person to manage that store. I chatted a little longer then walked over to Target...they have some pretty good deals on DVD sets this week and I picked up two from the bargain bin,the one and only season of SyFy's "Flash Gordon" and a spin off of "Law and Order" called "Conviction"which last on 13 episodes before getting the hook at NBC. But at 7 and 5 bucks,how can you go wrong with that?? I also picked Derek up a can of catfood,we have agreed that Sunday will be treat day as far as his having wet catfood.
 Friday afternoon saw me lose all cable,internet and phone service. I called Comcast from Al's house and I got ahold of a service tech....based in Mexico! He said a service call would take place on Saturday...which of course never happened. So I decided to wait til Monday before calling because I didn't think they would actually send anyone out on the weekend,at least not for a single house...Al's cable was working with no problem,he was pretty amused at the fact I was directed to Mexico for a Michigan problem. I told him that twice I had ended up in the Philippines while trying to solve a computer/internet issue.
 Saturday night while I was watching a "Murder She Wrote" marathon,my doorbell rang. My neighbor came over and said her cable was down as well...she called as well and said they were supposed to send a guy over earlier that day which turned into a "no show". She called them back up and complained again about having no service for the past two days. When they told her it was an isolated incident,she mentioned that it affected me as well. They said they would send someone out Sunday....and at 11:30 am,they did.
  Seems like another neighbor was either cutting his grass or digging...either way,it resulted in a cut cable. Comcast rolled a crew out to replace the cut cable and I was back online. Funny,I actually didn't mind the little time off....I finished a book about D-Day and started reading Larry King's executive producer,Wendy Walker's book "Producer" which I plucked off my huge backlog of books of which I still have about 100 to read. (Heidi,I'm sending your book out tomorrow). The book is a little too self egoist for my taste but I'm only on page 62 of a 280 page book,plenty of time to turn it around...
 As I mentioned,I watched the first season of "Murder She Wrote" on my DVD player,I also watched "The Lake House" as well....we had been sitting on that one for a while and never got to see it together. It was sort of hokey and cheesy but well intended and harmless.
  But I do have to share one thing before I found this all out. After I left my new job,I stopped by the Westland Humane Society to look at the cats. I am trying to decide if I want to get Derek another cat to chill with. Now he is 13.5 years old and while that may seem old to introduce him to a new kitty,just remember,he has ALWAYS been around other cats.
  I took a good long look at all the cats,there were several beautiful cats just waiting for a forever home. Some were very talkative,some had some very impressive motors ( i.e. loud purrs). I was looking for a 2-4 year old male kitty that gets along with others. I saw two...a black and white 2 year old named Charlie. I liked Charlie quite a bit but he seemed too nervous and unsure of himself. I think he deserves another look and the other cat was a 4 year old snowshoe mix named "Mark". Mark was only nine pounds but when I read his chart,I saw that he was a bit mouthy. This means he plays a little too rough for my comfort. I loved his motor however,he was a very friendly cat....
  I decided to look at the dogs....and I was pretty surprised to see that the Westland branch is now adopting pit bulls. They used to hold them or any pitbull mixes for three days before killing them. The policy has changed and now they are up...and up...and up. I saw at least 5 pit bulls that were up for grabs. They were very playful and excited but not for me. I am strictly a cat guy....
  I am going back to take a peek at Charlie again on Tuesday and see how he handles being in a private room with me,if he is calm and mellow,I might have to take a chance and see if he and DJ can hit it off.

A small musical break,brought to you by the October Project.


  I went to get my mail on Thursday morning. Inside was a note from Lori's insurance company,The Hartford. The envelope was addressed to her...which was perplexing to me.
See,the day after Lori passed away,I had to start calling places to let them know that she had died. One of them was the Hartford because they were paying Lori's short term disability pay. I called and talked to an agent who was sorry about Lori and said she would handle things on her end as far as stopping payments to me.
   I got a call a week later,it seems that the Hartford had over paid us 430.37 cents after Lori had died. I called them back and they explained what happened,no problem...I would be happy to return the money and so I did. I wrote a check and sent it,then called to let them know I did. Pretty simple and straight forward,right?
  I walked inside the house and opened the letter. Inside was a letter addressed to Lori stating that the Hartford had received the check and this was a receipt for said check. I stared at this letter in complete amazement...then I got royally pissed off.
  I called the Hartford claims office,found the person who sent the letter and left a very "loving,calm and serene" message about how fucking clueless and insensitive she was for doing such a asshole thing.
But I wasn't happy with that so I called back and got a supervisor on the phone and repeated the same thing.
I just couldn't believe it,I had talked to three different people about what was going on...the supervisor tried to say that maybe the file wasn't updated...well it sure as shit was when you needed your 430.37 cents back,wasn't it? But not updated to reflect Lori's passing? Horseshit and that is what I said to her.
   I posted this little adventure on my Facebook wall and was taken aback when Don Neilson,Amy's husband and all around nice guy,said he was getting mail addressed to Amy NINE MONTHS after the fact.
I understand some stuff is unavoidable,Lori's magazines subscriptions and junk mail. But to places like the Hartford and now Lane Bryant (!!!) and Comcast,yeah,I am going to be very nasty about this. Its offensive as hell to keep sending things in her name when I have called and told you what has happened and switched everything over in my name.

I know,I can I hear Michelle up in North Dakota saying "Holy crow,you are so scattered tonight"!!

 Last item. There is a very nice young lady at my day job named Anna. She has been there for 6 years but recently decided to leave and focus on her other job as well. She is studying to be a psychologist and I think she'll make a fine one. For the past two weeks,she has been insisting that she wanted to donate a little money to me as I try and make my way through the financial mess that cancer brings. I tried several times to say she didn't need to do that,that her kindness was enough for me.
  Well she caught me in the break room today and passed a little something to me. I just wanted to say "thank you,Anna" for thinking of me and my situation. I am very grateful.

Another musical highlight....the mighty Dave Alvin in action.

  He posted on Facebook tonight that he was playing at a place in San Antonio,Texas called Sam's Burgers. Not only was he playing on a Sunday which was bad enough but also was going against the Spurs-Heat game as well. That said,Dave said that tonight he might play a set based solely on what the fans wanted. All I know is this....I sure wish like hell I could have been there for this show!!!


Last,last item.  I like to say congratulations to Amy Lange and her husband Michael Shore for winning a Emmy Award Saturday night for their story about Josh Arnold who plays goalie for a local team...with only one hand. His special courage and Amy's great reporting of it won the three of them an Emmy. After Josh got his award,he wrote Amy a letter and personally delivered it to her house. What mighty hearts...




(Photo by Dewayne Croff)




(Photo by Michael Shore)