My Sick Mind

The world is a difficult place when I'm sad. Radio and TV shows go on merrily without me, and their stupid antics and stale jokes seem lost on me. Usually, when I most want to be isolated and left to do my own reacting, the world reacts for me. This past week I have been to two Phillies games and this weekend I am going to two Dave Matthews Band shows. Some would say that they are a necessary distraction, but had I known the sadness that I would have experienced last weekend, I would have put the tickets on Ebay and been done with it.   Now however, I am forced to deal with the world and they with me. So, screw them if I'm cranky or sad. Their day to day drabble is meaningless by comparison.   Generally, the world goes on without me, and that makes me feel slightly less significant, but I suppose in a world of 600 billion people, I should have felt that way anyhow.   I'm not a "reach out" type of person. I'm more of a "reach in" type. T...

Kitty February 11, 1991 - September 14, 2009 We picked him out of the Gloucester County Animal Shelter over 18 years ago. Or, I should say, he picked us. I had my eye on a 7-year old who needed rescuing, while my wife was over with the kittens. She picked out a little 8 week-old black ball of fur who attached himself to her sweater and refused to let go. The kitten went home with us.   I remember my first vet visit with Kitty a little over 18 years ago. The ex and I had taken to calling him Kitty Cat, since we couldn't come up with a name. The receptionist was filling in his info for their file, and she asked me his name. I sat dumbfounded for a second or two and, feeling too embarrassed to say his name was Kitty Cat, I responded with K.C. So, as far as the vet was concerned, his name was K.C. I don't know if they ever figured out that it stood for Kitty Cat.   K.C. died today. His kidney ailment had progressed to anemia, and his blood work numbers were off ...

The local colleges have something they call "continuing education" or "adult education," something like that. What most of them lack is a class called "Pet ownership" which could provide more continuing education than any computer awareness course or some pottery class could think about. I took the boy to the vet today. He has had a kidney ailment that they call Renal Failure for a few years that has progressed slowly, mostly thanks to my low-protein high-omega 3 diet that he has been on. But, as with most diseases, the body succumbs. Now it seems his has as well. The progression of his kidney ailment has contributed to anemia. The anemia has contributed to his lack of appetite and the ensuing weight loss. He's down to 6.5 pounds now, which is mostly skin and bones. By the way, that photo is one of my favorites (including the one yesterday) and hangs over my desk at work. I have no idea what he is staring at, but it seemed interesting at the time, ...