Ahhhh!

Can you sat Totally Relaxed? Nobody seems to do it quite like a cat.

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A Thought

Sometimes you see stuff on Facebook and think, "I'd like to keep that and share it!"

‎"Cruelty to animals is as if man did not love God...there is something so dreadful, so satanic, in tormenting those who have never harmed us, and who cannot defend themselves, who are utterly in our power."
Cardinal John Henry Newman

Auditioning For The National Anthem

Despite what my Facebook status said, I didn't sing for the Akron AEROSOLS baseball team, it was the AEROS. (Damn you, Auto-Correct!)

My S. U. graciously took me to stand out the AEROS stadium this past Saturday. It was REALLY cold. Thank God he had talked me out of my original audition outfit, a skirt and blouse. "It's freezing outside! It's the Aeros for God's sake!"

"It's an audition!" I whined back.

"You're going to freeze," says Mr. Weatherman.

"What? I'm supposed to wear my stuff for the Humane Society?" I was going there next to help with an Education Program (I did feel that would be a Social Faux Pas actually, that it would be unprofessional and DISRESPECTFUL.)

"It's the Aeros, for God's sake! You're gonna freeze."

"It'll be inside, I'll be fine!"

"IT'LL BE OUTSIDE! YOU'RE GONNA FREEZE!" This is turning into a huge Fashion Debate.

"Fine!" I think. And I change. We're standing in line and I'm thinking....could he be right? In the lobby area they had a table where you filled out paperwork and then we went down a long hallway and yes, into the stadium proper. They file us into a line that goes down stairs to one of the gates that leads onto the field. It is freezing and the wind is blowing, circling around the stadium, whipping hair, coats, scarves into a frenzy. I turned to my S.U. and tell him, yes, he was right about my wearing pants!

There are about 6 to 8 people in front of me. God/dess bless them all for trying because I'll bet most of them thought it was ---

a) going to be indoors
b) there would be a piano player

Oh, no! You walked out to (I think) the pitcher's mound and (luckily) faced away from the stands. As I listened I was so glad I had brought my pitch-pipe so I could start on a good note. (NO pun intended.) One of the weird things that happens is if you listen to other people singing, sometimes you pick up their habits or pitch. And with one exception, I was rooting for most of these people to please, please, please Pick A Pitch And Stay There.

Of course being good sports, we all congratulated each person as they came off the field. It is a big deal and it's pretty scary stuff. I kept quietly hitting the Bb on my pitch-pipe. I felt that if I could start right, I could finish right. I began to walk out on to the field, and it was even colder down there. I actually trotted out to the guy with the clipboard and handed him my wildly blowing audition slip. "Hi, how are you? Man, it's cold out here1" And it's really BIG! You don't know how big a real stadium is until you are actually ON the field.

"You are...Mia?"

"Yes, that's me!" He told me how to hold the mike. I took a steadying breath and started to sing. I screwed up one word: "Blare" for "Glare" (I always seem to do that...) and I think I could have hit "free" better but other than that, I thought I did well. The guy with the clipboard said, "That was fantastic!" Thank you, thank you, I'm thinking. I thanked him, said it was fun and trotted back to the doorway back into the stadium.

As I walked up the stairs, people said it was great and I thanked them. One guy said, "You've done this before!"

"Only in Canada!" (I forgot about Nautica ages ago. Another story for another time.)

I'm glad I did it even though they are only looking for 19 people and there were 87 folks there.

There is the ABJ article video...I am not in it....thank God!

Speaking Of Kids....

I talked to an acquaintance of mine who (a bit late in the game) was astounded that their teenaged nieces didn't know Japan was an ISLAND. (Actually Japan is a group of islands: four main islands and over 3000 small ones, but I wasn't going to argue.)

When my acquaintance queried their sister as to why they didn't know that geographcial factoid...the sister said, "It's not on the test." My acquaintance was dumb-founded (which surprised me).

I said, "Where have you been? It's all about taking tests, not learning anything or even HOW to learn. That'a No Child Left Behind." The Acquaintance got a bit defensive, "I don't have kids, why would I know that?"

"Um, cuz they are The Future? Uh, this whole thing has been in the news and TV and all that>..."

I'm glad to know I know kids who actually can think and research and LEARN stuff!

What blew my mind is that my acquaintance didn't know that way too many kids know NOTHING except what's on the tests. I thought I was the original Ostrich Head!

I won't even go into the other part where the sister told her 14 year old to do something and the kid said, "No!" and nothing was done. Another story for another day, (insert a chuckle).

A Ray Of Hope

Japanese Man Reunited with His Dog After Tsunami Separated Them Hosted by Imbecile Entertainment

Do you remember a writing exercise you had to do in school; the one where you are given a picture and you have to write a short story about it? (Do kids even do this kind of thing any more?) It was an exercise in creativity, observation and imagination.

I've been to Japan. Many years ago, but I feel blessed to have had this experience. I have a lot of stories, none of which are terribly relevant at the moment.

When the earthquake and tsunami hit this lovely country, i felt so terrible for these people, especially the ones who have survived. Losing their loved ones, their homes and their pets. I heard somewhere that some places there are saying Bring Your Pets With You, but I don't know about that.

And I get (kind of) that some folks are saying People Are More Important Than Animals. Yes, yes, yes, I understand that.

But look at this picture. Look at that man. What story does it write in your mnd and heart?

My heart goes out to him and his dog; to all the people and animals of Japan. In a horrible, terrifying, horrific event, there was for this man a small ray of hope.

Pawsibilities, The Humane Society of Greater Akron: PHSGA 1st Blog Contest

Pawsibilities, The Humane Society of Greater Akron: PHSGA 1st Blog Contest: "We are trying to see how many people we can get to follow us on our NEW Blog. The more people that follow the more we can work together ..."

Remember That Head-Spinning Exorcist Thing?

Well, that's they way I'm feeling right about now. My brain is fried, trying to learn to be smarter than my Smart Phone! Syncing calendars, calendars, emails, trying to make it all work. I have been at it all day long but I feel like I'm can see a bit of The Google Cloud.

I would much rather sit in front of my computer screen then type a whole crummy blog with my phone's keypad. Most likely I'd end up with something that should end up in DamnYouAutoCorrect.com! But I can access my Blog on my phone, another major accomplishment!

There is a part of me that is beginning to fathom what my husband and nephew-in-law are doing, why they are like dogs with a bone. They're going to work at that computer or problem, gnaw at it, until they get it. They want to know the Monster that is the Computer Age, the uncontrolled beast. They want to know the beast because in so many ways, the technology is growing so quickly, that laws, morality, standards, personal integrity just can't keep up with it.

I knew from reading stuff about my Smart Phone that a lot of this kind of thing is feasible, so why not used it. I know a lot of people are really scared of technology and I get that. I am getting less fearful and that really is thanks to people like Marty and Bryan. Even though I sometimes get glassy-eyed when they explain something, i might absorb some of it. And now it's been so much trial and error!

But when I could find stuff on my phone calendar, that was pretty cool! Don't be afriad to spend time with your iPhone or Smart Phone. Just have back-up, know your apps, that kind of thing!

Can It Be Done?

Trying to write a little bit without the computer:
Let's see what happens, shall we?

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Expanding Horizons

If you listen, you can hear him purring!


Every since we got Rufus the cat, he has pretty much (voluntarily) stayed in our basement. Cool! I wasn't sure, when Megan's cats (Dink and Envy) arrived her unexpectedly 2 weeks after we got him, whether or not I should integrate them as a "pack." I'm still on the fence about that.

In the last week or so, we have been leaving the basement door open, letting him scope it out. Holding back his breakfast time helped a bit too. (He's very demanding about The Food Thing!) He is SUCH a vocal cat. He has a ton to say!

Today he really ventured out: sitting on Marty's lap while he read the newspaper, lounging on his chair. He even came upstairs and jumped on the bed! I opened the cats' room door (they are separated by a baby gate) and let them gaze upon each other. It's all very interesting! Now I just have to train Elke to be even better with the cats.