It is getting greener and more spring-like every day, now. Already it is warm enough to enjoy morning coffee on the patio with Tucker. Shelby glaring at both of us...outside...as she stands by the open door. She is convinced we are both idiots.
Definitely a house-cat. Outside holds zero appeal to her.
The contrasts between the two of them are clearer each day.
Tucker is quiet (meowing only for food or to go outside...sometimes as a purring trill of a greeting), wonderfully independent, somewhat aloof seldom making eye contact, very loving but always on his terms, an indoor/outdoor kitty.
Shelby is chatty. She starts talking to you the moment you wake up and continues throughout the day. She tends to be needy...and sometimes will walk right up to you and stare in your face expectantly like "WELL..." It is a little unnerving, and I usually break eye contact before she does. As I have mentioned before, if she doesn't feel like she is receiving the attention she deserves (...befitting of a DIVA...) she will poke at you...and poke at you...and poke at you...until she does. She is the first 100% indoor...no nature please...cat I have ever owned.
They are the Yin and Yang of kitties.
They have sorted the house/territories and are getting on fine.
Tucker (although still a bit gooey and healing) is starting to get his face back, doubtless there will be scarring. Will know more when the fur starts coming back. Right now he looks a lot like Batman's nemesis: Two-Face. Half of his face looks beautiful and Tucker-like. The other half looks like he was in the Hiroshima bombing. But he is alive...and purring..and happy (well...except when I am debriding his poor face or squirting medicine down his throat).
I wonder if he is going to duck when he sees a basin,washcloth or a syringe for the rest of his life...traumatized.
PTSD kitty.
Chris and Tina are doing the Aunt and Uncle thing, helping Kimber celebrate Miss Emma's 3rd birthday today
with a My Little Pony Birthday Party!
They even had sparkle glitter on the pony's hooves!
Tomorrow, he is coming by to help do some routine maintenance on my computer. And I am fixing Gyros. For breakfast.
Breakfast of Champions!
He finished the small devices (cell phones, tablets, et al) section of his classes and is now learning about all that is printer-world. Some of it is fascinating. We have come so far from mimeographs and dot matrix.
Nicole and I spent part of Friday morning together, and Hannah has such a surprise coming for her 10th birthday!
Will catch up with Lennon tomorrow...and James seems to be very happy with life and work and home and everything else at the moment. Started the week with him over bacon, egg and cheese croissants (a nice surprise) and chat. Soon to trade away one of his bass guitars and a little cash for a birthday wish that Hannah made. The judge moved the (hopefully final) Modification of Custody hearing out to the week after school ends...THAT is a very very good sign.
Speaking of Good Signs
"The Fat and Furious"
Yesterday, President Trump got his rather large orange ass handed to him...by his OWN party.
After...what...60 attempts to Repeal the ACA...but hey...who's counting...Congress came to the BRINK of Repeal and Replace with a bill so obscene...that he couldn't even pass it by strong-arming, bribes from the Koch Brothers, or shaming.
True...some of them would vote against it because they still thought it was too generous
Rep. Nevada: Mark Amodel
Rep. Arizona: Andy Biggs
Rep. Alabama: Mo Brooks
Rep. North Carolina: Ted Budd
Rep Ohio: Warren Davidson
Rep. Florida: Ted Yoho
and to those wastes of protoplasm and I loathe you, I still say "thanks" for voting no...even if it was for nefarious purposes.
To those Moderate Republicans who actually stated they would vote no because they realized how badly the AHCA would hurt the elderly, disabled, poor and children
Rep. Virginia: David Brat
Rep.Virginia: Barbara Comstock
Rep. New Jersey: Rodney Frellinghuysen
Rep. Washington: Jaime Herrer Buetler
Rep. Florida: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Rep New Jersey: Chris Smith
Rep. Pennsylvania: Glenn Thompson
I applaud you for putting people (and human lives) before politics!
For some the (self proclaimed) idea of self-preservation (i.e. not losing their job when they faced local elections) was enough to sway their vote to "no"
Rep. North Carolina: Mark Meadows
Yes sir...we are talking to you...
I applaud you for listening to your constituents and there is nothing wrong with enlightened self-interest. I daresay all of us have been there a time or two.
And my personal hero emerged from this when
Rep. Kentucky: Thomas Massie who voted not only NO....but
"HELL NO!"
Which was brilliant by-the-way.
To put this in perspective...of 44 Senate Democrats...all 44 would have voted against this bill. More importantly of 54 Senate Republicans 37 stated they would have voted NO.
Obviously they couldn't let that happen. So they picked up their ball and walked off the court.
Shelved the Bill.
By this morning Delusional Donald was busily blaming everybody but Santa Claus...and even The Democrats for the inability to gut the ACA and pass this horrendous bill.
A great many of us were cheering and celebrating.
This Presidenting Stuff is harder than it looks, isn't it Don?
Here's an idea...
How about instead of wasting one more cent trying to repeal the ACA (...which admittedly is far from perfect,but not the abomination they would have you believe...) we work together (DEMS and GOP) to improve it...using the framework in place...to help ALL people.
Not to give your Corporate Buddies a Hand-Out while Defunding Planned Parenthood.
Not to cut Healthcare for the elderly, sick, disabled or children.
Something we would all work together toward.
So sick of this "Football Mentality" in our Politics today.
My Team.
Your Team.
Democrats ~vs~ Republicans
It is OUR Country and there should only be ONE TEAM.
TEAM AMERICA.
Making things better for all our citizens. What a concept.
Glad that yesterday democracy, and the checks and balances that make up its foundation, worked.
Also glad to see so any many people actively engaged in the system...calls to their Representatives and such.
This IS what Democracy LOOKS like!
More anon...
Oh...and this weekend's panning...
and a bit more work on the painting...never mind the looming brown sticks in the foreground by mid-week they will be snow covered fir trees! Making progress.
The fan brush is amazing for falling water!
And this year it appears I have won the First Dandelion Contest, guys! Hehhehheh...
