Difference of opinion

Well E and I went to the Cooper Young festival this weekend. It's a big collection of artists, vendors, and bands all vying for your attention so you'll buy their CD or art (if you can consider some of the stuff that) or junk that they have displayed. The weather was beautiful and there were a few interesting things to look at but overall I found that, like my father, I don't enjoy large bustling crowds of people. Not that I'm uncomfortable in them, its just that down here everyone expect you to get out of their way whether they have the right of way or not. Apparently, people here handle crowds just like they would drive. Still it was a good excuse to get out of the house and go do something.

We did have other plans as well after attending the festival, but our attention was diverted to the meth lab bust that was occurring across the street from E's coworker's apartment. So instead of going to E's bosses' party, which would have been a bust in all likelihood due to the large layoff that occurred the day before (luckily E was not one of those people), we pulled out the lawn chairs and watched the cops tote out barrel after barrel of the ingredients for the meth lab. Oh what fun.

Now I'm glad to see that the police are doing their job, but maybe I'm just old fashioned here thinking that E's coworker might be a little off base when saying that where she lives is the safest area in all of Memphis and also the best as well. Now you might say that I'm jumping the gun here with just one bust of that sort but lets put it in a greater context shall we. While we were watching the bust occur other bystanders came to ask what was going on. We, doing our civic duty, informed them, to which they would reply wonderful, which it was. However, a couple people who lived in the area as well responded with "another one?" "Why they just got one last week just down the street." So apparently this great area is rich with meth labs, which, if you know anything about meth labs, are prone to explosions and leaking wonderful neurotoxins into the air when they do. Also E's coworker also readily admits that there's hookers walking the street on a regular basis.

Hmm... Great neighborhood, well that's in the eye of the beholder. I won't argue that mid town has tons of culture and it's a good place to "hang out", but live? Sorry, but meth labs and hookers would not encourage me to relocate to that area when we sell this house.

Chyna, you will be missed

It is with a sad and heavy heard that I write this blog. Chyna, that lovable cat with the broken "mrow" was laid to rest today. My wife and I had noticed a couple of weeks back how much weight she had suddenly lost, yet she acted fine so we let it be. However, this morning Chyna took a very quick turn for the worse. She couldn't walk and showed no signs of wanting food or water. We, unfortunately, had to leave her for the day alone since both of us needed to go to work.

I made as quick of a day as possible for myself and came home around 3 p.m. to find Chyna in an even worse state than this morning. I quickly bundled her up and took her to the vet for what I knew would likely be the last time I would see and hold her. The vet was a kind lady and told me that there was nothing we could or could have done for her. Her kidneys were failing and to put her down would be the humane thing to do.

They brought Chyna to me one last time and I held and petted her to let her know that I love her and that I would miss her. Then after many sobs on my part I handed her back to the vet and let them put her to rest so that she would no longer suffer.

It amazes me how much I already miss hearing that broken "mrow." I have had many family cats go in my short life but I feel more remorse in Chyna's passing than for any of the others that I have lost. That is a true testament to how lovable and how great of a cat she was.

Squeaky Clean

Yes, it has indeed been a long time since I posted a new entry on this blog. Why the long delay in postings you ask? Well it's because I am no longer unemployed. "Yea!," you say. But lets not get ahead of ourselves here. Yes I am employed but in a job I neither want or like to do. So what is it? I'm cleaning windows. Yep that's right. I drive around the Memphis area all day cleaning windows of businesses. Not a glamor job but a job none the less. It'll pay the bills until I find a better job. Hopefully that will occur in the very near future and it'll be one in the science field.

I hope that won't be to long in the making. I have an interview on Monday in Johnson City, TN. at the fertility clinic there. With any luck they'll like me, I'll like them and I'll be moving there. And I won't have to clean windows any longer. Not having done physical labor on a consistent basis for the last four years has made me a little soft. I come home, on the days I pull a ten hour day, which is quite often, fatigued to the point of not doing anything once a get home. This has resulted in things like yard work and keeping the house clean falling behind. I'm getting caught up today however before I leave tomorrow for my interview.

So while this was a nice break from doing what needs to be done I need to get back to it.