I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore...

Local response to what happened to Keecha that was in the Inquirer and on CBS3 out of Philadelphia.

Viewer Blog: Kitty Killed

(CBS 3) PHILADELPHIA Chris Taylor, Wilmington, DE:
I think this is outrageous, especially considering this SPCA office acknowledged fault the first time they mistakenly euthanised a lost cat.
The owner of the murdered cat should file a lawsuit against these idiots at that particular SPCA. Clearly, they don't follow their own rules and do not have any compassion for lost pets (or their owners). To say "Sorry", just doesn't cut it!

FRANKPA100:
A declawed kitty would hardly be considered a stray. Is it possible the people they hire just can't or won't follow procedures? Or is it more likely they really don't care. I should hope they would hire people who have pets of their own but the total disregard for the animals they are supposed to protect and the owners to whom they belong is shameful. We entrust our pets to them in hopes they will be returned to us should they lost. I really do believe they treat cats as more expendable than they do dogs.
It was with hope that they would implement positive changes after the articles that were written earlier last year in the Daily Times about that very facility but EVIDENTLY NOT.
My heart goes out to the family who lost their beloved pet in such a manner.

ER, Mount Laurel, NJ:
With so many stray cats out there, I do not blame the SPCA for euthanizing the cat so quickly. I do blame the pet's owner, who had irresponsibly let his cat outside with no identification. He could have had a collar on the cat, or even had it micro chipped.

Beth Rogers, Cherry Hill, NJ
Its bad enough that this kind of thing happened the first time. I'm extremely disappointed in this particular ASPCA shelter, almost to the point of being ashamed at having been a longtime supporter of the entire organization. I can only hope the victims take harsh legal action as a result of this "mistake." I also wonder how much longer other ASPCA supporters will put up with this, before they call for extreme changes there, ones that will actually be put in effect... For instance, a waiting period of at least a week instead of the minimum 3 days before euthanizing an animal, and having a staff who will actually follow procedure rather than arbitrarily taking action with or without the required signatures. It just sounds to me like there's no effective communication at that branch of the shelter. Rest assured, I will be following updates on this story as they become available.

JoAnne, Robbinsville, NJ:
I was angry and upset when I saw the story on your news station about yet another pet being destroyed without the owners knowledge. I think there is someone employed at that shelter that arbitrarily kills any stray cat that comes into it's facility. They never seem to give a good reason for killing the animal, and especially when the cat is declawed. It usually means it's someone pet. They say they investigate BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT. The person who made the decision to put the cat down should be punished. I have two cats and keep a close eye on them.

Diana:
How could they make another mistake??? I know the SPCA is helping animals but this is just not right. I got my cat from our local SPCA and would be heartbroken if my cat was lost and the SPCA found him and killed him. Someone needs to explain this terrible incident to the people of the community. This family needs answers and the person that did this should not work with animals.

Diane A. of Paoli:
This is another disgusting result of irresponsible people running that SPCA. It should be closed down and the animals distributed to other shelters. Everyone should be fired and the Board members removed. And that endowment taken away from them, too.. What happened to the so called new director that President Riley thought so much of? What does she think of him now?? He hasn't done one thing to improve anything.. The same words were said last time as this time. How many times is this going to happen before some drastic measures are taken??

Gary Johnson:
I just wanted to express how sad this news is. It is ASTONISHING to hear that a place where animals/pets are to be safe, it shows they are not & that is very very sad. I hope an investigation will ensue not only from the ASPCA, but also Channel 3. I have noticed whenever Channel 3 investigates a story deeper, things get DONE!! I do express my deepest sympathy for the families that have lost their cats. I have a cat myself & I can only imagine how they must feel. I would feel sadness & anger, but nothing will bring back the pet unfortunately. Thanks for reading
Signed: and avid 3 Watcher

Bigbear69
There is no excuse for executing any Animal that fast unless it is certified by a Vetenarian or a Law Enforcement Agent. I urge the State Legislature to do the right thing and enact Legislation requiring all Shelters to Hold all Animals for 72-96 hours. What is the hurry, the little food they consume costs to much. The Legislation should also make it a Felony to falsify a Signature or to fail to obtain one before Euthanizing Err, EXECUTING a Pet.

Judi:
I think its time to clean house. The Delaware County SPCA has been in the news several times over the past few years. They have plenty of funds to upgrade the very outdated facility and to provide better care for the animals yet, the board of directors do absolutely nothing to create a better environment and hire more qualified personnel. Where are all the funds going, into their pockets. I believe it is time for someone to step in and start a full investigation of the goings on there. I hope the families of the two deceased animals press charges, maybe this will get the ball rolling to clean up the mess.

Cindy McElroy, Newtown Square, PA:
I think that it is now time that the Director Bill Vernon is fired. This SPCA needs a clean sweep. For years we have all know what they are like there, everyone talks about how kill happy they are, it is disgusting. Their needs to be a meeting open to the public, so we can all be heard, no longer leaving it up to the SPCA to decide to keep their dirty little secrets, it seems like everyone there hates animals rather then cares about them. If my pets get lost, I would hope that this is the last place they end up, they have a better chance running back and forth across a major highway then they do being dropped off at our local SPCA. SHAME ON YOU.

Samuel Miller:
If the story about Keecha is true that means the same problem has occurred twice in about two months in spite of the fact that SPCA employees were discharged after the first occurrence. If that is so I believe that this indicates a double problem – incompetent and uncaring employees and lack of leadership at the top. Sounds like it’s time for a complete housecleaning at the Delco SPCA.

Debra Lowy, Bordentown, NJ:
I do not understand. SPCA stands for Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Of all the organizations that receive animals picked up from the streets (be them strays or lost pets) how could an organization that exists to protect these animals be euthanizing them? Even holding these animals for only a mere 72 hours is a crime for an organization such as them. I have received requests for donations from various SPCA organizations as well as the ASPCA. In all of the literature they send with the requests, they ask for donations so that they can take in strays, treat the hurt and sick, and then try to find homes for these poor creatures that depend on us - so what are they doing euthanizing these animals? One might expect this from a county pound, although I would hope that even they would hold all animals for at least a week, let alone 72 hours.
The News Letters with the SPCA requests for donation even tell strories of starving dogs that the have brought back from the brink of death to then be adopted to a wonderful family. The also ask for donations to stop the abuse of animal testing by large companies. What they have done to these two lost cats and to the families who loved them, is nothing short of two of the worst cases of animal abuse, and they should face the same penalty as anyone else who abuses (and in this case murders) an animal.
In closing, I am sick at what has happened, and to top it off, I feel betrayed, because I am one of those people who have donated regularly to these organizations in response to their literature, and because of my love for animals, including the many I personally saved, rescured and adopted over the years. They should be closed down or forced to remove the name SPCA from their organization.

Leathur
I am in tears having just seen this on the news. This is disgusting to me that an agency that supposedly exists for the welfare of our animal companions would show such egregious neglect for procedure.
Animal shelters should ALL be no-kill shelters, period. Collars can and do come off on pets. 48 hours isn't enough time to locate the owners. And, what gives anyone the right to destroy a loving creature, stray OR domesticated...is it.to save space?to save money? Was it fun to put these cats to death?It tells a lot about a society, the way we treat the animals.
And all that happened to those employees was firing? Why do we have a slap on the wrist for cruelty? When will it stop? Why not put THEM to death! My prayers are for the humans who miss these kitties.

Kathy from NJ:
When I was listening to your 11:00 news tonite and heard
about another cat, a family's pet being euthanized by the SPCA in Delaware Co. I felt outraged. Something is terribly wrong at that shelter. I think someone needs to find out what it is before this happens again. I feel really bad for the families.

Allan & Theresa Eberly, Sinking Spring, Pa
We feel that the SPCA is supposed to PROTECT the lives of animals! And their INCOMPETENCE for the second time is appalling! Apparently the leadership of this facility is SEVERELY lacking?
We feel the staff from the top to the bottom should be replaced with CARING PROFESSIONALS who would MAKE sure an animal is truly not wanted before inserting that needle to kill them!!!!!!
We feel very bad for the owners of those animals killed!! Also this is a good example why cats like dogs SHOULD BE LICENSED! It may save their lives.
SPCA CLEANUP OR BE CLOSED UP !!!!!

Barbara J.Torrens, Delaware County resident
The Delaware county SPCA should be permanently closed down and the pets remaining there now should be placed in no-kill pet shelters.
I have never had my dog picked up by the SPCA, but after the last cat was euthanized I spent the money to have my dog microchipped just in case. Why can't something be done about this?
It is obvious that the welfare of the animals is not a priority out there. Are they not there to serve animals and their owners?
I realize a lot of pets are abandoned and must be put down, however, in both these cases these animals were very much loved and wanted.
Thank you for the story and I hope maybe a channel with your clout will be able to follow-up on this.

George Gollub
I am extremely thankful to you for your excellent reporting on this issue. I have lived with companion animals for over twenty years, and have donated to the local SPCA on a regular basis.
It is disquieting to get an inside view that exposes the lack of organization and proper adherence to protocol at this SPCA.
Hopefully it is only a problem at this facility, and people will not be disinclined to contribute to their local SPCA, most of which are probably run with genuine care for the animals whom they are supposed to help.
I feel that the administrator of the SPCA in question should immediately resign. The staff should be held legally liable for the deaths of both kittens.
It is not sufficient to just fire them from their jobs. Imagine the public outcry if a couple of children had been intentionally put to death because their parents didn't claim them immediately.
People in all facets of animal care and control, whether they be volunteers or professionals, need to understand that many if not most pet owners in today's society consider their animals to be true members of their families.
I realize that current laws treat pets as "personal property," but they are much more than that to those of us who love them as much as we love our human children.

Elaine Galante
There was no excuse the first time with Whiskers...now another inexcusable, sickening "mistake???"!!!

Diane Davison
This is in reference to the story on tonight’s news regarding the killing of the cat at the SPCA.
As president of the Northampton County SPCA, I suggest that the Delaware Co. SPCA become a no kill shelter as quickly as possible. The killing of healthy animals is always unacceptable and unethical.
This is not what an SPCA should be doing. As long as these animals are considered disposable, these tragedies will continue to happen. Becoming no kill is hard work, but we can all sleep better at night.
It is time for the archaic practice of convenience killing to stop.

Daniel Wehner
Dear News Media: I strongly feel these two cases warrant an investigation by an outside agency instead of internally.
The board of directors whom serve for the better interest in the care of the animals need to have provisions set when hiring individuals who will be caring for these animals that are at their mercy.
I know they have high standards for the public prior to adoption which is in the animal (s) best interest, after all we wouldn't want to see the animal (s) go into an abusive situation or a lab.
The strays, they are helpless too, i can talk from experience i'll rescue kittens prior to them going into the ferral stage to get them off the streets and take them out to the Delco Spca for help.
The local municipalities don't want to help, they will provide a cage to trap a groundhog, pick them up and take them elsewhere to release them to satisify a neighbor from his garden from growing.
Yes, I know some strays make it and some don't however this is a terrible event that has happened not once but twice and who knows how many thousands more?
One of the state agencies that oversees the humane society needs to step in and perform a full investigation including the accounting end of it, after all people leave the spca their funds to help out with the care of the animals.
I'm considering leaving the Spca my assets and would want the money allocated towards the proper care of all the animals, not taking the easy way out by putting the animals to sleep.
My question is really where is the money going if the animals are being put down?
Thanks and hope you can help the animals god has created and to help prevent any cruelty that may be going on at any of the spca's.
Please consider contacting the proper state agency for further assistance in this matter.

A Sure Sign

Weekday spring and the living is
cool and easy in the morning
the dirt just right for planting
sunflowers to join the coming warmth
of today.

While on your rounds
whenever you pass these stalks
and opened cups don't it make you
remember ukeleles and tiptoes and
high falsettos from decades hence?

Look up and around
the homeless are carrying signs,
"will work for money."
There's a post on the streetlamp
ahead that says someone is

desparately seeking a white pit
named Elvis and that if one
approached for your offer of
bananas and peanut butter on two
slices of honey-glazed bread,
then its probably him.

Sighs and signs of the times,
I have bizarre visions of a
fat bald guy walking to his
car late at night with a can
of Bud in one hand, a case of
empties in the other

and when he puts the key into
the ignition and revs the motor
continuously so that it blows the
engine beyond repair, the white hot
range of events that follow would
prove positive or negative
an ionic riot of one.

Easter Sunday Photos

On my way back from work yesterday I passed a homeless woman standing on an intersection island, facing traffic and holding a makeshift sign for oncoming drivers to read. I didn't read the sign, had no idea what it said... and I didn't get a pic, even though I was due for a photo-taking mission. Maybe I should have gotten a shot of that... but you never know, she might have taken offense.

A little further on, I passed a new apartment complex where they have several bursts of color planted at the entrance...


A little further down the road there is a home set back a ways from the street, where they have a statue in the wooded area at the front of the house...

I first saw it out of the corner of my eye about a year ago. To me it looked like some kind of big dog standing there, maybe a Great Dane. I had to stop and see why it wasn't moving, then realized it was a decorative lawn deer.

Then on to a small creek bed near my building...


Boring I know... but these pics will get better...

Happy Easter, everybody! Hope everyone is enjoying the day. Spring is in full force it seems lately, with the weather being warm and sunny in the afternoons, trees spreading their dress up threads, flowers in bloom, birds singing... In fact, that's what woke me up this morning - the birds.
I'm working today, but I'll be going in a bit later, and making a short day of it... I'm doing the morning feeding for all the puppies and kittens. I don't mind at all, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Last night I stayed up to watch my Wizards beat New England 1-0. Then I caught the last of the Metrostars game against Real Salt Lake,ending with a 1-1 draw. And by then I was too sleepy to catch the rest of the Galaxy match-up, so I missed that one. Realize there's three hours difference between here and there, so I assume all Galaxy games are going to be on very late as a general rule. Well I'm off to the poop factory... so until next time, here's wishing all a very Happy Easter.

I'm still celebrating National Poetry Month, and found some good advice. Keep in mind though, not everything on the list may work for everybody. A couple of new book releases, Kool Logic and Behind The Cane. And finally for today a nuts and bolts view of many, if not all things poetic. So until next time, thanks for stopping by to visit my blog. I hope these links will inspire you... God Bless!

Meet Pablo, my holy terror of a "Russian Blue/Domestic American Shorthair mix"
I picked up a cheapie digital camera at Target this morning and couldn't wait to get everything uploaded, pictures taken and what-not, I know the photo's a little blurry, I'll have to work on that... But this is my exciting event of the day - now being able to upload and post my own photos on my web pages. Ummm... does this make me a techno geek? Who knows?



Meet Sock, Bob's Turkish Van/Norweigian Forest cat... and all this time we'd thought he was part Himalayan, part squirrel (because of the bushy tail)...



Note the different color eyes, one green, one blue. It's a common trait among Turkish Vans. I've noticed in certain low light situations, and at just the right angle, one reflects red, the other a pure amber color. Now... if I can just get a shot of that for a photo...

Journey Through

Move with me under the stark
half form of an early moon.

Although the air is chilled
meet me there
to find a new spring.

Move fingers and tongue
alive as birds.

Can you hear them now
awaken as you walk

while my thoughts are
perched in trees,
rooftops and singing
to you.

Your Summer Ride is a Beetle Convertible

Fun, funky, and a little bit euro. You love your summers to be full of style and sun!

What's Your Summer Ride?

In honor of National Poetry Month, I'll be posting some links and articles of interst to writers and poets. I know that in the past, our somewhat local paper, The Philadelphia Inquirer has featured several new poetry books, events, readings, and the like around the area... I'll be posting those too as they come up.

~ So for today, here's something from
Buffalo, NY.

~ A new collection by veteran journalist David Tucker, Late For Work was featured in yesterday's Inquirer.

And a little something of my own...

Incomplete

"Merry Christmas" a day late

Some of you may have read recently that we've have to schedule an rush surgery on our youngest cat Pablo... a fix on the problem of his sudden aggression toward the other two cats, Sock and Taz. That was last Tuesday. He's been back home for nearly a week, with some residual aggression, but otherwise fine. Taz has a hard time believing it though, since he got the full force of the attack last weekend.By the way, Taz is twice Pablo's size and he's scared to death of the little bugger now. Ive been keeping him separated from the others quite a bit since the surgery in case he still has any lingering attack hormones. He's in the bathroom at night and during the day he can sit in his favorite spot at the sliding glass door (while harnessed). Sock has made peace with him though and this brings me to their little April Fool's prank they hatched up for me yesterday morning before work. I was getting ready for work when I heard a noise, so I went to the living room to investigate. There was Pablo sitting on the balcony with the screen door wide open... but where was Sock? After a quick run-through of the apartment, it was obvious he wasn't inside. So I peeked around to the neighbor's balcony that adjoins ours. Sure enough, there was Sock at the far end, thoroughly enjoying his freedom. After much cajoling and bribery with treats he finally slipped back under the bars to where I could pick him up and set him back inside. I just knew I was going to be late for work! As I closed the door, I noticed Pablo immediately stuck his paw through the space between the glass and the screen. So he actually opened this door by himself. I just know Sock put him up to it, probably promising to undo the harness if he'd open the door. Lol.

Yesterday was the season opener for the MLS. I was excited until I found out that they weren't showing my Wizards home game at Arrowhead on ESPN2... but then at 8:00, possibly due to some wishful thinking, I scanned the channels for "soccer" and I found a free preview on the pay channel. Really lucky there, to watch the Wizards beat Columbus Crew 3-1. Oh happy day, I finally get to see a KC play after all last season with no access to anything Wizards related. :)

So Spring is actually nice here in South Jersey right about now, with the weather warm and (although partly cloudy) birds singing, the trees are sprouting a little green already. I know back in Kansas City, it's tornado season. They've had quite a few in the area already. And here... well it's still "Goose Season," it seems they've declared war on any individual who inadvertently wanders too close to their prospective nest. I've had to change my route in to work over it... Hope that makes them happy now.. Bleh!

Finally... Back in the day when my creative idols were drowning in soup cans, assasinating personalities with a chew-'em-up-spit-'em-out sensibility, but always generously unmean, in a place where work was more fun than fun, and everything magic was ultimately at the surface...
A Little bit of Andy Warhol and a Podcast
Interview

Anyway, this concludes my update for now. Hope everyone's enjoying the weekend where you are.

I stole this from Garrison Keillor's "The Writer's Almanac" :

It's the birthday of Eric Idle, born in South Shields, Durham, England (1943). He's one of the six founding members of the British comedy group Monty Python, famous for its movies and its long-running television show, Monty Python's Flying Circus. Idle often played old ornery women, as well as creepy old men and annoying talk show hosts. Monty Python's first movie was Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), in which Idle plays Sir Robin the Not-So-Brave, who wets his armor at the first sign of danger.

I grew up watching Monty Python, and some of those skits are still the funniest I've ever seen. I'd have to say they remain among my favorite shows...
So Happy Birthday, Eric!

Happenings on the home front: An eventful week with my cat Pablo "exploding" suddenly into teen angst and attacking the other two older cats in the house. Something had to be done immediately, before he became established with the spraying. So right now he's had an overnight stay at the local vet following surgery and we pick hime up later this morning. I'm really hoping (with fingers crossed) the other two will forgive him of his earlier indiscretions. Time will tell. So a shout out to Pablo here as well as the other two, Taz and Sock. May they all find a workable truce in the coming days.

Some Meandering W.I.P.

I was up before daybreak
now there's coral in the sky
that can be seen through
these still skeletal arms and
fingers of trees bronzing
upward into the blue
while out of the blue comes
a streak across the airspace
heading west toward Philly
International.

I'm at the place where thoughts
grow ragged en route to the written
page, that fearsome blank space
that begs for even the simplist
font.

So many times they've flown ahead,
urgent as road rage and drive-by's
- impossible to be caught within this
daily routine.

You do NOT want to see this coming at you.
Yeah folks, its that time of year again. The time where no matter what route you take, there's always a pair of geese camped out along the way. Right now they seem to be scoping out nesting places, and if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, you'll see the full wrath of at least one of the pair. Twice in the past week I've been approached in such a way. This last time was a few days ago, when I saw two geese standing at the bus stop. I didn't bother asking when the next bus was due, instead I made a wide circle to avoid them. I thought I was safe, I thought I was well past them... but when I heard a noise behind me I knew I was in for a load of trouble. I ducked down in time for one of them to fly just over my head and land directly in front of me, honking angrily as soon as he touched down. So I had no choice but to go even further out of my way. But I made sure he knew I was just as angry by yelling back at him as I left, haha. Really, there's no doubt in my mind that if I hadn't ducked when I did, he would have scored a direct hit at my back. So be careful out there folks, if you happen to live in the area, they like to claim territories near stores and businesses, around the Mall's parking lots. Just a heads up, be on the look-out for overprotective birds, it's a Goosy jungle out there.

A few other items this week, I've been toying with electronic gadgetry on the web, audioblogs, podcasts, and the like. I love to search things out. I just discovered this nifty little item on Odeo.
Bukowski Remixed
And then there's this little item, which is already one of my favorite sites...
Blue Things Poetry
An audioblog of my favorite poet reading some of his work.

Finally, a story on what happens when animal welfare law works like its supposed to: 120 Days In Jail.
I have been waiting years for a story like this. My only complaint in this particular item is that you can tell they are trying very hard to be sympathetic to the criminals.

So far since the official beginning of Spring it has flurried snow twice here in south Jersey. The temperatures have still gotten down to freezing on some nights. I'll be glad when it finally does warm up a bit, which should be by next week.

You Are Coke

A true original and classic, you represent the best of everything you can offer. Just the right amount of sweet, just the right amount of energy... you're the life of the party. Your best soda match: Mountain Dew Stay away from:Dr Pepper

What Kind of Soda Are You?

Mountain Dew? Ewww! Everybody knows how I feel about Mountain Dew :P

Curse you, Red Baron!

Now for a switch from a little levity to something pretty cool...
Poet Laureate Ted Kooser

And a little something I've been meaning to try for a while now...
Click here for something completely generic

Read my lips, no new dogs.

There was a huge snowstorm yesterday out in Kansas where some of our breeders are. so that means there was a huge delay in getting half the puppies in. See we were supposed to get six puppies and five cats yesterday and four more dogs in today... Only now we're getting them all at once, so its "Arrgghh! Cute pet overload!" Its gonna take me forever to get them all weighed and temps taken. Not to mention comforting the ones who are extra scared. Well they all come in scared usually, its all strange to them. New place, they don't know what to expect... especially after the flight and the drive in from Philly. But you know me, I'll get it done however long it takes. You've got to have some empathy to be in this kind of work.

First day of Spring and there were brief flurries of snow... didn't last long. Second day, still didn't feel like Spring. But you know its that time of year when the geese are primed for attack. You'd think the cold would put a damper on their action.. but Noooo! There were two in the parking lot on my way into work yesterday morning. One of them took flght and headed straight for me... and here I'm yelling at him to "Stop.... Stop!" As if he's really gonna know what I'm saying, lol. But he landed right in front of me, so I ended up taking a wide circle around him...
Then coming home from the store yesterday I noticed a guy on the sidewalk ahead of me and two more geese across the street (which was full of traffic) making all kinds of noise. I swear if I didn't know any better I'd say they were actually pacing that guy from the other side of the street to make sure he didn't cross over into their territory. Could be. They get very aggressive this time of year, protective of their nesting sites. It just seems that there are even more of them around than last year, so there's really gonna be a problem with people getting hit by a bird... or should I say "goosed"?

We finally saw the movie The Village, from M. Night Shymalan. I love the twist to his movies.. they always make you think on the possibility for the next few days. Excellent movie, I really enjoyed it. Also interesting is when I looked him up on the http://imdb.com I found his next project is the screenplay for a book I just finished reading not too long ago, The Life Of Pi by Yan Martel. Hmmm... I was kind of disappointed in the reading.. it left too many unanswered questions, but plenty of opportunity for some of Shymalan's famous twists. So I'd be interested to see what he does with it.

We watched the Capote movie last night, got the DVD yesterday. I'd have to say it kind of reduced my respect for the man himself. All those manipulative tactics, the use of any means necessary to get what he wanted. And then when it looked like the plan backfired, he got all immersed in some little self-pity party. "They're torturing me... it's torture.." But, at the same time he did introduce a whole new genre in books. Too bad he never wrote another complete book after that... It was a good movie though, Phillip Seymore Hoffman did an outstanding job with the character.
I just wonder how many people remember the actual book In Cold Blood (and then the movie of the same name). Like I said before, when I watched the original I was surprised the State of Kansas still used hanging as a means of execution as late as 1965.

Update: This time a happy ending -
Remember Rosie, the severely emaciated Wheaton terrier that was surrendered to the Michican ASPCA after one of the owners couldn't figure out why she was in such poor health...
Video: Rosie's New Home

Ahhh... there's nothing like this in the world
This has to be my favorite day of the year.

A little treat for the Irish in all of us and the Scots in some of us!
Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band

You're 70% Irish

You're very Irish, and most likely from Ireland. (And if you're not, you should be!)

How Irish Are You?

I've been updating my webpage for the past couple of days... It's nothing fancy, no screaming bells or whistles, no incredible flashing graphics... just some backgrounds, photos, text and links. Check it out if you want, here's the link:

Bailey's Home Page

*WHOMP* It sounded like someone dropped something heavy on the floor. Someone did. I looked up from the kennel cage I was cleaning and there was the Tia at the door with a laundry basket full of wet towels at her feet. "How come you keep doing this to me?," she sputtered. "Doing what?", I replied. "Leaving me all this wet laundry!", she bellowed.
Oh. It was on now. It was definitely on.
I had fair warning with enough advance notice to be ready for anything when the Tia started her shift. I was told she was on the warpath the previous night, moaning and complaining to anyone within earshot about how I must be personally trying to vex her for some reason by leaving loads of wet laundry to be dried.
The problem is the dryer, which is not keeping up with the washer on par levels. So instead of leaving buckets of dirty towels laying around from the kennel, I've chosen to wash them. Its more sanitary and the way I see it, leaves less work for the next shift.
The Tia doesn't see it that way.
She thinks its better for poopy towels to contaminate and stink up the area than to just go ahead and have them clean. You would think she'd appreciate the "less smell" factor.
Wrong.
The Tia would rather risk the smell of dog shit wafting through the air, than deal with the smallest possiblity of mildew.
Like I said, it was definitely on. And we went back and forth a few minutes with me finally saying, "You really expect me to change the way I'm doing this because YOU have a problem with it? That's BULLSHIT, Tia!" Needless to say some of that was heard in the store, just outside the kennel area.
I went outside to cool down and have a smoke, while she went crying to anyone who would listen near the registers... Sulking and pouting, the two things she does best. But I'm amazed, she's so good at it. And you know, I can laugh about it all five minutes later, just as I'm laughing now... but there's a down side. I'm just hoping she wasn't tempted to take her anger out on any of the animals, after I left for the day.