CATS GONE WILD AND HOSTAGE HUMANS

Crookshanks could be contemplating a hostile take-over.

Another story, this one on Gawker, of a cat holding humans hostage and a slew (maybe just one) of 911 calls being made hit the Internet yesterday.

Everything is true on the 'net, so I will accept this nonsense on a very basic level.

Cappy the kitty, and beloved pet of 14 years, was accused of scratching and clawing (I assume he had to utilize those skills to keep mother and daughter huddled in the bedroom) in San Diego (why does it always seem to be in California?).

Besides, these zany stories about bad-ass felines taking over entire homes and holding humans hostage are compelling in a strange way.

First, how does that even happen?

Guess that will remain a mystery to me. It makes no sense on so many levels.

A normal cat weighs less than twenty pounds, right?

Well, our personal cat shown here could be an exception, but how ferocious and filled with rage is a fat-ass, house cat?

Mostly, like Crookshanks here, I suspect these furry kids can not be bothered. Takes way too much effort to plot and execute an attack when a nice bed is right there!

Actually, the best part of these stories plastered on various (and totally reliable sites, uh-huh) sites are the comments from posters. I recommend pawing through them at your leisure.

Priceless, but I still wonder what that family did to bring such rage, and how did Cappy pull off the entire coup'?

I detest an unsolved mystery!

HUNTING FOR FAUX ANIMAL HEADS AND VINCENT PRICE

Fake animal heads are a real find.

It's August.

It's raining over the Intra-Coastal in South Florida.

Time to go hunting.

Wait, I do not approve of hunting for sport.

No lectures, I beg of you. I know about hunting, and if it is not for survival, I say find another hobby.

However, I find faux animal heads oddly alluring, so I purchased these two.  It is definitely a contradiction of my convictions, yet here I am, staring into the faces of some material I can't define. These things are so heavy I fear hanging them on the wall as they could fall and do serious damage.

What do they use to make these things and why am I suddenly flashing back to Vincent Price and waxed humans?

Spooky.

Facebook, Where High School Cliques Rage On

Facebook.

Some of us have grown to loathe the word, yet we still  troll, post and spit in the general direction of Marky-Z.

There are many things I feel about this social networking octopus. Some feelings are simply too vile to utter. 

However, today I have decided that Facebook has resurrected cliques of all sorts.

I don't mean for the kiddies still skip-hopping in school.

Nah, I'm talking about mature, very mature, types. Think back to them in high school...the popular kids who ruled the roost after jumping off the big yellow school bus, or some slick car their parents coughed up.

Yeah, them.

High school would prove to be the absolute pinnacle for these kids. As the years rolled by they would forever be stuck in the high-school zone. 

Unfortunately, the rest of their classmates discovered life after high school was grand and being on the outside of the in-crowd was just a bump in the road to the good times.

Enter Facebook.

Wow. 

Once popular kids discovered they could go back. Life was grand once again and they ruled.

How do I know this?

Because I was not a popular kid. Far, very far, from it.

On a lark, I found and sent a message to a popular type from my class. She responded with the usual drivel you would expect from a virtual stranger. 

But, no friend request appeared from her. I had intentionally not sent a friend request, just to see what would happen.

Did the old rules still stand?

Could a popular type friend an unpopular type, after all these years?

Pushing my experiment, I did a quick perusal of her current FB friends and there they were. The same old names (faces were unrecognizable) from the glory-days. The gang was all there.

I sent her a friend request.

Nothing.

I'm still waiting, months later.

I expect to see her friend acceptance hit my inbox any day. Honestly, it has been a couple of years now, but I'm the optimistic type.

Ladies and gentlemen, high school cliques live on and I have no problem with their existence. If living via your past-glory is your thing, enjoy. Rally the old, and I do mean old, gang back together on Facebook and rule. It's a funny, yet sad situation. 

Happily, I now know much more than I knew back then. Well, at least I know a little more.

Mostly, I feel gratitude for the lessons I learned by not being a popular kid in high school. 

Life is deep, rich, diverse and has nothing to do with being popular in high school or even being popular on Facebook.

Gee, I hope the popular kids from high realize being friends back then or on Facebook now is of little consequence in the general scope of life.

Gotta go and check my friends, just in case that person finally accepted me.

Better yet, I think it a much better idea to delete my request. Why try to be a part of the in-crowd? Some things just are not meant to be. Ever.

WATERWAY DINING AND BRITISH WEATHER

Tropical Storm, Isaac, is now an official hurricane.

After spending the weekend watching the pouring rain, Gaz and I headed to Waterway restaurant for dinner. Just a random Tuesday on the Intra-Coastal.

Waterway is offering up special pricing from 1986, but we had a discount coupon so it was ordering from the main menu for us. Fish and Chips and Crab Cakes were on our menu, along with Arnold Palmers. The food was good, the service was quite odd.

It really wasn't about the food or service, it was about sitting by the water and enjoying a lovely South Florida evening.

Much is said about South Florida. Good, bad, indifferent; much discussion, especially during difficult weather.

Home is where the heart is, but I do get a bit annoyed when people trash talk Florida. There is no Utopia, but if you don't like it? Move along to a place you enjoy!

Our British friends, Mo and Brian, have been also been experiencing difficult weather, but they press on and make the most of it, even when their gardens and croquet fields suffer.

Us?

We have the same attitude as those wonderful Brits.

Weather is weather and there is nothing to do about it one way or the other.

So, we'll see ya at the beach!

TROPICAL STORMS, HURRICANES, HATS AND JEWELRY

The Atlantic Ocean has been fierce over the last few days. We have been casting our gaze in the general direction of, Isaac.

We ARE in hurricane season, so why are people shocked when the potential swirling clouds move toward land? Should one really be shocked? Cautious and aware? Yes. Shocked? Not so muchy.

Having said that, I want to make certain we have water, flashlights, canned tuna and what-have-you. What I mind is how the weather people and channels pour on the drama until you want to throttle them.

So, we have been keeping our eyes on the clouds, attemtping to keep our eyes OFF the weather people and just kick back and watch it blow.

Tropical Storm warnings were all over us this past week and I did wonder, out loud, what is the appropriate attire for a TS Champagne Party.

I opted for shorts, a hat and jewelry. Always, jewelry, right? Of course.

Keeping the Gulf Coast in our prayers at Isaac roars (sort of) toward those coastal states of Mississippi and Louisiana.

COFFEE, HURRICANES AND MARTINIS

Having been away from, Indiscreetly Us, for a few months, I woke up this morning and felt compelled to post something.

What, exactly?

I have no idea.

Really, no specific topic is burning my fingers, yet I want to express myself here.

Gaz and I are in the midst of many other projects, but there is something calling me...drawing me here today as I sip java.

Is it the thunder, dark skies, rain and potential hurricane threat?

Could be.

Not certain.

We're about as ready as we can be for the swirling and twirling wind heading toward Haiti at the moment. My prayers are with all those there who have already suffered so much and still have so little.

Our preparation?

We have some water, flashlights, candles, are prepared to fill bathtubs (for toilet flushing if water supply gets interrupted), have full propane tanks for cooking outside on the grill if necessary and have random food items that will suffice.

You know what I really think?

I think August is crushingly boring and dull, even as a hurricane is threatening.

So, this afternoon it will be Rodeo Drive coffee and tonight it will be martini time with Gaz and we'll see where it goes from there.

TO MY SISTER, WITH LOVE, ON HER BIRTHDAY

Tomorrow, May 4th, is my sister's birthday. It is also my husband's birthday, but, for today, this blog post is just about her (he won't mind a bit).

Cards and gifts have been sent from Florida to Texas, but I just wanted to send a special greeting to her this morning. She knows how I feel in my heart, we tell each other, but this blog is the perfect way to summarize the celebration.

Barbara, has always been a part of my life. She has been there for all the important milestones for me. Always.

*She tells me she taught me to talk, and her name was my first real word. I have no doubt about this. No baby-babble was allowed!

*She let me play dress-up in her clothes and wasn't too angry about it when I messed them up.

*She made lists, assigned household duties and bossed me around and tried to be my mother, but I didn't mind too much. She's still a perfectionist about her house, but in a good way.

*She was always generous to me as a kid. She still is. I mean not just anyone would buy me a $50.00 salt keeper from Williams-Sonoma, just because I love to cook, right?

*One New Year's Eve when I was very young and disappointed about something, she surprised me with a little party for just the two of us. She had really fussed and I was so happy and loved it.

*It was in her car that I drove for the first time. It was standard-shift, I was horrible at it and I'm sure she was terrified. Our Father took over the lessons (bless his heart), but she never criticized me. I still loathe shifting gears in a car. This is why they make automatic transmissions!

*She took me to movies I loved. Of course, she was in charge of buying the concession treats. I didn't object. Did I want to? Probably.

*Years later, she pulled her husband to my crappy high school football games (she wasn't even an alum) to see me perform in the drill team. This in all kinds of weather, when she was quite pregnant. They also came to the dumb HS musicals and bragged on me (now, that's love).

*Her first-born, became like my own. When I babysat one evening and had to put him to bed with his shoes on because I had no idea how to remove those things that cover and protect shoelaces, she only laughed at me a little bit. She still brings this up though. Oh, yeah, some things never die.

*She was there for my high school graduation with her new baby.

*A few years later she gave me my wedding shower and years after that, my baby shower.

*As she is a fantastic cook, I learned so much from her. She still cooks RINGS around me!

*She was on-hand for the birth of my son, never leaving the hospital during my 12-hour labor. She helped us get through those trying first few weeks with a new baby. She stayed with us and didn't get much sleep, but she was happy and helpful and showered all of us with love and care.

*Once my child was born, he became her very special (and only) nephew. They have a bond that is strong and lasting.

*She has been a big part of every important milestone for my son: his typical babyhood accomplishments, his kindergarten graduation, school plays and events, his first trip to New York City, high school graduation and college graduation. She marks every occasion in his life with a call, card, gift of recognition (her love and regard is the most important thing).

*As I finally finished my college degree, she gave constant support.

We have, of course, also shared the joys of her family, but that's another blog.

Sadly, we have weathered the painful loss of beloved family members together. Giving and getting strength to and from each other.

Do we have and have we had tiffs or spats? Do we get annoyed?

Naturally. We're sisters.

Do they last long? Not really.

Our sister-story is long and there is much more to say about my sister. This is just me, blowing her a special birthday-kiss.

Those ties that bind, those heartstrings are impossible to break.

Happy Birthday, big sis, have a great day. You're in my heart today and always.

Love you, so much.