Monday Musings...

Welcome back to another wonderful week here on planet Earth.
(mind you, the word wonderful IS being used in a subjective manner)
And how about that, we went a whole DAY (yesterday in fact) without any rain events.
How DID we manage that?
Our Hoosierland weather for today fins us with mostly sunny skies, temps climbing to around 70 degrees, and no rain in the immediate forecast. Got a nice breeze out there this morning, too.
So, let's begin the week anew and with a refreshing drink to wet the old whistle, as we see what has been going on elsewhere...
*** First out of the bakery is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
JUNE 26 -
---It's National Beautician's Day

(a shame they can't make a lot more of the world's ugly go away)
---It's National Chocolate Pudding Day

(made some yesterday - need I say more?)
*** Next up, we had some idiots around the city practicing (what else?) their specific kind of idiocy.

Like you thought we'd get off that easy, huh?
C'mon...this is Fort Wayne we're talking about here.

Make that PLURAL, please.

Here's the stories related to TWO separate weekend shootings:
http://wane.com/2017/06/24/details-car-to-car-shooting-leaves-one-critically-hurt/
http://wane.com/2017/06/24/more-information-second-overnight-shooting-leaves-man-critically-hurt/

Likewise on the plural thing

Here's the story about two stabbings:
http://wane.com/2017/06/25/what-we-know-two-stabbing-victims-show-up-at-hospital/
And here is an entry in Sunday's J-G opinion column from our very own monarch, King Henry:
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/columns/20170625/lets-say-yes-to-bold-ideas-in-tax-plan

I just HAD to add that last one into the idiocy compost pile because, if there's one thing I've come to know about the office of the mayor of Fort Wayne since I moved here, it's that EVERY one of them (from Helmke, through Richards and now Henry) tends to focus on one or two LARGE things to (as they say) "make the city a better place", while being stone-ass ignorant of ALL the myriad little things which seemingly multiply on a damn near exponential level, year after year, that are bringing the city down.
Talk about a "checks and balances" quandary, hmm?

Helmke allowed development up north (and somewhat west) to the point where the city's top-heavy with retail and service businesses, while not addressing the problem of drugs (crack cocaine) when it hit town during his administration.
Richards focused on a new ballpark, which isn't bad and cost more than expected, while trashing our other ball park that was ONLY 13 years old (and doing damn well in it's own right). He also allowed Southtown Mall to devolve to the point of closure and then sat around for SEVEN years until exercising eminent domain to reclaim the area (from a Michigan developer who did nothing), raze the mall and  allow Menards, Walmart and a Public Safety Academy to locate there (to which the PSA could not even turn any sort of profit and became part of IPFW to a large degree).

Henry came along and kept the spending going, with more downtown "improvements", a new Riverfront project (several phases in all), and he's pushing for another downtown arena...oh, and let's not mention how taxes have risen in all this, and how more taxes are proposed (to add sidewalks and fix alleys along with funding the riverfront stuff). Kinda like an also-ran thing with the alley/sidewalks gig.
So, during THREE administrations, that have taken the last TWENTY YEARS, what has the SOUTH SIDE of Fort Wayne gotten out of all this "improvement" stuff?
Short answer: VERY little.
Mr. Mayor...you can take all that "quality-of-life" rhetoric and place it squarely where the sun refuses to shine, kapeesh?
We're not seeing a damn BIT of it down here, are we? Enjoy your carrot, your highness.
*** Next up, we had a young man come by Saturday who wanted to talk home security systems.

He represented SAFE Security (been around since 1992 and accredited by the BBB - yeah, I checked things out). Well, having installed them in the (now defunct) Circuit City stores several lifetimes ago, I was interested.
After the better part of 45 minutes and a LOT of questions from Wifey and myself, we went ahead and had a system installed.
The best part is that all the gear was FREE (yeah, it costs about $50 a month for service for fire and police monitoring, but to remain alive and safe is basically PRICELESS, right?).
It's a totally wireless system, battery backup, WIFI connectivity, and comes with a smoke detector, IR/motion detector and touch-pad console.
And, here's the kicker for me, it ALSO came with one of those RING video doorbells.
Those are very cool. Sends an alert whenever anyone comes within proximity to the front door. It also takes a snapshot of the person there (like me getting the morning paper, in all my tired-ass, resplendent glory...lol).
There is also a live-feed, 2-way comms system built in, so you can talk to whoever is out there in REAL TIME.
You can also stream video from the device should there be an "issue" (like someone knocking on your door that you don't know), and can be used to show police.
You can do it from your phone, or other device in the house (or even when you're someplace else), so you can tell people to go away (from your front door) when you're anyplace else. That device alone costs anywhere from $179 to $249.

And yes, it DOES ring like a doorbell, too.
I think it's worth a try, considering how our "quality-of-life" is down there THESE days..heh.
We'll be sure to give you any updates as they present themselves.
*** Next, yesterday was Wifey's birthday, and as such, commanded a specific list of "responsibilities" for yours truly.
Yes, I baked her a chocolate cake, as you can see.

Pre-candled

All lit up and no call to 9-1-1.

And, I also provided homemade macaroni and cheese (her favorite. so she says), and a few little gifts.
She got a Hello Kitty keyring, which has bells on it that jungle (what else would they do?).

She also got a Guardians of the Galaxy "Baby Groot" keyring.
("No, DON'T push that button!").

"I am Groot?"

Now, she can choose the keyring she likes to fit the mood (or purse), as it were.
*** Next, let's see what went on at "Kitten Corner"...

Still loving that scratching post.

The kids weren't all that bad over the weekend.
Gallifrey was practicing his screen-climbing abilities (haven't gotten a picture "Spidercat" yet, but stay tuned. I'm sure he'll accommodate soon enough.
Violet was just basically taking it easy. We even found her looking out of the laundry room window.

"I iz wachin you guys."

Gallifrey loves to get between the screen and patio door, content to watch the birds. I prefer to have them just let me keep the door open to let in some cool air, without having to worry about anything else.
I think the outdoor air brings out the "spazmo" in them both, though.
*** Next up, let's slide on over to our "Tales of Midnight"...

Our little buddy was there each morning for his food, and then off he goes to wherever for a good part of the day. We get to see him in the afternoon and definitely in the early evening.
He's got a new thing he likes to do; he lays in the ALLEY and rolls around...!!!

Will you please get the hell outta the alley?

NOT a good idea, with the locals we have around here, who tear through alleys like alternate side streets (that's why our alley is always in need of repair). I'd love to keep him from doing that, before he becomes a casualty of careless idiots.

"I'm on the patio...you happy now?"

We'll keep hoping along those lines.
*** Last back to the garden gates... birthdays aren't all that bad.

I can recall some of them through the years, while others are totally forgotten.
Weird how that works.
I suppose as you get older, birthdays take on a much different meaning.
For me, it means I've got fewer ones in front of me than behind me...and that's okay.
Much of what a birthday is about isn't so much WHAT you get (although, sometimes, that's not a bad way to go, if you were hoping for something), it's about who you spend it with.
Let's face it, a birthday alone isn't all that much to write home about, is it?
And to have a person with you who wants YOU to have a special day and is willing to go the extra mile to do so, is a good thing. To also have it reciprocated is just as well-received.

The numbers don't mean much as you get older, and sometimes, you say "ah, it's just another day"., but it IS the day you came into this world, for better or worse, through the good and the bad.

You were put here for a REASON, even if you don't know what that is. Maybe you DO come to know that in time...some never do.,

As long as you are willing to never settle for less, not allow the winds and tides of evil to blow you every which way, and always seek to do better , become better, and always retain that sense of hope, you'll do okay.
And you'll be able to sleep a lot better at night.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.