Monday Musings...

Well, I suppose for some (probably most) of you, this wasn't a bad weekend.
I, on the other hand, COULD have had a better one.
The weather kinda behaved itself, except for it being hot (it is still summer).
Thankfully, the criminal element wasn't too busy (musta been chowing down at FoodFest).
Of the MANY things I miss, being able to have (once noteworthy) stuff like weekends is nudging closer to the top of that list.
Our Hoosierland weather for today, this last day of July, brings us sunny skies, temps reaching to around 83 degrees, and lower humidity (easier on the sweat glands...lol)

So, what say we kick off the week with a nice refreshing drink to get things going, as we see what's been happening elsewhere...hmm?
*** First out of the shower is our "What the hell happens today. Bob?" feature:
JULY 31 -
---It's National Avocado Day

(not into them, don't like them, get them away from me)
---It's National Mutt Day

(so important, it's observed today and the 2nd of December...gotta love a mutt)
---It's National Raspberry Cake Day

(when you say cake, I'm pretty much there)
*** Next up, a weekend review, and Wifey's not-so-excellent adventure...

Best part of the trip - heading down there.

She made it down there fine, but after being there with her dad (who just turned 86), things got a bot on the "tedious" side.
He had a piece of food that got lodged in his esophagus, so that meant a trip to the hospital to get it out (it came out of it's own accord). Then, he had a couple falls (nothing major, no injuries, thankfully), but enough of a scare to keep Wifey on edge.
So, she spent the better part of her time down there more busy than if she stayed up here.

I was doing okay, in spite of the fact that Wifey was not around to "cook" like she always does on Fridays (it's called "take out surprise"...LOL).
Add to that, the fact that we also did not go grocery shopping on Saturday (which will probably have the (regular) checkout woman (Carol) and bagger (Brad) wondering what happened to us. We'll be playing "catch-up" with THAT number today early on.
MY big bugaboo was having to be awakened very early Sunday morning by the sound of a damn basketball being dibbled in the alley (..ka-thunk,ka-thunk, ka-thunk...) from the mooks across the street.
Yep, the "kidz" across the street just HAD to play b-ball at TWO...IN...THE...F$CKING...AM...!

Same old, only much DARKER outside

WTF is wrong with black parents (or what is supposed to be passing for them) these days?
If you think for ONE damn minute, I'd allow MY kids to be out at that ungodly hour in a damn alley (where people HAVE been known to be shot in the overnight hours in this part of the city)...you're frigging bat-shit crazy!

(no wonder these kids are late for school or don;t show up...no guidelines for them to follow...and they wonder why they don;t pay attention and excel? Gimme a break!)
And, of course,  they just had to be LOUD too (big surprise there - is that a "cultural thang"?).
Naturally, NO police rolled through, and I was so close to calling on them.
These kids are not even teenagers (tweens at best), and there's NO reason to not be inside at 2AM (where it's relatively safe).

I'll tell you...some of these assholes are of the SCARY-STUPID sort...the kind that bad things happen to because of all the bad choices they make.
*** Next, time to try and put such nonsense behind us and look to "Kitten Corner"...

Whenever Wifey goes, the kids are better behaved, and by that, I mean that their bouts of craziness never last too long. It's more nap time than anything else, and they come seek me out for a neck rub more than usual.
I don't mind that one bit. And I know they don't either.

I can't say if they prefer a "larger audience" to practice their antics or not, but times such as this past weekend have some small advantages in the realm of feline behavior. Plus, they get treats for being good (not too shabby).
*** Next up, let's see what's been going on with "Midnight and Company"...

Midnight's been there every morning, even if I have to shake my keys (got great hearing, God bless him) to call him from wherever he stays overnight (across the street someplace). He's getting into another "routine" - he eats, then leaves for the rest of the morning, only to come back in the afternoon for more food, hang out before leaving again before dusk.
I do not know if that's because of the other cat or not, but I always give him the majority of attention anyway.
(he WAS here first).

As for Whiskers, she's here all the time, and Lord knows where she sleeps (in the shelter maybe?).
I know whenever I open the patio door, there she is, ready for more food.
After she eats, she goes into "rubbing" mode on your legs...nice to be "appreciated".
*** Last back to the towel rack...future generations are NOT what they used to be.

Now, how can I go and make a statement such as that?
Well, I can assure you...I'm NOT psychic, nor can I predict the future, provisionally-speaking.
I can make informed conclusions based upon what I read, accumulated knowledge (and experience) , things I know to be true, and what my senses tell me about people.
People will actually clue you in on a lot about themselves before they even open their pieholes.
Kinda simplistic when you say it that way, isn't it?
That makes us ALL worthy of similar definition...if we're paying attention, right?
Cripes, all you need do is look around you, pick up a paper, listen to the news...it's all over the place. It's hard NOT to see what's going on.

And when such is LACKING...

The basic manner in the way people act these days, and not just with one another, is appalling.
We see people do things that back when we were young, and looking UP to older people (and not just a physical sense, mind you) are blatantly reprehensible.
Child abuse is way off the scale (and it's not disciplining a child, so let's make that clear), child molestation and sexual perversions are (today) the stuff that might make even ancient Greece or Rome cringe. That's the tip of the iceberg.
People are also more thin-skinned and definitely more violent towards each other and this goes beyond what we recall could be found in the "wild" west.
In fact, every form of what we call CIVILITY has taken it on the chin, generally-speaking.
What we called MORES are fast becoming as obsolete as typewriters and cassette tapes.
And where is such aberrant behavior getting us? Short answer: nowhere (and in a hurry).

What our nation could really use is a good healthy infusion of ETHICS...period.
There's nothing wrong with civil discourse, following the Golden Rule, and paying attention to even the tried and true Ten Commandments, but you don't even have to go there to be a lot more decent than what we're seeing today (it does help to no small end, however...lol).
I'm not saying this as a bitter aging man...I'm saying this as someone who once saw SO many more people acting much better than they do today. I'm also saying this as someone who always tried to emulate the better people in our society, starting with my parents.

I can only conclude that when families are no longer as valued as they used to be, the rest of our societal values and many of our principles seem to follow suit.
And, our nation is capable of being as good, if not better than past generations, but we have to WANT it bad enough.

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