Thoughts For Thursday...

Still a bit on the damp side out there this morning, thanks to the rain that came through overnight.
Sure brought a lot of leaves down, too. That should play nicely into the city's leaf pickup for our area, which is due for a second round starting next week. Got me some raking and leaf-blowing to do.
Our Hoosierland weather for today has us dealing with a couple early showers, with clearing skies and bit of a cool down, Highs today will wind up in the low 60s. That's doable, right?
So let's all get something to wet the whistle and get the old motor humming, as we see what else has been going on since yesterday...
*** First out of the milk bottle is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood. All is riddle, and the key to a riddle is another riddle."

This was spoken by Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882), and he was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society.
And yes, he has a WIKI that can be found here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Waldo_Emerson

Emerson wrote on a number of subjects, never espousing fixed philosophical tenets, but developing certain ideas such as individuality, freedom, the ability for humankind to realize almost anything, and the relationship between the soul and the surrounding world.
(Sounds like the kind of person we NEED today, yes?)
Emerson had some pretty good views when it came to (his) religious beliefs, and I think we can learn much from his writings.
I know we used to read a LOT of his worsk when I was in high school.
Take some time and get to know one of this nation's greats when it comes to poetry and essays
*** Next up, time for some "What the hell happens today, Bob?"...
NOVEMBER 3 -

---Today is National Housewives Day (they still have those?), National sandwich Day (that I can work with).

It's also National Men Make Dinner Day (that's every day but Friday around our place). And no, barbecue does NOT count as dinner on this day, guys. Get off yer duffs!
*** Next, After a 108 year "sabbatical", the CUBS finally win the WORLD SERIES.

Now, that's something even my late Dad never had happen in his life.
And I knew it would come down to 7 games...whenever there is some high level of marketing involved, any sports series will "go the distance". This time, it was best of seven, and the Cubs came back (from a 3-1 deficit) to win the last 3 games in the series. Here's the story from Chi-town:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-win-world-series-sullivan-spt-1103-20161102-story.html

There was a LOAD of history made here, that's for sure.
Guess now they can party like it's 1908...(yeah, we could only wish).
I just hope the revelers don't tear any more of that city apart.
*** Next up, our local police (gang unit) had some fun yesterday. Here's the story:
http://wane.com/2016/11/02/police-raid-north-side-party-house/

Yep, a "party house" on the NORTH side (for a change). was raided.
This took place around 1700 hrs at 901 Forest Ave (near Northside Park).
There was a shooting there back on 16 October, and the house was reported to have underage drinking and loud parties going on.
((Police collected evidence that included Marijuana, Cocaine, Paraphernalia, and a KelTec Model P3AT .380 caliber along with several loose rounds of ammunition.))
Nice job. Now, if you folks can get down to our area and do something about some houses that have a little too much traffic, I'd sure appreciate it.
*** Next, a second male has been charged with torturing women in a Chestnut St. basement.
(and I thought savage pervs like this were found only in Philly)
Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2016/11/02/2nd-man-charged-in-basement-torture-of-women/

((Genues S. Jones, 38, has been charged in Allen Superior Court with two counts of felony aiding criminal confinement related to an incident inside a Chestnut Street home on 29 Aug.))
GENUES? Is THAT how these mooks spell "genius" these days?
No wonder there are problems in the black community around here, not the least oif which is vocabulary issues.
Don't blame the schools, either.
Well, this shitbag certainly was not any sort of "genues", was he?
You know, creatures that pass themselves off as HUMAN are giving a bad name to the ANIMAL kingdom, because, they really don't belong in either classification, or in anything approximating a NORMAL SOCIETY
Lock him the hell up and throw the damn key AWAY.
*** Next up, I'm still hanging in there without having any pets in the house (or a visiting cat outside).

After some time passes, you don't feel the sorrow any less, but I will admit to not feeling much of anything really of late.
It's like part of you goes numb. Then, when the numbness abates to some degree, you get emotional all over again. You get into a cycle of sorts. Thing is, you can't predict what "stimulus" will touch it off.
I know sleeping is kinda weird (well more so than usual), as I think I feel Rassie curling up by my feet, and it startles a part of me. Reminds me of that "phantom limb" thing where amputees still feel their hand or leg.
It's just that you have become so acclimated to having the cat around (two decades IS a long time, especially in cat years), that it takes time to NOT feel what you think you feel.
Unlearning things can be as difficult as learning things in life, that's for damn sure.
Doesn't make the lonelies go away, either.
*** Last back the cereal bowl...That World Series got me to thinking (which can be dangerous at times...heh) about the mechanics of baseball and how it applies to our lives.

A pitcher tries to strike out a batter by throwing different types of pitches. Sounds simple.
And, how many times will a batter take a swing at a "bad" pitch?
Life is a lot like that.
We often take a swing at a bad "pitch" when it comes our way.
Our other choices are to let the ball go past (and possibly get a called strike), or sit things out on the bench.
That's not how we're designed to operate.
People are basically social creatures, and we're meant to strive to succeed, work to obtain our needs (and wants), and to deal with strife when it comes a'knockin, right?
There is no "easy" way around this, but there are those who WILL try...and they will fail.
So, do we take a swing or not?
Better to try something (with the possibility of failure) than to do nothing, because any failure can be used as the learning experience it was probably meant to be. And as long as we're learning, we're living.

You get out there, you take a swing, and maybe you strike out, or maybe you get a base hit.
But you will never get anything (but discouraged) if you never even try.
Sounds like a plan.

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