Monday Musings...

Sure, it IS cold outside this morning, but its ALSO going to feel like Spring by late this afternoon.
How's THAT for contrast?
Welcome to the start of another week in the Midwest, where the weather usually changes by the hour, and rather drastically.
Now that we have all the seasonal hype and politicizing of the football season over with, it's time to turn your attention to more important things...like NCAA basketball playoffs...ROFL. Talk about wasting time. Guess you can tell I'm not a real sports fan,
Yeah, I grew outta that a while back.
Our Hoosierland weather for today will see us with mostly sunny skies, but clouding up as the day progresses, with a chance of showers later on, and temps reaching to around 50 degrees.

This is what Mom used to call "pneumonia" weather, because a lot of people don't dress properly and adapt to the temperature change, second-guessing the forecast.
Well, we'll not make that mistake, right?
Anyway, let's get that morning cup of "jolt me awake, please" as we take a look at what's going on elsewhere...
*** First off of the breakfast table is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
FEBRUARY 6 -
---Today is National Frozen Yogurt Day

(at least it'll stay frozen this MORNING)
---And, it's National Lame Duck Day

(we're talking the 20th Amendment here, and not a crippled water fowl)
*** Next up, a real brief assessment of Super Bowl Sunday...

1) while not the avid football lover of my youth (when the GAME was a lot better with people keeping their yaps shut about politics , I have to admire the "Pats" and the come-from-behind victory yesterday.
Reminded me of the infamous "Heidi-Bowl" of decades before. Here's the WIKI on it, if you were too young:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidi_Game
And, it wasn't EVEN a playoff game.
Still, what I read about yesterday seemed fine. Entertainers shut up about politics (for one day).

2) Both the Kitten Bowl and Puppy Bowl were fun to watch. The )bad) puns just would NOT stop, though...God, that was painful
(and my Last Chance Lions came in 2nd this year...darn it).
At least the puppy I picked for MVP ("Rory") won, even if I couldn't vote for him (via Facebook only - crap).
So, that's all I have on sports, take it or leave it.
*** Next, although I did see an ambulance and the FWFD engine 11 drive past the house, no reports of any crime-related stuff going on.
That doesn't mean these assholes around here aren't up to "something".

They always are...they just never seem to get caught, but that's not MY fault, is it?
We really don't a day off from the local stupid.
*** Next, and sorta0kida related, I did some "research" over the weekend, because I saw a felony report for someone living on OUR block (never would see this 10+ years ago).

This came up in the felonies part of the metro section:

You need to MOVE away.

((Nathaniel Leonard aka Nathanial Leonard, 61, of the 4800 block of South Monroe Street, was charged Jan. 9 with two counts of failure to register as a sex or violent offender. He is being held in lieu of $5,000 bail.))
Well, the good news is that he's presently NOT on our street...is he?
((**Update - he actually lives NEXT DOOR to us at 4804 - did some more nosing around and BINGO, we have a "winner"...really a LOSER!))
Found guilty of child molesting back in 2000.Now, the thing is, after finding his sorry ass on the "homefacts" website (they should update that), I find out he's had two prior addresses in town, neither was on OUR block. So, that got me to thinking...
I wonder exactly HOW many sex offenders we have (now) just in our zip code?
(we used to have about 6 in our immediate area, but that was years ago, and NONE on our block.

Well, the numbers are in - we have THIRTY SIX (counting Leonard's latest address) just in the 46806 area.
There are currently 443 registered sex offenders in ALL of Fort Wayne...nice to know that, hmm?
How many UN-registered ones do we have? That's anyone's guess.
I did notice that the highest concentration seems to be in the 46808 zip code, in case you were wondering.

Good to know this, considering we have more roaming KIDS in our area these days. I'll bet none of the parents know (or care) if they have a sex-offender/child molester in their midst.
Thanks for that "quality-of-life", mister mayor. Sure is working out down here...NOT!
*** Next, let's go see what's shaking over at "Kitten Corner"...

"Heard it was Shower With a Friend day".

Our furry twosome were not that taken by the Kitten Bowl OR the Puppy Bowl (that surprised me). Could not get them to watch the TV. They much rather fancied getting into our lazy-Susan, and now BOTH of them get up onto the kitchen counter.

You're NOT supposed to be up there, dear.

Keeping them OFF of there is the "chore-du jour"...lol.
Fortunately, there is always the "squirt-bottle", which I don't use all the time, anyway. I'd much prefer to chide them from such activity. That way neither of them develops any fear and shys away from me.
They do always come in and spend time in the living room, curling up in my jacket or in my lap.

And, a little grooming never hurts.

The down side to the latter is that neither of them knows how to lie down and get petted...yet.
Both Gallifrey and Violet roam around my lap as I stroke them, and then, when they have their fill, they get down.
There will come a time when being a "lap cat" will be THE thing to do...trust me.
*** Last back to the kitchen sink (c'mon cats, get OUT of there)...teaching a pet to do something can be as challenging as teaching them to NOT do something.

Some skills are harder to teach...and learn.

Same can be said of us, most of the time.
We are the culmination of what we've been taught (growing up), the people we encounter, the experiences we have, and the time spent being educated (either by others or by oneself).
I've always looked at this as a "work-in-progress", in that, we never really stop doing any of it.
All of those things help shape us, mold us, and refine us as we journey through life.
But, we always have to be aware of things that can snatch our attention from what we should be concentrating on, because it's those times that we often stop our learning process.

Some people never grow out of their "infancy" along these lines, expecting others to make decisions for them, or they make their own decision, with little or nothing to base them upon. That usually leads to disaster of some level.

It's fine to rely on others as an infant, or even a child, but sooner or later, we ALL have to grow up and make our own choices, sometimes failing along the way, but learning all the time.
To let a day pass without taking in some nugget of education is basically a day wasted.
Waste enough of THOSE, and you've lost a lot.
Instead, take some time to learn...it sure won't kill you, and will only serve to help you.

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