Humpday Happenings - Post Christmas edition...

I trust everyone had a very festive Christmas.
I know we had a good day here at the "Fortress" with the cats (both indoors and out).
We also have a very full boat with two days of stuff to cover with this post today, so let's get right to it.
Our Hoosierland weather brings us partly sunny (or partly cloudy, depending on how you're feeling) skies and temps into the mid-40s. Doesn't sound that bad.
(at least it's not freezing)

So, with that finished, let's get that morning drink poured, as we see what e;se has been going on...
*** First out from under the Christmas tree is our WHO SAID THAT? quote for the week:

"When a person doesn't have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity"
I believe that this is something we should have been paying attention to over the holidays.
And maybe if it was practiced a bit more, things wouldn't be as horrible as they can often are.
So, who said that? The answer at the tiop of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back in the Carpathian mountains of Romania...
*** Next, time for the "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
DECEMBER 26 -
---It's Boxing Day

(which still has nothing to do with Rocky Balboa)
---It's National Candy Cane Day

(try putting on in your hot chocolate)
---It's National Thank You Note Day

(I suppose emails work as well)
---It's National Whiners Day

(another political holiday???)
*** Next up, let's play catch up from yesterday with all the FWPD calls that went out last week that we never heard anything about (and should have)...
FWPD CALLS - 
DEC 17 - DEC 23
SHOTS FIRED ((113)) - ARMED ROBBERY((53)) 
((23,113 - vandalism by gunfire))
=======================================
18F148186 12/17/2018 09:05pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 4400 WARSAW ST
18F148213 12/17/2018 10:53pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 4800 SPATZ AV
18F148527 12/18/2018 05:18pm 113 SHOTS FIRED S CLINTON ST & E JEFFERSON BLVD
18F148568 12/18/2018 06:55pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3500 S HARRISON ST
18F148605 12/18/2018 08:19pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2900 LARWILL CT
18F148665 12/18/2018 11:51pm 113 SHOTS FIRED E RUDISILL BLVD & ABBOTT ST
18F148932 12/19/2018 06:25pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 6100 HYSTONE DR
18F148941 12/19/2018 06:47pm 113 SHOTS FIRED S CALHOUN ST & E MAIN ST
18F148955 12/19/2018 07:25pm 113 SHOTS FIRED LILLIE ST & E PETTIT AV
18F148987 12/19/2018 09:48pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 4700 HOLTON AV
18F149017 12/19/2018 11:07pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 900 RIDGEWOOD DR UNIT 16
18F149061 12/20/2018 03:22am 113 SHOTS FIRED 2200 WELLS ST
18F149118 12/20/2018 08:25am 113 SHOTS FIRED 4500 STANDISH DR
18F149374 12/20/2018 08:45pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 600 HUFFMAN ST
18F149447 12/21/2018 01:11am 113 SHOTS FIRED ROCKHILL ST & W WASHINGTON BLVD
18F149755 12/21/2018 06:17pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 7200 MAYSVILLE RD
18F149890 12/22/2018 01:06am 113 SHOTS FIRED 3200 CILANTRO CV
18F150062 12/22/2018 02:35pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2300 W WALLEN RD
18F150175 12/22/2018 09:20pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2000 RIEDMILLER AV
18F150389 12/23/2018 02:07pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2500 GLENCAIRN DR
18F150408 12/23/2018 02:59pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 7200 BAER RD
18F150539 12/23/2018 11:03pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1000 N COLISEUM BLVD
18F150548 12/23/2018 11:26pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 4400 WILMETTE ST
======================================================
NO vehicles vandalized by gunfire (for once)
======================================================
18F147978 12/17/2018 01:38pm 53 ARMED ROB 600 OXFORD ST
18F148353 12/18/2018 10:54am 53 ARMED ROB 200 E PETTIT AV
18F148602 12/18/2018 08:17pm 53 ARMED ROB 2200 HOLTON AV
18F148626 12/18/2018 09:42pm 53 ARMED ROB 4300 S ANTHONY BLVD
18F149334 12/20/2018 07:08pm 53 ARMED ROB 2500 JOHN ST
18F150478 12/23/2018 07:29pm 53 ARMED ROB 6300 WOOD RIM RUN
======================================================
18F147886 12/17/2018 08:57am 56 MOLESTING 2100 BROOKLYN AV
18F149423 12/20/2018 10:51pm 56 MOLESTING 5900 DECATUR RD
======================================================
18F147820 12/17/2018 02:14am 58 SHOOTING 2000 SKYHAWK DR
18F148200 12/17/2018 10:18pm 58 SHOOTING 800 E WASHINGTON BLVD
18F148935 12/19/2018 06:29pm 58 SHOOTING 4100 N CLINTON ST
======================================================
18F148195 12/17/2018 09:55pm 59 CUTTING/STAB 2000 BROADWAY
18F148484 12/18/2018 04:07pm 59 CUTTING/STAB 8700 BEACON WOODS PL
18F148954 12/19/2018 07:22pm 59 CUTTING/STAB 700 BROADWAY
18F149883 12/22/2018 12:41am 59 CUTTING/STAB 2900 N CLINTON ST
======================================================
18F149645 12/21/2018 02:35pm 61 RAPE 1000 BROADWAY
=======================================================
18F149912 12/22/2018 02:17am 75 PURSUIT E JEFFERSON BLVD & S CALHOUN ST
=======================================================
Plus 13 narcotics calls 
=======================================================
Fireworks calls: DEC 17 - DEC 23
===============================
NONE???...well merry my Christmas!
*** Next, and speaking of Christmas, our day started out well...
I planned a quiet day with little to no fussing about and I found the locals down here had other plans..
This meant that I found a nice bag of half-eaten food and a half finished bottle of soda tossed in our driveway. No wonder we hear about people WASTING food.

(might as well live near a pig farm)
So, I decided to do the holiday thing and toss it onto the property of the people behind us...in the best manner of "sharing".
Merry Christmas, idiots.

"I don't think there's any gifts in HERE."

After that, it was breakfast with Wifey, and the cats, who ALL got wet food (pleasant change-up for them).
We opened gifts and got to watch our indoor cats play with some new toys (like they don;t have enough already...lol).
Then, I set about getting dinner ready (actually more like a late lunch)...a small roast with potatoes and carrots.
(and yes, there was cake...leftover from the weekend)

Who's walking who?

During the course of the afternoon, "Trikey-boy" went "walking" his dog. Actually, the dog was pulling him along the streets, as his back-mounted loud speakers blasted out more 80s R&B. Don't like Christmas songs?
Well, I had to share the holiday cheer, so I called the cops on him for a noise violation (when he parked back at his house one block over). You could sing along it was that loud - the lyrics were nice and clear.
Hope he enjoyed the visit from the FWPD.
Merry Christmas, moron.
Fortunately, we had some television to take up the slack, with SCROOGE (1951) being aired of FXM, and the Doctor Who Marathon (all this week, in fact) on BBC America.

We watched the DVD of Garfield's Christmas (1987) as we always do.
Yeah, it wasn't that bad a day, considering.

Thanks for the heads-up.

Oh, and I second-guessed myself on Monday...and came out on the losing side.
I saw the USPS truck go up the street very early (around 0900 hrs) and I had wanted to get some late cards in the mail, so I went to the box. We had already gotten a delivery. I suspected they were doing a "double" run, but Wifey didn't think they would do that, so I brought our outgoing mail back in.
Well, just before 1400 hrs USPS came around AGAIN and I heard the truck pull away from our mailbox...missed them TWICE in one day, so some people are getting their Christmas cards late (sorry), but it's MY fault for "not going with my gut" (as Gibbs would say).
*** Next up, time to stop by our "Kitten Corner"...

"What's under here, I wonder?"

As I said above, the kids had some toys to play with, but they also found wrapping paper as much fun.
They were curious about what WE got and had to get in on that.

"Why is daddy playing with our toys?

I will say it's fun just to watch them wander about, as if they're so interested in us and OUR gifts.
Having a pet (or pets) around makes the day much more happy...and amusing, that's for sure.
*** Next up, let's check in with "Midnight and Whiskers"...
Our furry twosome seemed quite appreciative of our providing some wet food for them yesterday.

"Yep, that's the spot behind the ears."

And, as a result, they both stayed close by the house.
She was in the shelter most of the time, while he roamed round, but never missing a meal (or treats time). To see them come around to the back step after dark is cute, as they each take a step to get the treats.

"I like this guy's cologne."

I think they know we care for them a lot, and they provide happiness just with thier hanging around.
*** Last back to the tree skirt...it was a small and humbles holiday around here, and I kinda like it that way.
It's better to take joy in giving then getting.

It's also better to take comfort in knowing what we have been given ALL those years ago in a manger in Bethlehem.
Sure, we tend to look for those post-holiday sales items, and we soon forget what Christmas means (until eleven months from now), but the holiday entails so much more than mere trinkets we shop for.

It's not easy keeping the world at arm's length, but  it is a challenge I think we can all attempt.
Having faith and hope in a better tomorrow, and in us becoming better people tomorrow is well worth it.
To do less it to become less, and that's not keeping in the spirit of yesterday, is it?

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