I'm pretty sure she will not make it through the night.

I got her in late '93 from a girl I would end up dating for a while and named her Animal after the drummer in the Muppet band. We bonded very quickly and it was only a short time before she would not tolerate anyone but me. Completely fearless, she attacked anyone that came into my apartment without me being there... and sometimes when I was. Twice maintenance people came in unscheduled and both times needed stitches, once in Mass and once here in Ohio.

When I was home we were together constantly. Playing fetch with a ball of tinfoil... Eating together on the couch (she almost always had some of whatever I was eating)... When on the computer, she would sleep on the back of the chair... At night she slept above my head... heh, I could not even use the bathroom alone, I had to leave the door open and she would sit in the doorway.

Back about six years ago, she got tumors on her chest and had to have all of her nipples removed. They did not give her good chances to survive so I looked around and got the best vets I could find for the surgery and she pulled through fine.

The last year has been really hard on her, I've had to move four times and... Well, she just did not take it well... A year ago she seemed just as she always had but with each move she seemed to age a whole lot. Yesterday, I noticed she seemed a little wobbly... just... going very slow and seeming unsure of how to walk. This morning when I got up, she was completely limp, just laying there and not able to respond. She had eaten a little of the food I had put out last night but very little, normally she would have eaten all of it. I gave her fresh food and water this morning but she seems unable to move her head even to get to it. I've made her comfortable on nice soft bedding... and I am keeping an eye on her, changing the bedding if she soils it as she cannot get up to get to the litter box. I really don't think there is much else to do. She does not seem to be in pain and I can still hear her purr a bit as I put my head gently against her side. I've got water in a saucer and she has been able to get some.

It has been almost 6 hours since I wrote the above... I stopped because Animal started making noises... I was with her at the end and she is now gone. I'll miss her a lot, she was a wonderful cat.

This morning as I pulled into work there was a double rainbow in the sky. I wish I had better pics because these do not do it justice but here is what I got.

Are you tired of those sissy-ass "friendship" poems that always sound good, but never actually come close to reality? Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of true friendship:

1. When you are sad -- I will help you get drunk and plot revenge
against the sorry bastard who made you sad.

2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking
you.

3. When you smile -- I will know you finally got laid.

4. When you are scared -- I will rag on you about it every chance
I get.

5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about
how much worse it could be until you quit whining.

6. When you are confused -- I will use little words.

7. When you are sick -- Stay the hell away from me until you are
well again. I don't want whatever you have!

8. When you fall -- I will point and laugh at your clumsy ass.

Send this to 10 of your closest friends, then get depressed because you can only think of 4.

Remember... A good friend will help you move... a REALLY good friend will help you move the
body... (let me know if you ever need me to bring a shovel.)

Friendship is like peeing your pants, every one can see it, but only you can feel the true warmth.

Penis Request,
I, the Penis, hereby request a raise in salary for the following
reasons:
I do physical labor
I work at great depths
I plunge head first into everything I do
I do not get weekends or public holidays off
I work in a damp environment
I don't get paid overtime
I work in a dark place that has poor ventilation
I work in high temperatures
My work exposes me to contagious diseases


Dear penis,
After assessing your request, and considering the arguments you have
raised,
the administration rejects your request for the following reasons:
You do not work 8 hours straight
You fall asleep on the job after brief periods of work
You do not always follow orders of the management team
You do not stay in your designated area and are often visiting other
locations.
You do not take initiative; you need to be pressured and stimulated
in order to start working.
You leave the workplace rather messy at the end of your shift.
You do not always observe necessary safety regulations, such as
wearing the correct protective clothing
You will retire well before you are 65
You are unable to work double shifts
You sometimes leave your designated work before you have completed
the assigned task.
And if that were not all, you have been constantly entering and
exiting the workplace carrying two suspicious looking bags.
Sincerely,
The Management

Blech! This is the fourth Sunday in a row i've had to work, i'm sick of it. I'd hoped to get out early enough to go downtown to the anti-war demonstration but it's not likely. Oh well, just need to bitch about it. Back to work now