December Again

December Again

I had an interesting conversation recently which you, faithful reader, might find interesting. My wife and I were sitting in our favorite “Friday” restaurant waiting for our lunches to arrive when our waitress stopped at the table for a moment and said to me, “You know, I'm kind of interested in starting a blog. I know you write one because I read the one you gave the boss a few months ago. I liked them a lot and think I might be able to write some too. There are a lot of funny and interesting people who eat here and I'm sure that some stories I could tell about them would be really funny.”

The restaurant I'm referring to is the breakfast-and-lunch place that my wife and I frequent on most Fridays for lunch, as they have the best fish dinner in town! Bar none! And, for the record, the waitress's name who asked about blogging is named Lois. She's probably the most senior of the wait staff in this restaurant, at least she is from my observation. When Mike, the boss, doesn't show up, she handles the place and does a cracking good job of it, also. I don't know too much about the politics of the restaurant, but if she isn't a full partner in the enterprise, she should be. (hint to Mike)

I was pleased that she had stopped to chat a minute (they're always real busy that time of day) and that she'd read my scribblings and had enjoyed them. Writers and bloggers always appreciate an attaboy on the all too infrequent occasions we get one. I was also pleased she had came to me to ask about this fascinating pastime. I answered her with some quick, off-the-top-of-my-head suggestions and followed up the next time we were at that restaurant with some more detailed ideas.

She's been working at this particular establishment for a lot of years and I'm sure she's seen just about everything. I, for one, would really, really like to read her stories!

In any event, talking to Lois and helping her start fiddling with this cool hobby has got the old juices starting to flow and maybe the words will follow.

Let's see...

The trees in this northern portion of Ohio have all shed their fall foliage and now resemble gray, skeletal hands reaching toward the ashen sky. The wind blows cold and carries the scent of Canadian snowfields far to the north. It's either late fall or early winter, I guess, depending on your viewpoint. Seasonally speaking, of course. The calendar says winter doesn't start for another week or thereabouts. The heavier jacket I'm now wearing most days says the calendar is wrong again.

Christmas is drawing a bead on us, too, sitting 11 days away and laughing its ho-ho-ho's as we scurry here and there accumulating our offerings to its hungry maw. But this year I'm pretty much ready for it. Speaking of “being ready for it”, I got asked that very same, oft-repeated question this week by a nurse at the place where I get my allergy shots. She said, “Are you ready for Christmas yet?”

I answered her with a question, “How many times have you said that today?” (she sees LOTS of patients daily)

She said, “A LOT!”

We both laughed at the banality of the question and how it's recital was almost required this time of year. Tell me you haven't heard it yet.

I always try to make her laugh during my visits there. She's one of the world's good girls and I enjoy my short time with her every three weeks. It's amazing how much you can learn about someone in 10 minutes a month or less. I might know more about her life story than I do many of my co-workers.

Anyhow...

As I said, Christmas approaches. It is Christmas, isn't it? There is always that seasonal argument about “Merry Christmas” versus “Happy Holidays”. I don't think there should be, at least to my way of thinking. When I say “Merry Christmas” I'm ALWAYS referring to the single day. Christmas. When I say “Happy Holidays” I'm referring to the conglomeration of Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Years and, if you want to push it, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I try to be precise in what I call stuff. So don't bug me about my seasonal greetings. I know what I'm saying. I use the written term Xmas from time to time also. I know that bugs people, too. Sorry. I'm old and set in my ways and it's quicker to write. Get used to it.

Another thing. I hate to break it to you but I've realized recently that I'm a bad person. For a number of reasons, actually, one of which I'll explain now. (the others maybe sometime in the future)

My wife and I have friends who live in a desert area not too far from Sedona, Arizona. We've known the lady for years and years – 40 plus – and the husband for some time also. We love them both to pieces. But... They're in Arizona and they only get back to Ohio infrequently.

And that's no doggone fun.

But recently they've decided to move back to Ohio. I know, I know, that's like a salmon swimming DOWNstream to spawn or a moth being pulled AWAY from the light.

Just. Doesn't. Happen.

But in this case, it does. I won't go into the reasons why they're heading this way. They're private to the couple and, anyhow, not relevant to this story. But at the time of this writing, they are in the midst of driving their motor home packed with household belongings across the country and are northeast Ohio bound.

Leaving their dry, warm, sunny desert to return to the snow, cold, sleet, icy rain, dreary days and general miserableness of a typical northern Ohio winter.

And I love it! They're going to be just up the road from us! And we'll be able to see 'em lots and lots!

I'm such a bad, bad fellow, aren't I?

The Science of Politics and a Wounded Dog

The Science of Politics and a Wounded Dog

There were a couple things that attracted my interest recently that I thought I might share with you. They were things that affected me in a couple different ways. See what you think.

The first was that I attended the movie “Lincoln” on Sunday and was totally blown away by it. The acting was nothing but incredible and I'll be dumbfounded if there won't be multiple Academy Awards resulting from it. Just off the top of my head I'd say Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field and Daniel Day Lewis were as good as I've ever seen them in any film. Or maybe anybody else in any other film. Stellar work and they most definitely deserve the utmost kudos from everyone.

But what drew my attention beyond the superb acting in this fine film was the fact that the United States Congress was just as contentious, just as starkly partisan and just as mule-headed back in 1865 as it is in today's version. Nay, if the film portrayed events even close to accurately, I'd say they were even more so, if you can possibly believe it. As you may recall from your history books, the country was still divided during the period portrayed, North and South, and the bloody Civil War was just winding down. Then, as now, the Senate had passed a bill which was being held up in the House. This one, however, was the 13^th Amendment which would outlaw slavery and involuntary servitude except as punishment for a crime. This was a very contentious issue in those days as you might imagine. Lincoln knew, that when he had freed the slaves with his Emancipation Proclamation back on the first day of 1863, it was only “good” for the duration of the war. After peace had been achieved, the proclamation would probably no longer be in effect. He further postulated that the proclamation might even be illegal and, if so, would be quickly overturned in the courts. The only way he could guarantee the abolishing of slavery was with an amendment to the Constitution.

During the course of the movie we see Lincoln using every ounce of his power and his political savvy to change the minds of a certain number of Representatives to his way of thinking, to make sure that they had enough numbers to pass the bill when it came up to a vote.

I smiled as I saw the way each “nay” vote was changed to an “aye” and realized that the science (or is it a craft?) of politics has changed not one iota in the last 150 years. People are persuaded, cajoled, shamed, flattered, given political favors, intimidated, indirectly (or directly) bribed and emotionally hijacked to gain a favorable vote. You can see this process continuing even to this day. And, to be honest, I don't condemn or condone any of these practices. It is what it is. It's just politics. At least in the time of Lincoln and according to the movie, he was a master at his trade and was able to skillfully obtain the results that he needed.

If the portrayal of Lincoln which I watched yesterday was anything close to accurate, he would have been a man I'd have liked to know personally. He was shown to be an extremely likeable man and a great president.

So why are you just sitting there? Go see the movie!

&&&

The second thing was this:

About a week ago there was a ghastly story running on our local television news. In a park in Cleveland Heights, a good Samaritan out walking her dogs had found a dog which had been tied to a tree and shot twice. He was then, apparently, left for dead. The Samaritan phoned the police and when they arrived they found the animal was still alive. He was bundled off to a veterinary clinic and cared for and his life was saved. As of November 30, the dog, named Forest for the place he was found, was doing much better but was still in a lot of pain and still had a long way to go before he would arrive at a full recovery. The video that was aired showed a beautiful mastiff that was extremely underweight for what he should have weighed. The television news report goes on to state:

“He was neglected, malnourished and tied up; forced to eat concrete or gravel.

He is eating now, but still limping because of the gunshot wound to his chest.

He was also shot in the face.

Cleveland Heights police are analyzing the bullet for fingerprints and DNA, to find out who shot the dog.”

He's the most lovable-looking pooch, sort of a brindle black and brown Mastiff with the most calm, trusting eyes you've ever seen. Once he's back to his normal health I'm positive he'll find his forever home almost immediately.

But just think:

Someone tied this poor dog to a tree and shot him.

And shot him again.

And botched the killing.

I'm a dog lover. Let's get that stated up front. When I see stories like this I get so angry that I could just spit. I want to find the sub-human who did those horrific acts to a trusting, loving pet and have him punished in the exact same manner as he punished the dog. But before tying him to a tree and shooting him I want to beat him and beat him some more. Then make him eat some concrete and gravel!

But I know that won't happen.

He'll probably just get a fine and maybe, just maybe, will be forbidden to own a pet.

For a couple years.

And. That's. Just. Not. Right.