Ligidation

Today is the ending of one year and the beginning of another. As a child, I never dreamed that I would live to see the year 2000, so making it to 2011 is awesome. I've been housebound for a few weeks now, a state of suspended lack of animation that is challenging to accept. My knee is on the road to recovery, the physical therapy is set to begin with the coming week, and I'm ready to do my own shopping.

Lots of little synapses firing, random thoughts pinballing around in my head. A quote from the Cornwell book catches my attention: "Somehow I always end up in charge or to blame. It never fails" (31). My life story in a sentence hidden in a book that is far too long. At page 169, I'm trying to convince myself that it's okay not to finish what I've started, but the other side is at war with my logical self, prodding me to see if it improves. Based on past experience, a book that is still floundering at page 169/496 needs to be passed on to the public library for others to enjoy.

Abject disgust at Hugh Hefner: age 84, in love with and engaged to marry a 24-year-old? Hef again confirms the old adage that there absolutely is no fool like an old fool.

Daisy has been spending an unusual amount of time curled up in my lap or on my bed. She rests her head on the healing kneecap and enjoys licking it when I uncover the surgery site. She is finally learning how to play toys with Mia and me, rather than stealing them from us and running like hell out the doggie door, where she hides her prize under the big table. Tonight will be both illegal fireworks and illegal discharging of a weapon within city limits, so the dogs will be barking and running inside and out most of the night. If I thought it would help to call the police and direct them to the scenes of the fireworks and firearms, I'd do that, but calls in the past have been set aside because there are so many other crimes being committed that they have to be prioritized. The potential harm to an innocent bystander has to rank lower on the crime scale than an actual assault and/or murder.

My ire is aroused by the advocate for illegal aliens who patiently explains to the media audience how demeaning that label is to the "undocumented workers" who have come to this country to live the American Dream. My mind wants to clarify for the advocate the difference between a worker legally residing in the US who needs to update documentation of his/her immigration status and a person who has illegally crossed the border into the US to work, to attend school, to access social services. That person, the illegal alien, is a legal resident of another country and should not be illegally double-dipping into another country's resources. We'll help the undocumented worker to update documentation, but the illegal alien needs to return home and apply for the documentation that allows him/her to return legally and, perhaps, earn the title of undocumented worker.

The rain and snow have moved on to batter other states in its journey from sea to shining sea. We didn't get a lot of snow, but it sprinkled its way all the way down the mountains for a brief appearance. The damage from the rains and the really strong winds will be repaired in the coming months, when I will engage in the annual picking of the weeds out of the garden. Hummingbirds are outside today, feasting on the purple flowers dotting the backyard plants. Life is good in my neighborhood.

What is ligidation? It's the word on a huge sign outside a roadside business surrounded by huge billboards written totally in Spanish. I assume the business owner is going out of business as I've never seen a customer on the premises. The word "liquidation" is a toughie even for English-speaking business owners who close their doors as the New Year begins. Let's hope for improvement for all of us in the coming weeks/months.