Trauma Center

Mia sat totally still, barking her "danger" bark. Because we were in the living room, I was at a loss: was there a snake in the house (has happened in the past)? Was there an insect crawling across the carpet (frequent guests)? What on earth could the matter be? I shushed her, but she would not stop barking, nor would she move a muscle. It was obvious that whatever the matter was, I had to figure it out before Mia would stop barking.

As I walked toward her, all I could see was her little stuffed play toy on the rug. When it was obvious that I was missing something, Mia barked again and pushed at her toy with her nose. Ah-ha! I saw it: an arm had torn off her favorite toy and fluffy stuffing marked the scene of the injury.

Mia shadowed me as I found needle and thread, restuffed the ripped toy, and carefully sewed it shut. Mia never made a sound, but watched me with critical eyes, her nose mere inches from the operating theatre. When I finished, I handed her the toy, but she turned her eyes, perhaps afraid to face what could have been the demise of the doggie toy. I assured her that her toy was fine, then squeaked it a couple of times and threw it down the hallway. She chased it, picked it up in her teeth, tossed it in the air and watched it land, picked it up again, then trotted back and handed it to me so we could play.

Yet another household tragedy averted on this fine windy Friday.

PS: look closely at the photo and you'll see where the leg is missing :-) Mia's toenails are where the leg used to be, prior to what we're calling the incident.

Huff 'n Puff and BLOW Your House Down!

Last night the wind blew so fiercely that I literally could not go outside. Yes, I actively practice hyperbole, but this is for reals, as my kids used to say, not just an excuse not to scoop poop after Thor's contribution to the dog run. A specific weather condition created the potential for a wind event that features sustained winds in excess of 55 mph (yesterday) and higher (today), predicted as high as the 70s mph range. Sporadic power outages are a by-product of high winds, so I've had several of the short outages, while some communities have gone hours without electricity. The huge tree at the back of my property, originating in the yard next door, is entwined with the power lines, so I expect either to lose power or have the tree uprooted during one of these high-wind events.

The winds originate along the coast, associated with the dense fog layer crashing into our incredibly high temps and low humidity. Once the winds crest the surrounding mountains, they blast into the desert, especially at the west end of PS and heading northerly toward DHS, MV, YV, JT and across the marine corps base outside of Twenty-nine Palms.

According to the weather service, the winds will sustain high velocity until early Friday; meanwhile, a huge military maneuver is planned involving a higher than usual number of aircraft. It becomes immediately apparent to the novice (that would be me) that aircraft will have difficulty flying during the predicted weather conditions. Interestingly enough, those exact conditions occur in the Middle East, blowing sands obscuring visibility, where current military operations occur 24/7 for reals. Thus, it is valuable training for the troops, as well as the sky crews, to practice in conditions similar to what they face during deployment, but I'm thinking that isn't going to happen.

War doesn't wait for favorable weather conditions, but practice can be canceled. The high winds blowing across the military base make it hazardous for the boots on the ground, as well as the eyes in the sky that fly over civilian communities. The loss of military personnel and aircraft during war is inevitable, but that kind of loss during maneuvers becomes a tragedy no one wants to occur on US soil.

Meanwhile, I've battened down the hatches, taking down my outdoor chimes and closing all the windows, so I'll stay inside today.

Chromed

My g-mail account has been asking me to go chrome, so today -- I did. It is faster, a whole lot faster, and I'm playing with it to see what else it does. Anyone provide me with good info, cool things to do, reasons why I switched to chrome?

Or did I simply have a Nike moment?

Conflict at the Check-out Counter

I walked the length of the deserted check-out lanes, but the only two open this morning were clearly identified as "Express" lanes, limited to consumers with 15 items or less (which should be fewer because they can be counted, rather than weighed, which would require the use of less). I asked the checker if a full-basket lane was available, but she responded "no" and told me it was okay to get into the express line.

Thus began the conflict at the check-out counter.

The elderly couple behind me made it quite clear that I had more than 15 items in my basket and should find another lane as I was clogging the express lane. I had already allowed 2 customers to go ahead of me, checked with an authority about a full-basket lane, and stood my ground. The man looked over my shoulder and commented on the items as I removed them from the cart to the conveyer belt, noting to his companion that I had purchased 10 containers of yogurt and a T-bone steak marked down for quick sale. He also informed his companion that I only purchased 2 pieces of fruit, but a new jar of popcorn and a full pound of real butter -- "must not have cholersterol issues" was his medical opinion. I speeded up the transfer of items, hoping to finish my check-out and leave the store with a shred of dignity, but then he put his hand on my shoulder and cautioned me to "Slow down; you don't want to bruise your bananas."

Believe me, buddy, it wasn't my bananas that were going to be bruised if you didn't remove your hand immediately! No, I didn't attack him, either physically or verbally, but it was close for a moment. The withering stare seemed to do the trick this time and he stepped back, but I'm still not believing that HE TOUCHED ME!

You know, there are times when people should just shut the hell up and mind their own business, and I'm saying that one of those times is while taking a turn in the grocery store check-out lane. What I had in my cart was no one's business but mine, and how many items I had in my cart was also my business. The clerk, sensing my irritation, apologized loudly and repeatedly for not having a full-cart lane available, but I felt as if I had committed a criminal act by putting twice as many items on the conveyer belt as allowed by the "express" designation.

Part of me wanted to be rude, to confront the elderly couple behind me, to tell them to keep their hands and their comments to themselves, but then I thought for a minute and decided that, perhaps, the trip to the grocery store is their only entertainment. Maybe I provided them with fodder for conversation for the rest of the day -- for the rest of the week -- until they return to the store next week and make someone else's life a public spectacle.

Cheap thrill at my expense, but what the heck.

Mia's Guest

Mia has a guest for a few days, Thor, the dog she stayed with while I was gone for 2 weeks. I've always thought that Mia was big (weighing in at a firm 90 pounds), but she looks pretty darned petite next to Thor, whose head is at my waist when he stands next to me.

Mia has shown Thor how to use the doggy door and told him that he's to poop in the dog run, not on my landscaping rock. She led the way into her doggie pool and even shared the keyhole of my desk, her favorite spot for a foot scratching (my foot; her back). Thor cleaned up all the floor food in the kitchen, the bits and pieces that Mia refuses to eat and spreads across the kitchen floor so her bowl looks empty and ready for a refill. I've had them both sit pretty, which earned a treat, and I was finally able to take a together photo!