Elderly cat, part deux

Got a vet who says that as long as we're willing to pump kitty antibiotics into her, Judy the Cat will live. So, we're on the job. Every month for a week, we fill her full of bug-crushing meds, then watch her gradually slide down hill until the next month, when we start the routine again. Sounds brutal, but she actually seems a lot better. But giving her the antibiotics, especially when she's in suspicious mode and won't eat anything, is a two-person job. Even with her reduced weight and strength, she fights. So, OLGS holds her down on the kitchen counter, strategically positioned on top of the Star-Tribune sports pages, and keeps those deadly front paws in a manly grip. I load up the syringe, pry open her jaws, and shoot the stuff into her mouth. A successful encounter is when only half of it dribbles onto the pix of the latest Vikings scandal. There are better ways, but this works for us. I hope it works for her.

Elderly cat

What to do about a very old cat who won't eat? She appears congested, and seems to have difficulty picking up food in her mouth. We've taken her to the vet, and she has responded to antibiotic shots and liquid. But once the meds have worn off, she's back to the frail, skinny, ratty coat look.

She is very picky. She likes grilled organic chicken, cut up very fine, and crummy cheddar cheese (the orange kind), also cut up fine. She drinks evaporated milk. She spurns cheap tuna, except she drinks the liquid when you first open the can. Even very expensive canned cat food, such as Iams, does not appear to be on her approved diet. She no longer likes milk or cream.

But she still goes outside, hunkering down under the car even on the hottest days. It's probably safe there.

Why do we let her suffer? I don't know if she is suffering. And, I promised Joe College Grad that I would try to keep her alive until he gets home, which will be this week. Maybe he'll have the magic touch. At least he can take her to the vet for another shot of antibiotics.

Working 50 hours

Not so many postings recently--in order to pay for the European extravaganza, I'm working again. Not very gainfully, but when you're laid off in middle age, finding another position at the same level is nigh on to impossible. So, it's four ten hour days at one place, and one 10 hour day at another. Both employers probably get shortchanged on occasion.

Working two or three jobs to sustain the American Dream is not uncommon. OLGS has consulting gigs, summer school, and many other oppotunities to earn more money. I don't know any academic who doesn't take advantage of this.

Our long hours allow us to take European vacations, buy coffee at $9.00/pound, and live in a big house--a beat-up house, but a palace nevertheless--and represent a choice. I don't complain, and both jobs are fun and interesting. But, there are so many Americans who have to work two and three horrible jobs, at minimum wage, simply to keep a place to live and feed their kids. They have no choice. And because our pals in Washington are slaves to corporate lobbyists, the situation of those truly hardworking folks is probably not going to get any better. It's shameful that we are represented by these clowns who have somehow convinced at least some of the American people that we have absolutely no obligation, and that there's no cost. to having a resentful, economically fearful, underclass. Shameful.

So I don't whine too much, but I post less frequently.

Nicknames

Everyone knows that George W. Bush loves to assign nicknames to his friends, associates, and enemies. And the rest of us have returned the favor. Some of the nicknames are pretty nasty, reflecting negatively on the president's intellectual capacity. My favorite today, both funny and telling, is Current Occupant, as in "Al Gore or Current Occupant". Makes one think, yes?

Disabled access in Minneapolis

Generally speaking, Minneapolis, and Minnesota, are fairly proactive when it comes to providing access for the disabled (and complying with the law). However, sometimes there are some real headshakers. My current favorite is Seven Corners Parking near the University of Minnesota law school. At the pedestrian exit there are a number of handicapped parking spaces, and a nice wheelchair ramp leading to the exit door. However, when you go through the door, there is no elevator--just a rather nasty stairwell. There is probably another way out that could be used by folks in wheelchairs, but, let's use some common sense, too. Watch this space for more local puzzles on the topic.

Terror vs. terrorism

An insight into our prime leader's use of the word "terror": I used to think that this was a personal, untreatable tick, like his inability to pronounce the word nuclear. However, I now know that his use, and his commandeering, of the word "terror" is very deliberate, and right in line with his other efforts to scare the American people into supporting his policies.

Simply put, terror is what an individual feels. Terrorism is what someone else does. Thus, using the word "terror", instead of terrorism, transfers the action from those who bomb cafes or checkpoints in Iraq to people in the heartland who become sitting ducks, not just for terrorists (highly improbable), but for the fear (or terror) they engender. It is in Bush's interest to allow terrorism to persist, because that supports the existence of terror among the American people.

Very clever. But, as a previous president once noted, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. And, thanks to Bush's use of the word "terror", and other mechanisms designed to scare the people, Roosevelt's pronouncement has now come to pass. But we know that our current prime leader doesn't know much history, so why should we be surprised at his craven use of words to instill fear, and thus support for him? He'll do whatever it takes.

Portugal

Since it's been almost a month since Joe High School, OLGS, and I returned from Scotland via Portugal, it seems appropriate to note that Portugal is wonderful. On the Algarve, it's rather touristy, full of Brits and Germans. There are so many Brits that there is a weekly newspaper for British expats. But it's a low key kind of tourism, at least in Salema, where we stayed. The Algarve is full of beautiful beaches. And in May, it was neither too hot nor too crowded. I suspect that changes. But the beach was lovely, the dark brown faces of the fishermen were the same as they were thirty years ago, and the food and drink were great. Be adventurous. Try octopus. I did, and it tastes like nothing at all except the broth in which it's cooked. And, the climate is Mediterranean dry, which means that permanent minor allergies caused by oak trees, maple trees, and all other kinds of northern climate flora, are gone. I didn't realize it until we returned to the land of the oak tree, but there are significant health beneifts to visiting Portugal. I'll proably have to return.

Prairie Home Companion

Despite my earlier posts criticizing GK for his anti-Unitarian jokes, I have to give the guy his due. First, he had Molly Ivins, one of my great heroes, on PHC last night. And she was funny, quick, and dead-on when talking about the prime leader GWB and the rest of his strange tree. As she (or someone equally smart) fantasized recently, you have to think that George H.W. and Babs are sitting around the pool, drinking whiskey sours, and wondering whether they should have used the smart one instead.

And then this afternoon we went to see the Prairie Home Companion movie--most enjoyable. Meryl Streep sings very nicely, and Woody Harrelson and John C. Riley were terrific as Dusty and Lefty. And, thankfully, director Robert Altman took out the bits from PHC that don't work so well, such as the ketchup song and English major jokes. It was nice to see all the radio business again, even though it wasn't live.

So, I have to say it, GK (with help from Robert Altman) has probably made being a midwesterner acceptable to those on the coasts. But, we don't want to be too acceptable--then we won't be midwesterners.

Minneapolis beggars

This is not a rant about begging and its effect on the community and on those who beg. Rather, this is a rant about beggars who use the same line over and over again. I realize that they ask thousands of people, and can't remember who they hit on last month, last week, or even yesterday. But if they at least moved the base of operations around, they would lower the risk of irritating people who were asked just a short time ago.

Example one: the gal at the bus stop at 5th and Nicollet. One summer morning, she approached me, reeking of alcohol, and asked for 50 cents "to get to work", implying that she already had the rest of the fare. I gave it to her. The next day, on the same corner, at the same time, she hit me again, although the second time she was seeking 60 cents. When I said that I had given yesterday, she turned away before I'd even finished speaking.

Example two: A guy in the Rainbow Foods parking lot at Lake and Minnehaha. He had a kid along, about 10 or 12, and asked for gas money so he could get back to the rez. I gave him some money. Today (six months later), he got me again, in the Rainbow parking lot. I recognized him not because of his story, which was now gas money to visit his mother, but because of the kid. Again, the instant I said no, he turned away.

Why does this bug me? Maybe because I believe the stories, which focus on a one time emergency that needs to be addressed. These folks want you to think they are not career panhandlers. And then, when I see them again, I am reminded that folks with a good story are essentially the same as those who wait at Interstate exit ramps. But I bet they feel superior and more enterprising. I probably would.

The issues are huge--substance abuse, lack of services for the mentally ill, reduction in homeless shelters, and everything else that seems to follow the Republicans wherever they win. And then there are the folks who worry about the impact that begging, homelessness, and public intoxication have on tourism. And my irritation means nothing to those I turn down because I'm irritated. They just go on to the next person. But if they were a little more creative, I probably wouldn't turn them down.

And the police solution, licensing, has even made it to Saturday Night Live. Now that's the big time.

Midtown Global Market--Minneapolis

Today was the grand opening of the Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis's midtown area. The building, formerly a huge Sears, with a tower, has been reborn, in a fairly short space of time, as a mixed use development with condos, lofts, office space, and an international food court. No Burger King or Wendy's allowed--only local entrepreneurs. There is a wide range of Mexican, African, and Asian food, with a few ethnic gift shops thrown in. There were huge numbers of people, music, free flowers, and a lovely day. I hope this endeavor really takes off. You Twin Cities types may remember St. Anthony Main, the shopping center that occupied some old warehouse buildings in NE Minneapolis. It lasted about 12 years or so, after a burst of great popularity, and now rents itself out as space for artists and office--a sad comedown. The Midtown Global Market is more centrally located than St. Anthony Main,with many bus lines stopping at the door. That should give it some legs. My only hope is that it doesn't drive out the other businesses on Lake Street.

OLGS and I looked at the lofts. As such things go, they aren't horribly expensive. But they are really dark, with only corner units having more than one window. If we abandon the single family house mode of living, it will be for a place with more, not less, light.

Last bratwurst before America

Don't laugh. On the Cabo de Sao Vicente, about as far west in Portugal as you can go without being in the Azores, there's a hotdog stand. Well, a bratwurst stand, for all the German tourists that swarm around the outpost of Prince Henry the Navigator (he actually preferred other parts of the Algarve--too windy here). There are lots of poncho, sweater, and other vendors along the path to the fort, and if you say nothing, they will address you in German. And the letzte bratwurst vor Amerika is really, really,good. I haven't enjoyed one so much since OLGS took me to a Brewers game back in the dark ages, circa 1973. I believe the Brewers won that day.

Memo to Garrison re Unitarians

Hey GK,

What's with the constant Unitarian-bashing? You did it again last night, making fun of those who talk about the "journey". Frankly, I'd rather be in in the company of those who are unafraid to admit they don't have all the answers, and are not required to believe six impossible things before breakfast (sorry, Lewis). But, I, and my Unitarian co-religionists, don't bray about our distaste for your type of certainty on national radio. We don't make fun of those who recite the Nicene Creed every Sunday.

A little factoid for you. Did you know that in the 19th century, US Episcopalians and Unitarians were joined at the hip, fighting the good fight against sabbatarianism, prohibitionism, evangelicalism, and the other movements that, then and now, threaten the fabric of our republic? Perhaps if we spent our energies doing that now, together, rather than making fun of each other on the national airwaves, there might be a little traction in the struggle against those whose stated desire is to turn us into a theocracy. A theocracy would not be good for you. It would not be good for those who think they want it.

So, next time you have a cute little joke about a Unitarian walking into a bar, try to resist. So-called liberal Christians are even more endangered than Unitarians, though they don't yet know it. They might be the target of a new generation of radio show gurus. Think about it.

No more churches

Looing back at the Scotland posts of the blog, it appears that the highlights of the trip for me were all the churches we visited. And, they are great--you get architecture, music, spirituality (maybe), and quiet all rolled up in a nice package. But right now European churches are more places of tourist visitation than of worship and contemplation. In this they are very dfferent from US religious buildings--as a highly religious nation, up there with various Islamic countries in terms of per capita religious observance, we use our churches for services and close them the remainder of the time. Kind of different--in UK churches with lots of visitors--St. Paul's, London, for example--they try to keep tourists out during services, or require you to attend to get gawking time. Churches are museums, monuments to ancient times, and viewed as such by the majority of the population, few of whom are observant. Welcome back to the US, where we have ugly churches and lots of religious fervor. I'm going to avoid both for a while.

Bye-bye Scotland

Leaving Scotland for a week of R & R in Portugal was kind of an anticlimax--we had to return to Edinburgh get the plane to MSP. And we departed flying steerage, aka Ryanair. Ryanair is a Dublin-based low-cost airline. They keep costs down by skimping on a few triffles, such as jetways, free sodas, and desk staff at checkin, which, consequently, takes about 1.5 hours just to get a boarding pass. And then there's the mess at the Dublin airport, which was not built to handle the volume of people now passing through. And, Ryanair forces you to go through Dublin customs in order to get a second boarding pass for the next leg of your trip--you cannot do through bookings. In other words, do not take Ryanair unless you're really desperate. And they make Northwest/KLM seem almost luxurious by comparison.

Evensong at St. Mary's Cathedral

We went to sung evensong at St. Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh. They sing evensong every day, which is pretty amazing. St. Mary's is a typical 19th century pile with an endowment that allows it to provide choral scholarships to the choir school, and they allow girls to sing, which apparently is a big deal. Anyway, evensong on the day we went was pretty much plainsong with a very short choral anthem and the Magnificat song chorally. The congregation consisted of six people. I saw only one girl in the choir.