Finding a Twist Tie

So for the last couple of days, Taki has been trying to find her white twist tie that she was playing with in the bedroom. But she could not. Tonight, I found a little black one for her, but she keeps misplacing it, because it blends in with the bed clothes, the granny square afghan that is put together with black yarn, and it is small. But she likes playing with twist ties. I found her a larger white twist tie.  We shall see how that one fares, and what she does with it.

The United States Census Bureau

I received a piece of mail today from the United States Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/.  I forget that the Census Bureau is a part of the US Department of Commerce https://www.commerce.gov/.  Well, my address was selected to participate in an American Community Survey https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/.  It had a dire warning on the envelope that it is against the law not to respond.

So, respond I did. Tonight. On line.  It was an interesting survey, asking about education, housing, utility and insurance coverage and cost.  It asked some good questions about what the government should know about its citizens.

Interestingly, tonight, at the Catholic Charities Diocese of Lubbock board meeting, we heard a presentation by one of the local priests about charitable giving, charitable works, wealth and poverty. If I got his statistics correct, 1% of the world holds 50% of the wealth.  And 67 individuals own as much as the poorest 1/2 of the world's population. The speaker made the point that the poor in the United States are still usually wealthier than the poor in many other parts of the world.

This should speak to us about the distribution of wealth in the world.  And, with wealth comes power.  And, this is frightening.  It depends upon the character of who holds the wealth!

The survey asked questions about mortgages, home ownership, hot and cold running water and other indoor plumbing questions, amounts paid for utilities, insurance, health insurance coverage, vehicle ownership, education and employment.  All measures of wealth. 

I hope my participation in this survey makes a difference. 

I LIke Basketball

I like basketball.  I did not realize how much I like basketball, until I reflected on my history:  I used to enjoy going to high school basketball games.  I liked going to college basketball games.  I followed the Lady Raider Basketball team since the late 1980s, long before their 1993 championship season http://www.texastech.com/sports/w-baskbl/text-w-baskbl-body.html.  In 2005, I started going to the games, and have had season tickets for some years, but not all.  I take advantage of the opportunity to get tickets at work, or use promotional ticket opportunities. Or, I just buy tickets to attend games when I can.

I followed the Lubbock Christian University women's basketball team http://lcuchaps.com/index.aspx?path=wbball when they played the power house University of Connecticut women's team http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/w-baskbl/conn-w-baskbl-body.html. 

Last year I stumbled upon the Thursday night TV broadcasts of the LCU basketball games, with the women's game usually starting at 6 PM, followed by the men's game.  This year, the LCU women's team is ranked first or second http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-women/d2 in Division II.  Lubbock has not caught on, but I think I need to start attending the games, and supporting the team!

I Want Something to Eat

Haiku has had some health problems and has new dietary restrictions.  She has to eat kidney care food. We are using Hills Prescription Diet Kidney Care http://www.hillspet.com/en/us/products/pd-feline-kd-dry.  Haiku started off eating it fine, then totally stopped, but now has started eating it again.  She "grazes," eating a little bit several times a day.  I know this from being home on the weekend.  Taki eats it, because I took up all of the other dry food the cats had free access to, but I am not sure which cat eats how much.

When Haiku was not eating well, I took to bringing her food dish to her chair in the computer room to encourage her to eat.  Well, one time makes a tradition, as a friend of mine says.  Haiku will eat at the table, but later on, she will sit on the chair and cry, until I bring her food dish to her chair.  She will then graze off and on all night.  So that is good that she grazes. 

Twist Ties

Sake used to like playing with twist ties.  She would bend them up so they were an elongated football shape, and toss them around.  In the last couple of weeks, Taki has taken to doing this.  I do not know if she learned this from Sake or why she does it, but it is fun to watch.

OOPS!

I renewed my vehicle registration well before Christmas.  It expired on 12/31/15.  So, I put the new sticker in the glove box, and promptly forgot about it. Until this afternoon, 16 days into January!  I was driving home from the Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball game, and realized I had not replaced the 2015 registration sticker with the 2016 sticker.  Well, I arrived home without a problem, and changed out the sticker promptly!

Taki Learned How to Open the Door

I do not know why, but Haiku and Taki think they have to join me when I am in the bathroom.  I do not get it. Haiku lets herself in and out at will, if the door is not closed tightly.  Taki can push her way in, but until recently could not figure out how to get out.  When she was little, I would show her how she could pull the slightly ajar door toward her with a paw, then nudge it open with her cheek.  She would do it one time, and the next time we were in the bathroom, it was as if it was all new to her.

Well, in the last couple of weeks, Taki has discovered that she can actually open the door by herself, without my help, when it is ajar.  At first, she would open the door wide enough for  her to leave the room, but just stand there.  After a while, she would walk out of the bathroom, and let herself in and out.  I do not know why all of a sudden, she has discovered this capability, but it is cute to see her.

Texas Tech Basketball Fans

I went to the Texas Tech Men's Basketball game against number 1 ranked Kansas on 1/9/16.  There was a good turnout, including a lot of Kansas fans.  I was really disappointed by the Texas Tech fans.  They started out the game booing the Kansas team. There was no call for that.  I would like to think Texas Tech fans had a higher character than what was displayed by the booing tonight.  As far as I can tell, there was nothing bad that happened at the game, although 2 Kansas fans were escorted out of the arena.  I just do not believe in booing the other team. 

Snow in Lubbock, Again

I worked late tonight. This seems to be a common theme with me these days.  Not by choice, necessarily, but by a sense of obligation to my patients.  On my way home at about 7:30 PM, the icy rain started. By time I was home, it was mostly snow.  Much of the snow that fell after Christmas was melted by today, and now, the lawns and dirt areas are snow covered. A peak out the door shows that the concrete and asphalt are still wet, and not frozen, although we can anticipate the freezing will occur overnight.  The weather forecasters anticipate the roads will be dangerous early AM but clear up later in the morning.  So it is my hope. It is what it will be. 

Another Winter Storm

Today, Lubbock was forecast to have drizzle, freezing rain, and snow. Mid-day, you could see the snow flakes interspersed with the sleet, drizzle and freezing rain.  By late afternoon, the moisture continued, and continued to interchange in form, but mostly was unfrozen.

I was even able to scrape some snowy ice off of the walk on the north side of my house, so it was truly above freezing today, and helping the snow and ice to melt.  I heard a comment at work today, and it was on target: With this slow melt, the snow is melting into the ground, where the moisture will do some good, versus melting quickly, and creating run off that will either flood or run into areas that do not need the moisture.

Tonight, I saw lightning to the north.  Not much, but it did occur.  It was again, a winter storm.

TRASH!

One of the fall outs of having snow in Lubbock, is not being able to access the alley from the backyard, to get to the dumpster.  So, I had two weeks of piled trash in my house/garage.  More than that, because over theses many days, I have been doing some cleaning and shredding.

Earlier this week, I thought to drive around to the end of the alley and walk it into my dumpster, which is the second one in from the street.  But, the end of the alley was really piled with snow.  So, I waited until today.  Well, obviously, I was not the only one who thought to do this, and the first two dumpsters were packed full. I decided not to trek to the third dumpster, so I have two weeks of trash stacked neatly in my garage. I think part of the problem is that the trash collectors have not been able to get through the alleys.  So, maybe this week, with the warming weather and consequently melting snow, the trash collectors will be able to drive through the alleys. 

Then it will be for me to make it to the dumpster, one way or the other.

Haiku at the Vet

Haiku went to the vet 1/2/2016.  I keep the crates in the closet, with towels on the crate floor and the doors open.  Haiku likes to get in the crates and sleep.  But she does not like being crated in, nor does she like being in a moving vehicle.  So, she cries a lot on a trip to the vet.

But she was so good in the exam room:  She let the tech take her temperature, and draw blood.  She let  the vet examine her.  The vet was concerned about how fast her heart was thumping and thought the problem might be thyroid.  But it was not. It is kidney problems.  We have 10 days of antibiotics to give her.  Haiku let the vet show me how to give her a pill, and I have given her two already. She is sleeping a lot more than usual.  I suspect that is the effect of the antibiotic.

The vet gave us samples of food. Haiku likes the dry kidney food.  Hills Science Prescription Diet Kidney Care http://www.hillspet.com/products/pd-canine-kd-canine-renal-health-dry.html.  So far, she has not tried any of the canned food.  She ate good yesterday and this morning, but is not very hungry right now.   

I hope she does better.  She is so sweet.