Kleiner Bruders' first x-mas, and ours too!

It has been, and still is, a great Christmas time. Charity has had, and still is having, a wonderful time. Her brother from Houston has come to visit with his wife and children. She has opportunity to visit with him way too seldom. It is their fist Christmas together in years. Christmas is her favorite of holidays and him being here has made it so much better for her. On Christmas day we all took of to a place near San Angelo to visit with her aunts, uncles and cousins. The kids loved it. Her uncles are firemen and gave the children rides on the firetruck. I would have gone also but there are laws as to who get to drive and sound the sirens and alarms. Damn! Still it was loads of fun. The dog even enjoyed it, except for the fire truck's horn. On the way back we stopped at a store called the fudge pump. No really, you can't make a name like that up. They sold...fudge. Great fudge!
Christmas morning was great as well, all the kids shredding paper to get at the gifts, the dog munching up goodies from his stocking, seeing Charity's face with her family in the same room enjoying themselves. Very nice.
Oh yeah, and the snow! Christmas eve it starting pelting down snow here. While this may not be news worthy to some, it is here in Death Valley...just kidding. It does seldom snow in this part of Texas though and even more rare on Christmas. Easter morning, oh sure, but Christmas, very rare. Kleiner Bruder, aka, my dog, LOVES the snow!!!! I wish all could have seen him. He would run around with his nose in the snow, dig at the snow, roll in it, bit it, and take off in circles. All the while with a smile on his doggy face. Hey, he can smile if he wants to! And he was smiling! My God he has a great time in the snow. The snow is melting away today so he is playing in the withering patches as much as possible.
My favorite part? Watching Charity, the kids, and my beloved meat-headed dog enjoy themselves!

time

I am often fascinated with this obsession that humans have with "time". How is it that something so perception-based could rule the lives of an entire planet? "I have to be at work by 9" , "You must be there in 20 minuets.", "Oh, I'm sorry, but you're out of time.", etc. Really? What if my watch is fast or slow? Does that make me wrong? Does it make me right? Seconds, days, years, it honestly doesn't mean very much to me. Oh sure, I play along for the benefit of you Earthlings, but I don't care. I eat when I'm hungry, sleep when I'm tired, and take the dog out when he needs to go. It works great! I get along fine with the knowledge that it is mid day when the sun is at its zenith and night time when it's dark. I acknowledge the passing of the seasons and I get along OK. Age? BAH! Who needs it! Some days I am old, others...well not so old. So why this obsession to make everything fit into nice little blocks of manageable segments? I think it may be man's obsession to rule everything. Even things that cannot be "seen", touched, tasted or even truly mastered. Of course we all can see the passage of time, but we cannot see time itself in solid form. My belief, since you ask, is that all forms of thinking life would stay younger longer if they did not obsess over this wholly perceptive thing called "time".
In other goings-on, The Sprite turned 12. What the hell? growing up sucks! Stay young! Mooch off of the parental units as long as possible. Before long she will want civil liberties and equality and a drivers licence! Buddha help us all then!! It is bad enough that Marshall will be on the road in 3 years, now Amy will be driving in 4 !!!!!!!! Holy crap, we should all stay off of the roads then. Get everything done now so you can stay off the streets when they become speeding maniacs!!

that time of year...

It is in fact, that time of year for me. The time of year when I feel the need to be alone, away from everyone. It's not that I dislike most people...oh, wait, yes it is. Um, no, this is different. This time of year I like to isolate from those few that I DO like. Hmmm, maybe it's the weather. I'm not sure. Every time this time of year rolls around I feel the need, the compulsion, to just GO. To get away from everyone. To sit by a fire with just my dog, to be alone. More so than usual. I want nothing more than the natural sounds of the planet around me. Just the animals and me...more than usual. I eat more out of habit than hunger. No, it is not depression, trust me, I know what depression is and this is not it. i actually feel good this time of year. I simply have this longing to be AWAY..once again, more than usual. Honestly, I do dislike 99% of all people that I meet. This includes family as they are human as well. I can, and this is no joke, count on two of my four paws, the people that I like. The others I tolerate and poorly at that. I shall not go into the reasons why now, but they are numerous. I just don't like people. No offense taken if you are human, I hope. Oh, this small number of people does not include children. I tend to like those young ones not yet corrupted by the taint that is humanity. I do not believe that all humans should be put down. No, let them have their planet. I'll go back to mine. I prefer the animals. I understand them as they are like myself. Not sure if it the simple-mindedness of them or the instinctual drive that keeps them going that I relate to, whatever it is, I dig it. Perhaps I should do as people suggest that I should do and hibernate. It would make sense. I do so love this time of year and weather though. Right now the air is heavy, so much so that it is leaking moisture. It is what some humans consider cold. Wet and cold, this I can handle. I spent yesterday in shorts and a t-shirt and will probably do so again today. It's just not cold to me. My blubber keeps me well insulated. Well guys and gals, I sign off for now, no applause please. Take care, hug your children and feed your dog a steak. --That last part the dog told me to say or he was not going to take me outside this morning.

invisible dog poop

We got the tree up today and by we I mean Charity. It looks good and while I don't particularly care for the holidays, she does, so it is important to me now as well. It is a nice tree and while we don't have a lighted deer next to it we do have a dog. However, he does not like to be wrapped in lights, so that's out. By the way, the deer looks awesome by the tree with it looking back and forth. Pooh loves it and that's what counts.
We also wrapped some birthday presents, no not for the baby Christ, but for the Sprite, my tree's daughter. Her birthday is Wednesday, she will be 12, God help us all. To me, she may as well be an alien from another plane of existence. Girls, go figure. The female of the human species tends to be too complex for my fathoming. Give me the males to deal with, simple and stupid.
I retrieved a large dog kennel for my pooch today, it's almost as large as the kitchen table, but he can fit into it comfortably. I had to get one due to his thinking that he needs to go everywhere with me and if not, he is obligated to try and follow...through the windows or walls. No really, through a wall! Plus, last night he bit into one of the Internet cords severing it neatly. Now, on to the subject of invisible poop. You've been waiting for this I just know it! Has your dog, assuming that you have one, farted so awesomely that you just KNEW you had stepped in crap? Or that the furry one had just dropped a bomb right next to you? Mine did just that today as we were stepping off of the porch. Man, I looked everywhere for it, even checking my shoes. Invisible poop, makes you wonder, or does it? It may just be me. Oh, and for the rest of humanity's' knowledge, it is not wise to hold a cold cat inside of your jacket when your dog sprints at you while you are squatted down. Apparently 75+ pounds of slobbering fur doing 30 miles an hour towards you is cause for alarm in most cats. They react. Violently. And very quickly. Claws, moving at blender speed running around the inside of your jacket can be cause for alarm in most humans, I have found. Animals! I just love 'em!

Christmas shopping

Hey there people and other more complex beings! It is the time of year that causes people the most stress...Christmas time! I, usually, am not stressed at all during this time. My secret? I dislike Christmas. Yep, there, I said it. Now, I am not anti-christian or anything, I just dislike the whole holiday whores thing that we have become. The materialistic-minded mass of idiots that seem to plague so many of us during the holiday season, that consumes us, that we become. I have seen normally nice people get into fist fights over crap that we should not, or would not, care about normally. But we do, often, at this time of year. I hate it. I do enjoy the whole childhood 6a.m. ripping the wrapping paper apart to see the new loot part. That part I absolutely love. In my opinion Christmas, the "holiday" should be for the children. I love seeing them light up and come awake at the sight of the presents under the tree. Santa has come!!!! It is a beautiful thing..... Back to the no-stress part, I usually shop very little and care even less about the holiday. Usually. Today I went shopping with my Tree and realized just how short of the funds I was this year. I'm not really complaining, I would just liked to have had more loot to buy the loot with. I saw so many things that I would have liked to get so many people. We will make do though. I even bought my Tree a....HA! Nice try lady!! Thought I was going to spill the beans on what I got you didn't you?? I even got my pooch a little something. I won't say what in case he reads this too. Hey, it could happen....Most of the gifts were bought for the kiddos so all of you adult-types will have to wait until after X-mas. So sorry. However, if you would like to get me something... may I suggest a water monitor lizard, or something in the range of one of the worlds many crocodile species...
Oh, and if possible, try to give to someone who needs the help. I think everyone knows a child that could use a little something this year..

random, as usual

The new dog is doing very well. he does not, however, like being left alone. He sticks to my side all day and at night sleeps lightly until morning when he can sleep next to me, until I move. Then he follows me everywhere again. He even follows Charity around if she leaves the room. I left him alone in the house today to go to lunch with Charity. Haa! He tried to claw his way out of the windows. He tore the cover off of the door window and the blinds off of a bedroom window to try and follow me. The damage is minimal so I am not too upset by his anxiety.
The water dragon is doing great. He is putting on weight and his color is wonderful.
The snakes are getting longer, and longer. Much longer. The cats scare the hell out of the dog. Squishy goes out of her way to terrorize the poor beast. Drizzt is indefferent to his presence.
I am simply rambling today. That seems to not be out of the ordinary for me. The weather is GREAT! Cold and wet. Some do not share my enthusiasm towards this change in the seasons. Then again, I get enthusiastic over some pretty bizzare subjects, so I am told. Hey, it snowed in Texas! A rarity in this state. I have seen it in my youth in Norther Texas, bet it snowed in the central and even the far western parts.
You know, as I get older, my thought patter becomes more random. Oh, I can focus on things..with effort. Chaotic ahlzhimers i suppose. I have a Tigger brain! Very bouncy, and striped.