I am back from my credit card induced hiatus. I had hoped my absence might slide by unnoticed what with all the Christmas and New Year's festivities but it appears not. I have been taken in hand and thoroughly chastised by more than one person for being so utterly inattentive and inconsiderate to my small but highly dedicated following so, I apologize to all and promise never to default on my credit card again! Now, if you'll all just pop over to my little store and buy yourselves an arm-load of T-shirts or greeting cards I'll be sure to keep that promise.
No such thing as a free lunch, baby!
The holiday season passed us by as it usually does - quietly and without incident. (Well, no more incident than usual at 'Dysfunction Junction'). If this year was a little lean for you and yours and Santa failed to make his regular stop under your Christmas tree I have a confession and an apology - that is probably because my Henry Cat accidentally swallowed him. Henry has gone from being a 9 pound lean machine to a post-op, 24 pound 'wild-boar' (still believing himself to be a 9 pound lean machine). I swear I saw him burp a bit of red, fur-lined hood the other day. So, just blame it on my cat, I always do.
Mo is growing like a weed and the dog, well, her world has exploded into life once more what with schools starting up and gobs of sticky six year-old's littering the walkway in front of our house again. Once a day, for a brief moment, there is an explosion of light and color and sound as if someone has opened a musical box. The experience is kaleidoscopic. Children shouting and running and laughing and parent's honking horns, school trolleys clacking on the sidewalk, car doors slamming while the little dog on the porch watches wide-eyed with excitement and anticipation; feeding off the frenzied energy. Perhaps one of them will step out of the kaleidoscope turrarium and pet her for a second or two. As quickly as it has begun the lid closes on the musical box and all sound and color and excitement dies down in an instant leaving only the cold grey street and its unremiting drone of traffic. The dog's eyes glaze over with that look that only dogs have managed to perfect as she settles herself down with fortitude and languor ready to face the rest of the interminable day.
It's a dog's life. In a cow's year. Yep, get ready for the year of the 'Brown Cow' folks. According to chinese astrology 2009 is to be the year of the 'Brown Cow'. With its concomitant affiliations to the earth, immoveablility, stability, strong energy forces, and luck, it appears that with a little 'staying power', this year should settle itself down into a good, well-behaved, self-disciplined state leaving the rest of us some time to pick up last year's unmanaged detritus. To be honest, all I know about 'Brown Cows' is that they are made of half milk, half coca cola and that as a child, they tasted delicious!
The rest I leave to the gods.
A.