Saying Goodbye to a Pet

Our pets are a huge part of our lives. Much like the "comfort and joy" that you might experience from a familiar Christmas song, pets enrich our lives all year long. Unfortunately, there comes a time when will inevitably say, "Goodbye"....

When the decision comes to taking your pet to the veterinarian for the last time, it's never easy.  So many conflicting things go through your mind. Is it really time? Can we do something to prolong/improve his quality of life? Are we doing this more for us or the pet?......The hardest part is that once you made the final decision to euthanize your pet, there's no turning back. 

As callous as it might sound, if our pets just passed away in their sleep, it would make things much easier. I'm certainly not saying that it still won't hurt. But at least it takes away the mental torture of knowing whether or not that you made the right call at the right time.

While I'm in no way comparing the loss of a pet to a loss of a person, it still stings. Anyone who has ever had a connection with a beloved pet knows exactly what I'm talking about. 

A lot of people can't relate because they haven't had the direct interaction with the pet. For the most part, pet owners have an isolated connection with their animals. If your friend's pet passes away, you will sympathize with them because of the hurt that he/she feels. But you don't really feel the loss because you yourself haven't had that same interaction. I have heard some people say, "What's the big deal? It's just an animal?" While that mentality would definitely make the loss a lot less painful, it's not a realistic approach for most pet owners. We view our pets as part of the family.

Yesterday, Tina and I put our cat (Lester) down. We brought he and his brother (Lewis) into our home as kittens about 15 years ago. Although we wrestled with the decision, we knew that Lester's time had come. We thought about waiting another week or two to see if things improved. But we knew that we were just prolonging the inevitable. We went forward with it and we're both feeling the loss this weekend. And as a reassurance of Lester's absence, Lewis has been calling for his brother all morning.

Watching your pet pass away as the vet injects him with a sedative overdose is hard. And then seeing the vet put the stethoscope on his chest a few minutes later and confirming that he's gone is even harder.  But it pales in comparison to coming home and not seeing your pet greet you when you walk in the door. Scattered toys, blankets and food bowls will inevitably trigger memories in the following days. And they will all be good memories.....

kw

Labor Day 2023

Labor Day always evokes several emotions for me. On one hand, I'm happy for the long weekend. On the other hand, it signals the unofficial end of summer. Yeah, I know the summers on the east coast can be uncomfortable at times. But there's just something about summer that naturally makes me happy. Maybe it's the abundance of outdoor activity or maybe it's just the sun itself. Either way, I always get a little sad when the season is over. 

When I was a kid, Labor Day also signaled the beginning of the school year. For most kids, the Tuesday after Labor Day was the day everyone made their way to their new classroom. My elementary school did not have air conditioning, so the days of early September could be quite brutal. If you were really lucky, your teacher might bring an oscillating fan into the classroom. It basically just circulated the hot, damp air around the room. But it gave the illusion of a polar vortex. 

Modern day kids are now starting school before Labor Day. Even though I no longer have any skin in the game. I still don't like it. Let the kids have the extra week of summer!

Labor Day was made an official federal holiday in 1894 when it was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland. Initially, the holiday only applied to federal workers. But through subsequent years, all 50 states eventually followed suit and made the first Monday of September an official holiday for all. In case anyone is keeping score, Oregon was the first US state to officially declare Labor Day a holiday.

Of course, in our 24/7 world, not everyone can take the day off. Try to keep that in mind if you're out and about today. Consider throwing an extra bit of "nice-ness" to those folks who are keeping the wheels turning on this holiday weekend. If you happen to be at a bar/restaurant, add a few extra bucks to your tip. If you're at the check-out line at a grocery store, show the cashier some appreciation. If you see a first responder, thank them for what they do today and every day.

There is undoubtedly plenty of blood, sweat and tears that go into making this country so great. Today, we celebrate the hard-working people all over America. It doesn't really matter what particular duty they might perform. Everyone has a role to play.

At the very least, I hope everyone gets a chance to relax a bit today. Fire up the grill, crack a beer, laugh with some friends, etc. Today is your day. Enjoy it!

kw

Jimmy Buffett - Sailing Off into the Sunset

Although I was never a "Parrot Head", I always loved the vibe of Jimmy Buffet's music. There was a special kind of connection that his songs had with the listener. Who could pass up an opportunity to be transported to a tropical island surrounded by good times and boat drinks? Even if it was virtual? Triggering emotions, especially pleasurable ones, is what the best songwriters do. And Jimmy Buffett certainly did that. His songs were a mix of fun and positivity.

We've all heard the term "a picture is worth a thousand words". I also think that a simple sentence can deliver the same result. Buffett made a habit of doing this through his songs. A few examples:

• "Go fast enough to get there, but slow enough to see"
• "Wrinkles will only go where the smiles have been"
• "If the phone doesn't ring, it's me"
• "I'd rather die while I'm living than live when I'm dead"
• "If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane"
• "If life gives you limes, make margaritas"

I was first introduced to Buffett as a young kid when "Margaritaville" was getting a lot of airplay on the local radio stations. I didn't quite get the song as a youngster. I didn't even know what a Margarita was. But nonetheless, I thought it was a catchy tune. Through the years, "Margaritaville" became a crowd favorite at sporting events, karaoke bars and pretty much anywhere. (In the same fashion as the "Bah-Bah-Bah" addition in Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline", I always hated the "Salt-Salt-Salt" line that was added to the chorus of "Margaritaville" by the bar crowds.)

Self-described as "drunken Caribbean rock and roll" and "Gulf and Western", Buffett's music was synonymous with a good time. He produced the same euphoric effect as Bob Marley. Is it just a coincidence that Buffett named his back-up band the Coral Reefers? And more recently, Kenny Chesney took a page out of Buffett's book and launched his own successful beach-themed career. And Buffett's collaboration with Alan Jackson on "It's Five O'clock Somewhere" gave an added dose of inspiration to day-drinkers everywhere.

There was a "Cheeseburger In Paradise" bar/restaurant in my hometown of Pasadena, MD. Tina and I used to love going there for dinner and drinks. With Jimmy Buffett tunes playing over the sound system, it was always a festive time. No doubt, I drank my share of Landshark lager there. Unfortunately, it closed a few years ago and it has since been transformed into "Oscar's Alehouse". Although we still occasionally go there and do enjoy it, it's not quite the same.

Sadly, Jimmy Buffet sailed off for the final time a few days ago at the age of 76. While his faithful Parrot Heads will never get to see him play live again, his music will forever be part of their lives. Similar to a Timex watch, Buffett's music will no doubt keep on ticking for generations to come.

kw

Fireworks on the 4th of July

Growing up, the Fourth of July was always an anticipated celebration. As a kid, I didn’t quite understand all the details of America’s fight for independence. But I knew that America was the place to be, and it was certainly worthy of its own celebration day.

One of the natural benefits of July 4^th was that it happened to occur in the summer. And that meant that there was no school leading up to the holiday. This gave the neighborhood kids ample time to collect their fireworks. Any fireworks transactions were kept on the down-low because they were frowned upon by the local law enforcement. I can understand why as they were dangerous and illegal.

And before we go any further, I don’t want to incriminate myself. I’m telling this story in the first person narrative to make it an easier read 😉.  In true “Dragnet” fashion, the names have been changed to protect the innocent (and the guilty).

The fireworks were usually smuggled into our neighborhood from a neighboring state. We would sometimes get word that “the mule” would be making a run to Pennsylvania to make a purchase. Everyone would fill out their personal laundry list for bottle rockets, firecrackers, Roman candles and M-80’s.

Word would come down a few days later that “Bob” had the fireworks. You would have to know someone “on the inside” who would take you to “Bob’s” house for the purchase. It felt kind of wrong. But having fireworks, even a small collection, gave you some street cred in the neighborhood. So, you would make the journey to Bob’s house by snaking along through back alleys and vacant fields. And when you finally got to the house, there was usually a tunnel between two adjacent rowhomes that would lead you to the back entrance.

Once you reached the back door, the "escort" would announce your presence to Bob. You were then invited into a small kitchen where an assortment of fireworks would be neatly organized on a fold-up table. Although we were indoors, Bob wore a pair of sunglasses. It gave him a bit of a mystique. And no matter who “Bob” happened to be, like Roy Orbison, he always wore sunglasses.

As you approached the table, Bob would look down over his sunglasses and say something like, “You’re not a cop, are you?”

I have always struggled with the urge to blurt out a sarcastic reply. I so wanted to say to Bob, “Well, if we’re being totally honest here, I applied at the Academy. But they told me to come back in six years when I turned 18.”

Of course, I didn’t say this out loud for the fear of getting my ass kicked by Bob. It would also severely jeopardize my chances of leaving with some fireworks. So, I simply said, “No, sir.”

He then made a Don Corleone hand motion as if to say, “Pick out what you want.”

Having a limited budget, I would usually grab about ten packs of firecrackers, a few bottle rockets and three or four M-80’s.

On the way out, Bob would say, “Don’t tell anyone you were here.”

It was kind of a moot point as the whole neighborhood already knew who Bob was and what kind of business he was conducting.

As the morning of the fourth arrived, you could already hear the crack and bang of fireworks through the neighborhood. Occasionally, you would hear the deep concussion of a distant M-80. These things were brutal. You wanted to be extremely careful because they had the power to instantly turn your hand into a lobster claw. Looking back, we were very lucky that no one got seriously injured. Someone once told me that the M-80’s were used to blow fish out of the water. Once the fish was in the air, fishermen would catch them with nets. I personally have never seen any evidence to support this claim. It seems to me that the explosion would turn the fish into sushi.

As the evening rolled in, most of the community would gather at Garrett Park. We would light the remainder of our fireworks in the large open field. As darkness approached, everyone slowly migrated to the edge of the large hill where you could see Baltimore’s Inner Harbor in the distance. It was the perfect spot to witness the “official” fireworks show.

As the colorful fireworks lit up the Baltimore sky, you could almost envision Francis Scott Key penning the lyrics to “The Star Spangled Banner” at nearby Fort McHenry. Celebrating the 4^th in Baltimore back the day was something special.

As the Grand Finale concluded, the neighborhood residents would gather up their belongings and make their way towards home. Everyone got along and it was an overall festive day. And aside from the commotion of the fireworks, things were relatively peaceful. There was a real sense of community back then.

Today, the Independence Day celebrations are pretty much confined to the back yards. And the personal fireworks collections are obtained through a “open-air distributor” on a Food Lion parking lot. Maybe not quite as adventurous as it used to be. But nonetheless, a summer tradition.

Be sure to enjoy yourself today. And take a moment to reflect on the countless sacrifices and acts of bravery that went into making our great country. And please remember our troops who continue to fight to preserve our freedoms. Happy birthday, America!

kw

 

 

 

9/11 - 21 Years Later

It was 21 years ago today when our world changed forever. In the initial aftermath of 9/11, we were left feeling shocked and frightened. We didn't quite understand what was happening. Nor did we know how extensive the attacks would be. 

As the day unfolded, we began to hear the stories about the tragedies and the heroics. It was quite hard hard to digest. So many emotions were running through us. I remember simply feeling numb. I was waiting to wake up from this nightmare. But as the day went on, as much as I tried to deny it, I was fully awake...

Today, we now have a generation of young adults who were too young to remember the impact of that infamous day. Many weren't even born yet. I assume that most of them are, at least,  aware of what happened. But there seems to be an emotional disconnect with them.

Amazingly, American pride has somehow become controversial among "Generation Z". Simply displaying your American flag can now generation calls of bias and divisiveness. What was once a source of unity has somehow been transformed into a political lightning rod. How did this happen?

Just this Friday, one of our local high schools canceled "Red, White & Blue Day" because too many people found it offensive. That's right, a display of American pride is now offensive to some Americans. The event was supposed to serve as celebration of American pride as well as a remembrance of the events of 9/11. It was scheduled to occur during the school's Friday night football game. It was ultimately changed to a Hawaiian themed night. I'm not really sure how Hawaii ties into a Friday night football game in Pasadena, Maryland. But there you have it.

The community immediately responded by organizing a makeshift parade of cars, trucks and motorcycles. Each proudly displaying American flags and other patriotic decorations. The assembly gathered at a large open lot and then proceeded to drive past the high school football field with horns a-blowin'. While some of the Hawaii crowd might have been annoyed, The First Amendment was on full display for them to witness....

I can't quite wrap my head around all of this. Even if the sight of anything that's red, white and blue does somehow bother you, why do you feel the need to cancel it for so many others? After all, this is America, a country where individual freedoms were once celebrated. But today, there's an immediate rush to shut down any opposing views. This cancel culture has to stop.

So many people, of all backgrounds, have fought and sacrificed to make America what it is today. And yes, it is great. I give the ultimate thanks to members of our military and the first responders who do so much unsung work that most people never know about. These are real American heroes.

The images of 9/11 still haunt me to this day. I will never forget how I felt. I fought back the tears when I toured Ground Zero several years later. The personal stories from the survivors were heartbreaking. But the resolve that America showed in the aftermath was extraordinary. While I hope that we never experience anything like it again, I wish there was a way to harness the emotion that we all felt on that day. 

Today, perhaps more than ever, we need to find a source of unity that brings us together as a country once again. We can certainly disagree. and we will. Who knows? Maybe we can find an amiable middle ground. But somewhere along the line, we need to find a way to once again celebrate the place we all call home. 

kw

Back in the Day - The Clothes

Every generation goes through various fashion trends. And inevitably, those things that you now think are so cool will become outdated and unfashionable...

Back in my day, the guys had it pretty easy. A few pair of Levi's blue jeans and a various array of T-shirts would round out about half of the male wardrobes. The T-shirts usually displayed a popular rock band or beer logo. A lone collared "golf-shirt" might be found in the back of a closet for that special occasion.

The classic rock look of the 70's eventually gave up some fashion leverage to the New Wave movement. This ushered in the preppy look of pop-top collars and pleated khakis. I guess this was about the time we were introduced "parachute pants". I never quite understood these. Were they actually made of parachutes? I don't know. They were essentially made of some kind of plastic/nylon material. In the summer, they acted as a sauna for your lower extremities. In the winter, they offered only an ultra-thin barrier between your legs and the outdoor elements. But amazingly, someone probably got very rich by marketing these things to the teen masses of the early 80's. Maybe it was the same guy who brought us the Pet Rock, who knows?

The 80's also ushered in the era of designer jeans. Calvin Klein, Gloria Vanderbilt, and of course, Jordache found their way into the department stores where teenage girls eagerly lined up to buy them. Some of the guys bought them as well. I remember one of my good friends showing up for a pick-up football game wearing a pair of these things. I can't remember the exact brand name but they had this bold, decorative stitching design on both of the back pockets. My first reaction was, "You gotta be kidding me. Who the hell plays football in designer jeans?" But he insisted on joining the rest of us who were decked out in generic sweatpants. Every time the guy went up for a pass, I was waiting for the fashion paparazzi to jump out from behind a tree to capture the moment. 

And unlike the loose, saggy jeans of today, the jeans of my generation had to be worn skin tight. I can't imagine how many young men experienced sterility issues due to this. And the girls faced their own issues simply getting into their jeans. My pliers were always absent from my toolbox because my sisters would steal them. Why? Because their jeans were so tight, they couldn't zip them up the conventional way. So, they had to lay flat on their beds and use to the pliers to pull up on the zipper. Most of the girls from the 80's looked like they were poured into their jeans.

Somewhere around this time, the ripped jeans made their way \onto the scene. I remember seeing rock bands wearing them. The late, great Eddie Van Halen comes to mind. Before long, these methodically torn garments were readily available in all of the clothing stores. I never bought a pair of these. I always thought it was ridiculous to pay for a pair of jeans that were defective right off of the shelf. But amazingly, these things are still popular today.

I also remember seeing these oversized "balloon" pants. I don't even remember the name of them. A lot of the muscle-bound gym guys would wear them. They were often designed with zig-zag patterns and weird colors. A pair of gigantic clown shoes would have been the perfect accessory. They were absolutely ridiculous looking. Of course, I would never say this back then. Getting your ass kicked is bad enough. But getting your ass kicked by a guy in multi-colored balloon pants is too much for anyone to absorb. These pants were emphasized to nth-degree when MC Hammer hit the scene with his "Can't Touch This" video.

I believe it was also the 80's that introduced us to "leg warmers". Another item that I never quite understood. A leg warmer was basically a giant sock that covered a woman's lower leg. I'm not sure if their calves really needed an extra layer of warmth. But I guess you can never be too prepared.

For a brief period, neon-colored clothing became a trend. Although the colors were unflattering, they definitely made you stand out in a crowd. If you were going for the "late night road crew" look, this would do it for you.

Through it all, I've pretty much remained a traditionalist. Although the size has increased over the years, I still wear the standard Levi's jeans and assorted t-shirts. Fashion trends come and go but the basics never seem to go out of style.....

kw

Back in the Day - The Heat

As we wind down another summer here on the East Coast, we have definitely had our share of heat and humidity. Although you always expect summers to be hot, it's always a bit of a shock when you leave the comfort of an air-conditioned room and into the hot, damp oven of the outdoors.

Today, it's not uncommon to postpone activities due to the excessive heat. If a building's air conditioning system is broken, it almost always results in shutting things down and sending up the Bat Signal for the HVAC crew. This is especially true for schools...

Kids (and most adults) today have literally been conditioned for climate-controlled classrooms. And I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with that. After all, we're in the United States of America in the 21st century. But when I was a young kid back in the 70's, air-conditioned classrooms were the exception and not rule. And somehow, I survived and I'm here to tell you about it.

Now, don't get me wrong, it wasn't exactly pleasant sitting in a 90-degree classroom. I can remember sitting at my wooden desk with sweat rolling down the sides of my husky head. And this was before the teacher even mentioned anything about a pop quiz. By lunchtime, the classroom was transformed into a sea of perspiration-glazed desktops. And trust me, there was no one wiping these things down with any kind of disinfectant at the end of the day. I imagine that we had the auto-immune system of a cockroach by the time we got to the sixth grade.

If you were lucky enough, your teacher would bring a large oscillating fan into the room. It essentially blew warm air in your direction with every 90-degree turn. It didn't really cool you but at least it helped to control the sweat flow. I would sometimes find an excuse to get up from my desk and walk in front of the fan to get a bonus blast. Of course, if I stood in front of the fan too long, it would draw verbal ire from my classmates. And the teacher would intervene by saying, "Mr. Wilson, please take your seat!" 

When I went home after school. things didn't get a whole lot easier. You see, our house was not equipped with air conditioning either. The only salvation came in the form of an occasional breeze that made it's way through the open windows. We also had a damp cellar that would offer a temporary refuge. But the cobwebs and scurrying insects did not make it an ideal cooling place. I can also remember putting my head in the freezer to get a few seconds of relief.

Hardly anyone had central air conditioning in my neighborhood. However, many of my friends' homes were cooled with portable window AC units. Most of the houses in the neighborhood were small rowhomes. So, an average size window unit could do a decent job of cooling things down. I lobbied my Dad to go this route but he wouldn't bite. But he did eventually install an above-ground swimming pool in the back yard. This quickly became our go-to summertime refreshment source.

I would also spend a fair amount of time at the local library to keep cool. The Enoch Pratt Free Library was located just a couple of blocks from my home. They had a reading area with large comfortable chairs. I would find an interesting book or magazine and spend the next couple hours soaking in the climate-controlled air.

Catching a movie was also a way to cool off for a couple of hours. But, of course, going to the movie theater costs money. And money was tight back then. Although the movie itself wasn't too expensive (I almost always opted for the reduced-price matinee), the assortment of concessions could really put a dent in your wallet. As a husky boy, I just couldn't sit through a 2-hour movie without a sugary soft drink and a gigantic tub of buttered popcorn. I was fortunate to have a movie theater just a few blocks from my house. I went to see "Jaws" about a dozen times. Yes, it was a great movie. But the comfort of the movie theater was just as much of a lure.

Many of the neighborhood kids played baseball in the local Little League. You would sweat profusely while fielding your position in the summer sun. The sweat would act as a magnet for the infield dirt that would inevitably get kicked up. Gatorade wasn't a big thing bag then. So, the only salvation for your thirst was a warm Coca-Cola from the concession stand at the end of the game. And when you finally made it home to take a bath, the tub quickly took on the resemblance of an orange mud puddle. Even after draining the tub, the substantial amount of orange grit scattered the tub floor. You basically had to give the tub a bath when you were done. And then, before I even made it downstairs, I was already sweating profusely again! It was a never-ending cycle!

Trying to sleep in the summertime was also quite a challenge. Since heat naturally rises, the upstairs in my parent's house was always at least fifteen degrees warmer than the downstairs. I had a large window fan in my bedroom window. My parents tried to convince me that by running the fan in reverse, the warm air would be pulled out of the house. I would always try to argue that it was futile effort because we were essentially exchanging warm inside air for warm outside air. But they wouldn't buy it and I was left to sweat myself to sleep.

Air-conditioned cars were a real luxury back in the day as well. In most cases, the only "air conditioning" came in the form of warm air blowing through the dashboard vents. If you ever see an older car, you'll notice a series of slots between the hood and windshield. This is were the outside air entered for the "vent cooling".

Fast forward to modern day....

It's hard to imagine dealing with the heat in these situations anymore. Air conditioning is almost standard in every building and automobile. And even though I still fondly remember those hot days of my childhood, I have no desire to relive them. Stay cool, my friends. Stay cool...

kw