Main Coon

Animals are enchanting. I saw a baby black bear a few weeks ago outside of a Catskill rental home when I was there vacationing. I’ve seen possums on my parents’ deck in upstate NY. But never have I seen a raccoon in Brooklyn. Until Sunday. On that night, there he was on my third floor fire escape peering into the window. I have a rug out there that I set out there to dry, but never brought back in. He was sniffing it and sat down for a minute. He didn’t stay very long—long enough for us to snap some photos and short enough for me to think that maybe it was my cat, Mr. Meow Meow, who died last week, re-incarnated as this adorable woodland creature. So we put out some cat food in hope of his return.













I got home last night around 11:30pm and checked the bowl on the fire escape. No trace of “The Cooner” (my name for him), no sign he ate any of the Iams. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and just before going to bed, I looked out the window once more. There he was...eating. I had to watch him finish every last bite, his paws were monkey-like as he scraped the bottom of the bowl and brought the bits to his mouth. After he was done, he pawed at the rug like he wanted to lie down and sleep. He looked up at me often; his eyes were sweet, like Meow’s. I felt so lucky to be able to watch him. He stayed for about fifteen minutes, until he walked away, but not before looking back at me once more as if to say goodbye.

November 18, 2006

My heart is broken. When someone leaves your life like from a breakup or an ending of friendship, there is sometimes something romantic about it, like breaking your heart leads to inspiration or creativity. You can think of that person moving on, as you move on, but you know they are living their life and hope they are happy. You know somewhere they are smiling, living, doing. Your heart mends. But losing someone to death is entirely different. You don’t know where they go; you just know they are no longer with you, no longer of this earth. You hope they are in a better place, but you are devastated because never will they smile or cry or do whatever it is they do that you so loved about them again.

Mr. Meow died on November 18, 2006. He lived 15 years, all of them save for about his first six months with me. I rescued him from the Humane Society the day he was to be euthanized. Four years ago, he had surgery to remove a cancerous mass which was attached to his spleen. They didn’t expect him to live a year after that. He gave me four. The cancer returned, this time attacking his liver, and he couldn’t fight anymore.

People who don’t have pets may not understand, but this cat was everything to me. I have never been this sad. I’ve lost a lot in my life, but there was something about this cat that gave me strength, made me calm, helped me smile, he was like a part of my family. He was my family. I feel like my heart is being clenched, and it comes in waves. It’s a soft squeeze, like the way his little paws used to knead on my chest when he was getting ready to go to sleep.

Filthy White House

Al-Qaida says they are happy the Democrats were successful this election. And tickled pink (my words) Rummy is out. Is this good?

Kerry’s The Joke

Once again, Senator John Kerry has put his foot in his mouth. Today he is apologizing for what he is calling a “botched joke.”

Politics and comedy do go together in some instances, but I don’t want my politician to be a comedian. Maybe he just got riled up after watching that Robin Williams film.

Something very important that is so often overlooked in politics is respect. Yes, overlooked by both parties. (Note to John Spencer: Saying Hillary had plastic surgery was a low blow. And has anyone seen his wife?)

Kerry, the Democrat’s questionable sweetheart, spoke at a college Monday and said that young people might get "stuck in Iraq" if they don't study hard and do their homework.

Apparently, Kerry just doesn’t forget his Swift Boat ordeal, but delivery of his speeches as well. The comment purportedly was supposed to convey something more to the effect of "if you're intellectually lazy, you end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq - just ask President Bush."

Um…who is intellectually lazy?

With rumors saying he’s eyeing Bush’s seat in 2008, Republican Senator John McCain, a Vietnam vet, said he had no idea "how you could construe" Kerry's comment as a joke.

Neither could I.

But I will get my real laughs from all those die-hard Kerry supporters who still walk around with their blinders on wondering why he wasn’t elected.