This is Mathie (dog) and Elke.... Mathie is almost 11 1/2. She thinks she is every critters Mom. She loved all the critter, (except those that I have had of the rodent persuasion) she adored Hanah and Henry, and she is bound and determined to "straighten" Wesley out of his bad habits. And she rules with an iron paw...

She is a terrier mix, but I think she has a little Bischon Freise in her. Her hair has gotten dried out lately. Not sure if it is the senior food we moved her to, or just age. I am thinking of putting her on some supplements for her coat. She has a beautiful coat when it looks good. And she has a beautiful face....

I found Mathie on the side of the road in Kissimmee. I was walking Gretchen, and Mathie stuck her head out from under a platform (over a ditch) that was used to hold someone's garbage can on garbage day. She only weighed .80 pounds, and we bonded with in seconds. Not minutes, but seconds. I took her to the vet and he predicted that she would weigh only 10 pounds. By the next visit, 1 week later, her weight was 4 pounds, so we knew that the vet was wrong.

Mathie got along with everybody, highly respected Gretchen, and had a run in with Putzen, which ended up in Mathieu nearly having a scratched cornea. Now Mathieu also has a healthy respect for Cats, but that does not mean she takes any guff.

Mathie and Wesley have their spats daily, yes daily. Mathie has her rules, for instance, if Wesley and Mathie are in the bedroom together, Wesley belongs under the bed. That is where she told him he belonged the first night he came to live with us, and the rule hasn't changed. She has eased up on some of the rules for Wesley (there were many), but that one she is not wavering. Although, during the night, he is allowed to come out and sleep on one of the dog beds. In fact... one night I caught them both sleeping on the big dog bed. I don't know if she knows we saw her.

Elke, it a little over 5 years old. My girlfriend Linda called me on a rainy, coolish morning to tell me she found another cat at her at her office. Just 3 or 4 days before she found 2 other little kittens, and we think that they were orphaned in the office park she works in. Either something happened to their Mom, or someone dropped them off there. Most people think they were feral kittens, so I am thinking something happened to the Mom. Well anyway, Linda called me at work, and I ran to her office with formula, and an appointment with the vet in 1 hour. The vet took one look at her and she started spitting and hissing, and he just closed the box she was in and said, you have a feral cat here. So I said, so what should I do? He said that she was probably fine. He grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and tried to examine her, but even at her size which was tiny, she could have put a real hurtin' on someone. He estimated her at the most 4 weeks old. He said that he could really tell me anything right there, but that if I brought her home and she got warm warmed up, she would probably be a little bit friendlier. I asked her about food and he said she could probably eat wet cat food, but if I wanted to bottle feed her I could. I asked him if she should be able to pee and poop on her own, and he said "probably, but he couldn't tell for sure. Bring her back in a week and he will give her a good exam and her early shots."

Well, I brought her home, you know I bottle fed her...why would I want to pass up that opportunity, and introduced her to wet food about 3 or 4 days later. Which, she would only eat off my finger to start. I stimulated her to pee, and poop. She pee'd like a champ, but the pooping was another story. I started to get concerned after she was eating wet food for a day or two, and she wasn't have any bowel movements. But when she did it was cause for celebration!!! We danced around the house, it was a red letter day.

When it came time to wean her from the bottle, I did it by watering down the formula a little more after each feeding. By the time the ratio was one to three, she was so mad, she pulled the nipple out of the bottle and yelled. That was the last bottle she would take. We the supplemented her wet food with dry food.

And... Elke loves, I mean loves Mathie. She is always rubbing up against Mathie, laying down by her, flicking her tail in Mathie's face. It is amazing. In fact, she dislikes cats. She tolerates Putzen, probably because she was there first, and she is old, but she hated Eric, our little boy that I will introduce you to later. We lost Eric last November.

So, that is Elke and Mathie.

*********!!!NEWS FLASH!!!*******

It is a good day!!! Walmart is closing all it's stores in Germany..... Yes Ladies and Gentleman, the German people are not sell outs to cheap wages, cheap prices, and poor merchandise.....

You you wonder why I am more proud of my German heritage than my American citizenship....?

This is exactly why. I am not a sell out...period end of subject...! I have principles and that is obviously from my German background and not my capitalist American environment.

When the American people start showing a more principled shift in ideology, then my pride in being an American will come back.

******GO GERMANY******

Ok boys and girls, the pictures are coming now.... I had a friend visit from Germany, and he took a bunch of pictures, and is sending them to me, 5 or 6 a day.... As I get them, you will see them...

This is Wesley (you have met him), George ( the person) and Henry. As you have read the a few posts before, Henry passed away last week. He was 10 1/2, and was a great rabbit. This was about 5 days before he passed away. He couldn't move around anymore, except for his head, but he had a great appetite. So, we did for him what made him happy, and that was give him veggies. So that is what George is doing. I think he is feeding him celery there. We had him in a comfy dog bed, and he was partially covered with a sheet. He loved it. His twin sister passed on 1.5 years ago, so he liked being around us and the other animals. I believe he was happy the last few months of his life. His situation was comprimised, but....he made the best of it.

I believe that is what the animals have over us human beings. For the most part, they are pretty content with their surroundings. You give them the basic necessities and they are usually grateful. I try to be more like them in this respect.

Now mind you this isn't a new revelation with me. I have been doing this for a while now. See if you get disatisfied enough, and really want to change things, and do everything in your power to become satisfied, but it just isn't enough, then you only have two choices. Get depressed, or re-examine just what it is that you want. If you are honest with yourself, you will probably learn that you are really doing ok... and honestly, that is pretty good.

Now don't mistake this with complacency. It isn't that at all. Realism, honesty are more the case. I can honestly say I learned that from all the sweet wonderful critters I had in my life. And from my Dad. My Dad taught me to to always try to do better. I am not using the word strive, because I think that is too much. Just always try to do better. Sometimes doing better is realizing when to stop. When the difference between doing better and striving is the difference between being satisfied and being greedy.

Daddy was a pretty terrific guy. I miss him, alot.

Here is our Wesley... Wesley is a hoot!!!

He loooovvvvves to sleep. George calls him a Electrolux with legs. He and Mathies are not all that fond of one another, but they manage. It wasn't easy getting to this point, and Mathie still rules the roost (as any good female would).

And when Wesley decides that he likes you... well, that is it. You may not like that, but too bad.

When he met my Dad for the first time, he immediately fell in love. I remember, my Dad sat down in the kitchen and bent over to untie his shoes, and Wesley jumped up and kissed him.

We have a routine, Wesley and I. Mathie joins in, because Mathie will be left out of nothing I do.

We do inspection time, every afternoon, or everytime I come home. We have the inspection area, the carpet in front of the entertainment unit, the rug under the dining room table, and the hallway upstairs. If he has any "accidents", he doesn't get a good boy yummy. Mathie doesn't either, so she has a vested interest in making sure Wesley doesn't have any accidents. If he is a good boy, and doesn't have any accidents, then we dance and yell and cheer, and they both get a biscuit.

And you know what... It works... Positive Reinforcement.....!!! A very powerful tool.

hey everyone... I am back, and will be back again later with pictures. I have the pictures my friend Hans took of Henry (who passed on last week on Tuesday), and he also sent pictures of Hans (the bird) and Wesley.... All of which will post when I get home.

Man do I have a remaining summer and early fall booked. Still deciding if I should spend the money to go to NY for Labor Day.

See... I did alittle calculating this weekend. And, in order for me to get the Audi A4 next year before the summer, I have to save $600 a month. Now I know that is a tall order, but I think it can be done. Well, I am going to try. I have options, and I will use them if I have to, but I really think that I would like to have a brand new 2007 A4, with a 3 year loan, and payments right around $500. Hence the must save $600.00 a month for the next year.... Could have done it at the last house, but then I would have this really nice car, sitting out, no garage. Everything has trade offs, right.

So, to fly to NY Labor Day, would cost us $400. Then fly to Asheville in October, again around $400.00. Not sure if I should do both of them. Since I really have to go to Asheville, that leaves out Labor Day. I plan on using my Airtran certificates to go up and see my Mother either in October of November.

Well better go... need to make some calls...

Haven't posted in a while, but things are about the same. It is really weird the stages you go through with grief. I guess it is basically different with everyone and the circumstances. Would be something interesting to look into.

Mom called me late Sunday, for my Birthday. Around 9:30 / 9:45 at night. I was writing out bills and just getting over the sticker shock or my American Express bill from the last two months of going to North Carolina. Man I can't keep this up. I am going to have to let her know that, so we don't pull another stunt like we did with the surgery. Her other daughter got a pass on that one. Next time I will not be as gullible.

Got my "organization kit" for the Alzheimers walk in October. I have to admit, if it weren't for my cousin, and a few of my friends, I would be at ground zero. I have to get serious about this and innovative.

We (George and I) want to spend a weekend in NY. Thinking of Labor Day weekend. I have to get myself caught up at work, and then I can look at what time I have or don't have, and what airfares are. I really don't want to spend any extra money from now till the end of the year. If I could save a couple of thousand dollars, and use it as a down payment on a new car, that would be perfect. I think one more new car in my life would be pretty fair. If I make it a good one, maybe the only car I have to buy.

Went to see Pirates of the Caribbean last weekend. It was tough to follow, but it was good. Don't think there are anyother movies out there to see so far. Maybe the fall will bring in some good ones.

Well, I have lost 11 pounds so far. 9 more to go. Fitting in smaller clothes, but still not perfect. I really have to discipline myself to exercise. Went to the Chinese Restaurant for dinner last week, then the Cheesecake Factory for dessert. Sunday morning I made a nice breakfast spread. Potato Pancakes (they were great), bacon and kiebalsi for Hans and Richie, made batter for waffles, but nobody had any. Made my puff pancake, but it didn't turn out right, but it tasted ok. Made Egg beaters for Richie, and 2 soft boiled eggs, that ended up not being soft boiled anyway, bread butter, champagne and orange juice, and alcohol free sangria. The dining room table was packed. Janet said she would try to come over, but she didn't make it, and I asked Richie and Carol to bring Carmella, but they didn't. All in all it was very good. I can't wait to make the potato pancakes again. They were out of this world. I will double the recipe next time.

I didn't count calories on Saturday (since that is my free day) or Sunday (since that was my birthday). Back to the grind stone yesterday. I have a feeling that this coming weigh in is not going to be that good.

Back to work.... let's see if we can't be all caught up by tomorrow at 5:00. That is my goal...!

Back after a few days of just laying around, getting a burst of energy, and then laying around again.

I think I feel OK. It is just hard to say. I have to admit that know that Daddy passed away was a relief to me. He was very sick, and not the Daddy I knew, but he was truly my Daddy deep down inside. I will never stop missing him. The fact that I have been missing him since February 2004, does not make this any easier.

E-mailed my cousin in St. Maarten this afternoon. She replied with a supportive note. I have to admit, everyone has been very kind and supportive through all this...

Have my friend Hans, here from Germany. I feel so bad for him. He forgot his license at home, and couldn't rent a car, so that pretty much means that he is stuck in the house. He was going to ride my bicycle to the mall today. Tomorrow he is leaving for Tampa. He is taking the train over from Winter Park. He is supposed to be home Friday, but it may be Saturday, if he wants to stay longer, since he is leaving here Sunday. I hope he doesn't feel pressured to stay there an extra day, I mentioned it, only because, although we are close to things at our house, it is the everyday mundane stuff, supermarket, dry cleaners, etc. The mall is actually only 2.5 miles away, which is good to know, but it doesn't have anything exciting in it. I hope he didn't get caught in the rain.

George wants to go to NY for Labor Day weekend. I think it would be nice. Of course that is only 2 weeks after we get back from Philly. We will see. I will talk to him about it this weekend.

I will have to get up to see my Mother again. Can't stop going up there. Plus, she still needs me to go up there. Things aren't going to all of a sudden start getting done there now. Also, I am worried about her and how she is going to make ends meet. I won't bring that up rightnow, but will have to address it with her some time.

Well better go...

Hopefully this will get more interesting, although... don't know how that will happen...