What would you take?

Today I was asked if I were in New Orleans prior to the flooding and knew that I was going have to evacuate and my home would more than likely be destroyed, what would I take? This of course excludes people. My first responsewas to question the parameters. Do I have to go to a local shelter? Do I get to drive away in my car? Do I board a National Guard bus for parts unknown. Any of these particulars of course changes what I could take. For my own peace of mind, howeve, as the possibilities are endless and frightening, I'm assuming I could get in my car and drive away.

First and foremost, I would take my pets. I have 5 cats, and I can't imagine walking away from my house without them. I've heard some people in New Orleans have returned to their homes to search for their pets after the waters receded. One man said he took his cats to his father's house only to return afterward to find his own home had survived and is father's completely underwater. I suppose the situation was so desparate that you would leave with only the people, but it's difficult for me to imagine such a terrible situation that I would abandon my cats. The guilt would be too much to live with I think. As I thought of other things I would take, I honestly couldn't think of anything that important to me. Pictures would be nice, but we have such a copias amount of pictures at our house, it would be ridiculous to take them. Perhaps if I had time to thumb through and save some of them.

Beyond that, nothing in particular comes to mind. Of course I would take some clothing and food, but what else matters to me beyond this? My computer? My toy collection? My books? My writings? My CD collection? Maybe. But how much of this could go in my car? Then I had to think what does this say about me? Have I separated myself from the want of material things, am I simply so jaded that I don't care about much of anything anymore, am I too lazy to try to save my stuff or is there some other reason? I'd like to think I simply don't value material things, but that just doesn't ring true. Maybe it's the idea of starting over. I like that idea alot. Seems like the more stuff I have, the more of a burden I feel. Talk about simplifying! Do I have to truly be faced with such a situation to make hard decisions? Although I haven't been affected directly by this tragedy, to say I am unaffected isn't right either. The coming financial ramifications aside. It's made me question alot of things. I don't want to undermine the devistation that has occurred along the Gulf Coast, I just felt compelled to ponder, albeit safely.

In the end when I write down everything I remotely value and cross off the stuff I could live without, I'd put my computer in my car, take some CDs and a few books, a little of this and a little of that. Enough to know that I had an existence before the flood I suppose. I like that I could live without my stuff because who knows when it could all be taken away.

I still love my cats, though. If I couldn't take them, I'm not sure I'd leave. Is that sad or what?

Missing

Every single television show you can possibly think of is available on DVD these days. I think it's great, but there are two of my favorite shows that aren't out yet. Why, I ask. Why? The First is Dungeons & Dragons, the CBS cartoon. Any kid of the 80s knows this Saturday morning cartoon which featured the kids: Hank, Sheila, Diana, Presto, Eric, and Bobby as well as Uni, Venger, and Dungeon Master. The hapless teens rode a amusement park ride and ended up in a world where dragons, orcs, shadow creatures, bullywogs, etc. Remember Tiamat?

The next show is Roundhouse seen on Nickelodeon. This show was a musical skit show which had a large and everchanging cast. Most notable of the group was probably Crystal Lewis who to this day makes Christian music. Some of the others did other things but she's the one that sticks out.

I want to see these two shows on DVD. Why aren't they out?

Reprise the theme song and roll the credits!

Thanks, Dave!

Damn you, Dave Ramsey! Now look what you've made me do. I have been working a second job for 16 months now trying to do improve my financial situation Dave's way. It's been a long hard road and I'm so close (well within a year or so) of being finished with baby step 2. Anyone who has read his books knows what I'm talking about. For the rest of you, it's basically paying off all of your debt besides your house. At any rate, I've now taken on a third job which will only add about 3-4 more hours to my work week, but could potentially shave off two months of my ultimate goal of debt freedom. The job is (gulp) drug testing juvenile drug offenders. Now if that doesn't sound like fun, I don't know what does. Actually, I do it as a regular part of my REAL job, but doing it so often in such a concentrated way actually makes me nauseous. Imagine, watching someone pee into a cup and then sticking drug tests into that pee which comes in all kinds of colors and smells and with special additives that I won't go into right now. At any rate, the job starts soon and pays pretty well. And this is all because of Dave Frickin Ramsey.

So So

This is Sammy, one of five cats I own with my girlfriend. He's affectionately known as So So, his name taken from a deranged derivation of Sammy Sosa. He's a white, short-haired domestic with two different colored eyes. He likes to snuggle and playing with beanie babies. He throws himself down at your feet in hopes of some affection and he'll always let you know when the food bowl is low. I found So So outside the building I work in. Two pit bulls were tormenting So So from their leashes. I scooped him up from the hedges and took him to the vet. At first, he appeared to have a broken right front leg but the vet said it was a birth deformity. So So has a slight limp as a result. He's the best cat in the world and he brings me alot of happiness. Enjoy this picture of him.

To Boldly Go

I find myself anxious as the shuttle prepares to return to Earth tomorrow. As we all know there has been more than one tragedy in Earth's fledgling space travel history. I find each shuttle launch and return a fascinating historical benchmark which we hardly take notice of anymore. I remember as a kid how exciting it was for the shuttle to launch. Nearly everyone would stop what they were doing to watch. Now it's hardly a blurb in the newspapers unless of course there is suspense and danger as with the return of the Discovery. I have to wonder why we've lost our wonder about the shuttle. The Challenger and Columbia crews risked and ultimately gave up their lives to go to space. Why can't we stop and watch and perhaps dream of how it would be there in the final frontier.

Thundercats Ho!

Is anyone as excited about the release of the first season of Thundercats on DVD as I am? No? Yes? Maybe? Well, I can hardly wait for it to arrive. I ordered it from Amazon and signed up for a credit card which gave me a huge discount. Dave Ramsey is frowning right now, but it's not as if I'm going to keep a balance on it. I hate debt and credit cards almost as much as he does.

At any rate, I'm getting off topic. The Thundercats are coming.

Hate is a four letter word

Today I'm wondering about why we don't care about animals or other people or anything that is obviously more important than what we occupy ourselves with on a daily basis. I hate brand-name clothing. I hate myself for eating meat. I hate to see dead animals on the road (even possums) but especially dogs and cats. I hate myself for being rude to people and when I run stoplights and sterotyping most of all. I hate cleaning and having car trouble. I hate drugs and even alcohol. I hate hot weather and being in debt. I hate having gray hair and being lazy. I hate smokers and pollution. I hate not knowing the truth and I hate telling it. I hate politics. I hate the people who placed those bombs in London. I hate work.