Last Sunday was not just Super Bowl Sunday but as you know it was also Blogroll Amnesty Day. Bloggers took some time to meet others online and share links to each others ideas and opinions in their blogrolls. I participated and met some other good folks with opinions that span a spectrum from politics to jazz reviews. One of the blogs that I share blogroll links to now is The Political Cat.

The staff there decided to feature those who added the blog in a little blurb in their blog. What with my lack of knowledge in the ways of the computer I have not been able to comment personally on their postings. So I couldn’t thank them personally on the posting of a nice article about my blog. Therefore I decided to steal The Cat’s idea of posting an article about bloggers that were met on B.A.D..

Since the idea came from there I want to make the first of these posts about that blog. The Political Cat posts articles about politics, holidays and of course cats. It is a well put together and insightful site. I recommend you visit there often and check out the fresh ideas.

Since it’s the Year Of The Rat I’m sure the Political Cat will be kept busy. Happy New Year.

The street sweepers are washing the pavement in the alleys and streets of the French Quarter. New Orleans bar workers are mopping up the funk that comes from days of revelry while the bar owners are counting their riches. Catholic faithful are going to masses to have some ash smeared on their foreheads. Lent is here and in the next 40 days leading up to Easter the city will relax. Almost rest.

But Ash Wednesday in New Orleans is also the day of the Louisiana Primary. There will probably not be as big a cleanup as one might think. The election results from todays primaries and caucuses show McCain is the only candidate that cleaned up in the polls. The Democrats are still pretty much on the same level when it comes to their peoples support.

McCain’s overwhelming win of delegates is due to the “Huckabee Factor”. Mike has taken a lot of the “liberal” Republican vote from Mitt much to Romney’s chagrin. His whining today just alienated more of his would be supporters giving John McCain more of an advantage. That scares me.

With McCain the probable Republican candidate for president America is facing a strange future. His stance on the war in Iraq along with his hinting at future wars, Iran probably, could make or break him. Especially if his Democratic opposition remains weak on their demands to withdraw our troops from Iraq. If the Democrats can’t show strong we may be facing Johns proposed 100 years there.

New Orleans, and much of Louisiana, has a large black Democrat population. The strength of the black vote became clear in 1992 when Democrat Edwin Edwards, a known criminal and liar, was running against Republican racist David Duke for Governor. More black people registered and voted than any time in Louisiana history. The crook won in a landslide even though the Republican Duke got a huge turnout of white voters.

Obama and Clinton are running neck and neck. Clinton has only 100 more delegates then Obama. The primaries in the weeks to come can change that. There are more delegates yet to be chosen and Barak may overcome Hillary in the polls. With only 56 delegates at stake there Louisiana wont be a deciding factor in the final outcome but will probably bring the race closer. I think Obama will take the state today.

The really surprising state for Obama was Idaho. Such a huge amount of their votes going to him there shows me the race card is fading in this campaign. When I was a kid growing up in Idaho there was an underlying racism that welcomed many white supremacy groups  to build compounds and enclaves all over the state. I was pleased to see that the old days are going away and people are starting to think clearer.

So as the post Carnival cleanup continues in The Big Easy the cleanup in the polls wont come. The democratic candidates will have to really duke it out. Lets hope the mudslinging doesn’t start too bad. Thats a mess that may cause McCain to clean up in November.

We can’t have that.

My dear friend and GODDESS Ruby put this little montage together with Louis Armstrong in the background. I promise I will try not to bug y’all with my loss much any more but Ruby’s vid has to be shared.

It truly is a wonderful world.

Rocky

13 is my lucky number. People have a strange idea that 13 is unlucky. Some believe that it brings bad tides and omens. Some feel that only bad things can happen on the 13th of the month, especially Fridays,but the 13th of November, 1999 was one of the luckiest days of my life. I met KittyKitty for the first time.

The 13th pup from a litter of 16 he was the most adorable thing I had ever seen when it came to puppies. I picked him to be mine on the day he was born. I didn’t know he would eventually pick me to be his as well.  8 years later I still look at him as the best dog a guy could have had. He was truly my best friend.

Today he went to that great sofa in the sky. I’ve heard they have pools of nacho cheese with bacon floating in them. Soft couches are everywhere and there are plenty of kids to play with. Love abounds and more companions than he’ll know what to do with. Dogs and people hang out together and that other one, (god is just dog spelled backwards) will make sure he has everything he ever wants. He wont be in pain any more either. The last few months weren’t pain free for him but they will be now, forever.

I have so many wonderful memories of my close friend and when I struggle through my grief I guess they will be very comforting. Please listen to the If You Get Confused post today. It is a fitting song for his memory.  The Grateful Dead always had a way of stealing my face right off my head and Kitty took it with him. I don’t need it anymore.

Sorry I haven’t posted in a few days but making sure his last few days were comfortable took a higher priority as well as much of my time.

He isn’t in pain anymore. I loved him so.

The Highwaymen doing “They Killed Him”. Kris sings with Willie, Johnny and Waylon.

The doctor didn’t look very optimistic when he came into the waiting room yesterday. Shaking my hand he said, “We don’t get any 8 year old Great Danes here. It doesn’t look good.”

The infection in his foot hadn’t gotten better with the other treatment had spread into his ankle. It needed to be drained and they were going to have to put him out to do it. At eight my Dane KittyKitty was facing shaky ground with sedation. It had to be done though. If he didn’t make it at least he would be asleep when he passed on. I would miss him but I don’t want him to suffer either, and he has been quite uncomfortable the last few days. Bad enough to cry a bit and whine a bit more.

Walking home from the vet’s office I began reminiscing about the last few years. Tears were cold down my face and the winter wind made them sting my cheeks. Stopping by the store to pick up a few groceries for supper I hoped no one noticed my tearstained eyes. I wanted a drink for the first time in ages. So I bought some liquor too. My night was going to be spent looking back and a little buzz wasn’t going to hurt.I had an evening of remembering to do.

I heard that Daisy had had her puppies on that wonderful morning in November of 1999. I had the pick of the litter and it amazed me that I had to choose from a pack of 15 pups. She bore 16 but 1 was still born. Daisy had been close to me since she was young and having one of her pups was a dream come true. I rushed out to Tim and Sandy’s house and when I saw him I melted. He stood out with his white coat with brown spots. Fawniquin they are called. The ones with black patches are called harlequin.

Holding him in my hands was a thrill. About the size of a gerbil his squinty closed eyes and snuffling snout was enough to make me know I would take care of him for the rest of his life. My wife Cat brought him home when he was about 6 weeks old. She had been a big part of his daily life, going each evening to bottle feed and hold him. 15 pups is too much for 1 mother so alternative feeding was necessary. He was the smallest one who lived. 2 more left early on.

He was always excited when I would come home on weekends. An over the road driver doesn’t have the luxury of seeing the family everyday and the family misses that driver a lot. He was such a part of my family and grew closer each weekend. Looking out the window on the mornings I would leave he would throw a fit seeing me driving off. When I came in late Friday night he would attack me with excited love. Sometimes he would knock me over.

Great Danes grow fast. By 9 months he was pushing a hundred pounds. At a year he was almost 120. But he was still a puppy. Bouncy and playful with more energy than he needed he was easily excited. We got close quick and that closeness has lasted over 8 years now. I didn’t know how close we could be until September 2000 when I got hurt. Thats when he started being my best friend.

Recognizing my injury immediately he became gentle and wanted noting more than to sit with his head in my lap on the sofa or curled along my back when I layed down. He became closer and closer and would whine when I went to the doctor or just walked to the store. Cat was working extra hours and he was someone to talk to and have companionship with. I never knew I could love another being like this. He loved me back…unconditionally.

During the last 7 years with him as an almost constant companion we have gone through a lot together. He has been a big part of keeping my sanity, such as it is, by being there when life seemed at it’s lowest. He has been there to celebrate the good times with me too. We have walked together hundreds of miles over the years and has protected me as well as helped me make new friends. (you don’t own a great dane if you don’t wanna talk to people) I could talk to him about anything.

He has never judged me or scorned me because my ideas seemed wrong to him. He has greeted me at the door with the same excitement no matter if I was gone to take the garbage out or took a 6 day trip leaving him with friends. He knows when I can use a snuggle and leaves me alone when I need alone time. He has truly been my best friend for a while. Just not long enough.

I called the vet this morning about 9. The receptionist told me the doctor would call me soon. I didn’t like the sound of that. Cat and I sat and fretted. Reminiscing became worry. Each of us knew in our hearts that not hearing anything could be nothing but bad news. We waited and fretted. The minutes seemed like hours. The hours seemed like years. I was getting sick.

I reached for the phone. I wasn’t waiting anylonger. I needed to know. The phone rang before I could dial and it was the doctor. “Mr Holland?” he said. The tears started right away. Hanging out in my eyelids they were poised to become a flow.

“Kitty is doing surprisingly well”, he said. Almost unbelievingly he continued, “We have him on large doses of antibiotics and really need to keep him another night just to make sure but I believe he’s doing good”.

Relief flooded me. The tears came down but were soon stopped. My friend gets to come home tomorrow and he’s going to get better! I can’t wait!

I know he is really old for a giant breed dog and the reality of not having a lot longer with him has set in I want to spend more time with him. A few more weeks, months or however long will be wonderful. He is a great companion. I love him.
He’s my best friend.