Politics - The Urgency of Now

We have had the opportunity to reflect on the current political scene (and often times nonsense) and the race for the Presidency.  I have to admit though, that I have not really taken a lot of time to reflect on the legacy of our current President.  I feel that this is important, because often we only focus on the negative, or the immediate, without taking in the whole picture.  The Urgency of Now! 

Why this entry, and why now?  Whether you agree with their policies, decisions, etc., our elected officials represent the face of our country, both here at home and abroad.  How we react to their decisions molds us as a community, shapes our opinions and behaviors, and establishes the foundation for how we interact with one another.  My personal feeling is that we have failed in this arena – the negativism we have during our election process is astounding.  Our focus is very short sighted, basically showing our attitude of “What Have You Done For Me Lately?”  It is very easy to take a jab at another, but it takes compassion, intelligence, and understanding to focus on the positive.  This is what I believe leadership is all about, and it is something that I strive for each and every day.

One of my pet peeves is the lack of respect on the radio and television for our President, calling him “Mr. Bush”, a deliberate effort to demonstrate a lack of approval – but only succeeding in showing disrespect.  You do not have to approve of a person or their policies to show respect for their position.

Okay, let me jump down off my Soap Box now :o) 

Below, I present some things to consider when considering President Bush’s Legacy.  These considerations can also be used to shape your opinion with respect to what the current candidates will do to lead us for the next 4-8 years.

·          Moral leadership as a contrast to the Clinton years.  You may not agree, but President Bush has held firm on his positions regarding stem cell research, school prayer, gay rights, and abortion.

·          September 11, 2001.  Not sure if anyone could have done a better job than President Bush did.  Let us never forget!  Some would argue that the civil liberty issues have clouded these achievements, but the bottom line is that there has not been another terrorist attack on our soil.

·          No Child Left Behind.  You may not agree with all the details, but the consensus is that our schools are getting more focus and test results are improving.

·          The AIDS and Malaria initiatives in Africa, an issue on which little attention has been focused.  1.4 million men, women and children are alive because of treatment  received through this initiative.

·          Prescription drug benefits added to Medicare.  32 million seniors getting help to afford prescription drugs, including 10 million low-income seniors who get their medicine pretty much free.

·          Social Security Reform.  Failed to provide a politically workable vision that could revise the system.

·          Iraq. The ability to achieve an initial military victory was accurate, but the foresight to consider what happens next was missing.  Mission Accomplished was declared in 2003, and here we sit, still heavily involved with no clear exit strategy.  Recall, this was a decision that was endorsed by both houses of Congress. 

·          State Children’s Health Insurance Program expansion.  President Bush vetoed this legislation, due to budget considerations.  Seems short sighted.

·          Tax Cuts.  Resulted in 18 straight quarters of economic growth and low inflation. However, President Bush has also presided over one of the largest government expansions in history.  As a believer in smaller government, this is a hard one for me to swallow.

·          Katrina.  A tragic event with an even more tragic response by local, state, and federal agencies.  Subsequent disaster responses have been better, but Katrina was unforgivable.

·          Judicial Appointments.  This will be a lasting impact. President Bush will have appointed more than half of the Appellate and US district judges. He is also more than likely to fill three seats on the US Supreme Court, including Chief Justice John Roberts, Judge Samuel A Alito Jr and at least one more.

President Bush seems less likely to be remembered as a disastrous American president than as an ultimately insignificant one. President Bush has presided over a period of national and economic drift.  While for most of his Presidency, we were in a period of economic growth and historic lows for unemployment, 2008 may be remembered more for the credit crisis and return to recession.  The original vision of spreading democracy throughout the world will most likely be remembered more as a lack of a coherent approach to foreign policy.

Why loathe this president. The intensity of anger toward President Bush is peculiar. After all, Bush's domestic policy is not that much different from Reagan's and his foreign policy is pretty much in line with the doctrine that Truman lent his name to and which FDR would certainly have approved. How does one account for this intense wrath? More than principle or personal interest, politics is the domain of psychological need. In the case of Bush, the need of a passing Old Order to have enemies.

I would like to acknowledge those that I used to R&D this entry (by the way,R&D for me is Rip Off and Duplicate): Washington Post writer Michael Gerson; The Guardian (UK) featuring articles from Jacob Weisberg, Kathleen Parker, REmmetTyrrell Jr.; University of Purdue Professor and head of the Department of Political Science, Bert A. Rockman (author of the book “The George W. Bush Legacy”).

Tags: President Bush, Legacy, blogplugs

March Madness!

In order of sport enjoyment for me is: 1) The Olympics, both Summer and Winter; 2) The Masters (and other majors, especially when Tiger is in contention); and 3) The NCAA Tourney.  Not to take anything away from ND Football, or the bowl games, but just not quite the same. 

 

Tonight we watched Davidson beat Wisconsin, the first, and most likely only, Cinderella team to make the elite eight.  So, do I see any parallels to every day life – Of Course!

 

The thing that was so inspiring about Davidson is how much they obviously wanted to win the game.  They struggled for every rebound, they hit their threes, and they played great defense, and they played from their heart! 

 

The effort is the journey, whether you win or loose.  And with spring just around the corner, and few days left in March, here is wishing you March Madness :o)

Tags: March Madness, Tiger, Olympics

Complacentville

Recently, at work, we identified that our accounting practices and charges for our “projects” are not properly aligned.  As we pulled the thread, it became quite apparent that this was a widespread and long standing issue.  We had become complacent and accepted the situation.  We recently converted to a new enterprise level work management tool, that was supposed to help resolve these types of issues, but now it is even worse because the accounting is locked out once we complete the initial planning. Again, a sign of being complacent. To get the new process to work, we need to be looking ahead 2-3 years, not just reacting to the current issues.  Do you see the potential for any parallels in your everyday life?  I know I do.   

 

As a coworker and I were talking, behind closed doors, we were flummoxed and incredulous as to how a known issue has been going on for years.  We are both relatively new to the department, only about a year each, so we get together and kibitz about the direction we are heading.  We are trying to make changes, but it is often like pushing a rope.  Recently, I heard one of our Senior leaders say, don’t tell me that it is hard, that is what we get paid for!  Again, if it is hard, how often do we look for the easy way out, or the path of least resistance, both in our professional and personal lives?

 

Tonight, as Beth and I are watching about the Politico’s here in Indiana, and how the local school did not approve of Senator Clinton’s visit, I wonder if the Superintendent and School Board did not take the easy path, and throw up a rule as a reason why they could not do something, instead of finding a way to make it happen.

 

It never ceases to amaze me how people in life will constantly take the easy path.  Confrontation is uncomfortable, but the only way to truly grow as an individual, and a society, is to stop being complacent, and step outside that comfort zone.  If it is difficult, then that probably means that it is the right thing to do.  When confronted with a decision or difficult situation, do you go with the popular position, grease the squeaky wheel?  That is a form of complacency – status quo. 

 

While more difficult and uncomfortable, taking the time to step back and consider the alternatives can be very rewarding.  This means taking the time to listen to others, to consider both sides of the issue, to put yourself in their shoes, and consider what their issue is and what success looks like for them.  This is not always easy, and sometimes, if you piss off both sides equally, that is an indication that you are really making progress.  Be wary of “compromise” though, because that is an indication that neither side achieved what they wanted, and they may be saving up to come back and fight another day.  A true win-win situation takes time, patience, empathy, and “thinking outside the box.” 

 

I urge you to not take the Complacentville exit, but to keep travelling until you can arrive at a more worthy destination.

Tags: Complacency, blogplugs, Compromise

Awake or Not?

Feeling refreshed, but not 100%.  I got home about 0645 this morning, checked my e-mail and had a few cool beverages, and headed to bed at 0730.  I slept until 1200, then got up, puttered, had a workout, and shower.  I think I will most likely take a nap prior to dinner.

 

This crazy work schedule definitely presents its challenges, but is definitely better than the last outage (last outage was 6, 12 hour days per week, yuk!).  This time, I only need to do one night per week, but it sure is a challenge to go from days, to nights, and then back to days. 

 

My routine is to stay up late the night before my night shift, this time I watched the Sly Stallone movie “Eye See You” (not bad, but I would wait until you can see it on one of the premium channels or get it at a severe discount) and went to bed around 2:30 AM.  I then slept until 2:00 PM, had a workout, chatted with my bride for a few minutes, and headed of to work at 4:30 PM.  For the reverse transition, I try and get 4-5 hours (usually not real restful since it is light out), and then get to bed at a normal hour. 

 

I figure I will be a little tired tomorrow, but it sure was nice to be able to spend most of the day with Beth today.  Hope you are having a good week.  :o)

Truth or Dare?

As much as I love gleaning tidbits from internet surfing, hopefully this entry will give you a moment to pause  and contemplate in this information age we live in. 

 

The thing I do not get, is what possessed the original author to compose this message, was it a hoax, did they have passion for what they believed was a safety concern, are they mischievious, or are they just nasty – preying on the common fears of our society?  Whatever the truth is, please, take the time to do a little research – do not believe everything you read or hear.

 

I received the below message via an e-mail, and at first was inclined to pass it on as a safety message.  However, being a skeptic, I did an internet search, and found some additional information.  Both the original message and the additional information are reproduced below.

 

So, truth or dare?  All I know is that we do not use plug-in type air fresheners, and do not have any plans in the future.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

The original message was written by a lady whose brother and wife learned a hard lesson.

Their house burnt down... nothing left but ashes. They have good insurance so the house will be replaced and most of the contents. That is the good news. However, they were sick when they found out the cause of the fire.

 

The insurance investigator sifted through the ashes for several hours. He had the cause of the fire traced to the master bathroom. He asked her sister-in-law what she had plugged in the bath room. She listed the normal things....curling iron, blow dryer. He kept saying to her, 'No, this would be something that would disintegrate at high temperatures'. Then her sister-in-law remembered she had a Glade Plug-In, in the bathroom.

The investigator had one of those 'Aha' moments. He said that was the cause of the fire. He said he has seen more house fires started with the plug-in type room fresheners than anything else. He said the plastic they are made from is THIN. He also said that in every case
there was nothing left to prove that it even existed. When the investigator looked in the wall plug, the two prongs left from the plug-in were still in there.

Her sister-in-law had one of the plug-ins that had a small night light built in it. She said she had noticed that the light would dim and then finally go out. She would walk in to the bathroom a few hours later, and the light would be back on again. The investigator said that the unit was getting too hot, and would dim and go out rather than just blow the light bulb. Once it cooled down it would come back on. That is a warning sign.

The investigator said he personally wouldn't have any type of plug in fragrance device anywhere in his house. He has seen too many places that have been burned down due to them.

 

And the additional information….

 

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/glade-plug-in-fire.html

Company Response to Internet Rumor on Glade PlugIns®

 

SC Johnson recently learned that there have been postings on the Internet that have claimed that our products were involved infires. It is important that you know that all of ourPlugIns® products are safe and will not cause fires. We know this because PlugIns® products have been sold for more than 15 years and hundreds of millions of the products are being used safely. Because we are committed to selling safe products, SC Johnson thoroughly investigated these rumors. First, we confirmed that no one had contacted SC Johnson to tell us about these fires or to ask us to investigate them. Additionally, we had a leading fire investigation expert call the fire department representative who is identified in one of the Internet postings. That fireman indicated that he has no evidence that our products had caused any fire.

We suspect this rumor may be associated with a past SC Johnson voluntary recall of one of its air freshener products, a Glade® Extra Outlet Scented Oil product that was sold for a short period before June 1, 2002. After discovering an assembly error in a small number of that product, SC Johnson implemented a voluntary recall and provided extensive information about the product to the U.S. Consumer Safety Commission (CPSC). After revising the manufacturing process and thorough testing for proper assembly, the Glade® PlugIns® Scented Oil Extra Outlet product returned to store shelves on June 3, 2002. SC Johnson has no knowledge of any credible reports of fire related to this product. We also know that our products do not cause fires because all of our PlugIns® products have been thoroughly tested by Underwriters Laboratories and other independent laboratories and our products meet or exceed safety requirements. SC Johnson continues to work closely with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to investigate allegations involving PlugIns® products.

As a more than 100-year-old, family-owned company, SC Johnson is committed to providing top quality products that can be used safely in homes and we want to reassure you that PlugIns® products can be used with complete confidence.

Tags: Hoax, Fires, Glade Plug-In, blogplugs

Sheeba's Wish

Oh Remo, Remo, who are thee?

As I loaf here, you complete me.

 No matter what “Dad” says, I won’t

 Treat you like a simple Remote.

 While the point may be “mute”,

 I find you quite cute.

 I hope you will be my “guide”,

 I lay here by you filled with pride.

 What ever you do, don’t “change” :-)

Think Warm

Ahhhh!, what a quiet day here at Nutwood.  We were able to both sleep in, and have had a lazy day.  One thing I try to do on a holiday off from work is to truly take a break from doing work related activities (there is plenty of time over the next two days since Beth is working). 

Sitting here looking out to the back forty (eleven actually <LOL>), I am dismayed that it is snowing since today is the official start of spring.  The good news is that there is only 1/2 inch accumulation so far, although they are predicting 3-6" over the next day or two. 

So, as written recently by my bride, in her entry titled Florida On My Mind, we go to Florida every year.  So today, I made our flight and car rental arrangements (took awhile for the flights since I was using a $200 travel voucher based on a canceled work flight back in January).  We were able to get airfare for two for less than $500 total.  We are looking forward to our Vegecation :o)

Sending warm thoughts out to J-Land.

Tags: Florida, Vacation, Warm

Seven Deadly Sins

Recently, Beth (my wonderful bride) wrote about the Vatican suggesting adoption of new Social Sins versus the traditional personal sins. 

 

In the March 24th issue of Time, the Nancy Gibbs essay reflects on this, and includes the following reference to Mohandas Gandhi’s suggested version of the seven deadly sins that struck a chord with me:

• Wealth without work
• Pleasure without conscience
• Science without humanity
• Knowledge without character
• Politics without principle
• Commerce without morality
• Worship without sacrifice

As we contemplate the meaning and message of Easter, do not focus only on personal sin, think about the bigger societal picture as well.  :o)

Tags: Sin, Easter, Gandhi, Time

Drinking Age Debate - NOT!

Listening to the national news tonight, there was discussion regarding a movement that is afoot to lower the drinking age from 21 to 18 (the 21 year old age limit has been in place for 23 years now).  To get details of the debate, follow the link:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20249460/

 

The main argument that supporters are putting forward is that those under 21 are drinking anyway, and often binge drinking at that.  In addition, these poor, thirsty sufferers can vote and fight for our country, but they cannot drink alcohol.

 

I find this entire debate frightening.  The drinking age law stops many young people from drinking, and it definitely keeps them out of the liquor stores and bars.  I cannot imagine a worse scenario than a person recently being given the privilege of their driver’s license, getting behind the wheel to maneuver a 2000 pound plus potential energy machine, after stopping by the local watering hole for a few cold ones. 

 

During this spring weekend, with many celebrating the holiday, lets keep our young men and women safe and sober.  DARE to say no to underage drinking :o)

Tags: Alcohol, underage drinking, DARE

Essential Integrity

One of the tenets we preach in the Nuclear Profession is No Victims.  The great thing, is that this is also a prevalent message in Project Management as well.  But most importantly, there are lessons for every day life as well. 

The Victim: The tendency to explain all difficulties exclusively as the consequence of forces beyond your influence.  The victim's focus is; problems originate outside of his/herself, seeks to place blame, points fingers, is defensive, uses "should" to explain (or complain), uses words such as "they", helpless, and innocent.

Sorry - I just cannot buy into that scenario or philosophy.  The victim loop has only a downward spiral - as I like to call it - The Death Spiral! 

A much better philosophy is Essential Integrity.  Practice conscious values; Who do you admire and why? What are some qualities of the people you admire?  I have to say, that since I have become a member of J-Land, I admire many of you :o)

So - be conscious of your values, and be aware of unconscious expressions and/or behaviors, which will reveal our true values.

Tags: Values, blogplugs, integrity

Good People!

Ah, what a relief today.  After dealing with some recent nastiness and bitterness, it was such a relief to be around some people that were giving of themselves for the betterment of others.  Always remember, we choose who we interact with and who we are around.  Waste little time with those that are bitter and negative, seek out those with positive outlooks and dispositions.

 

I am the President of a local volunteer group (local chapter of the Project Management Institute, PMI.org), and this morning we had a three hour planning meeting (we do two of these per year).  These very busy people, three of whom are looking for new jobs because of changes in their companies, took their personal time on a Saturday morning to help their colleagues.  We discussed plans for the next 12 months, had some good laughs, and discussed and made plans on how we can bring value to our membership.  I was very impressed with their selflessness and thanked them for their contributions and time.  One of the things we made sure to schedule was an appreciation dinner for the Board in October, because acknowledging their contributions and efforts is important.  Please make sure that you take the time to acknowledge those around you for their efforts. 

 

I encourage you to take the time to focus on those around you because you never know when the small details will be important.  After my meeting, which was held at a Starbucks at our local Martin’s grocery store, I had to do a little shopping.  The bagger was a young man that had a very strong accent, and asked me if I had found everything all right – and as I replied, I made sure that I saw his nametag.  While I was putting my purchases in the trunk of Blacky, he came jogging up to me in the parking lot; I had left my travel mug and portfolio at the checkout counter.  Before he even reached me, I said Thank You very much Sam.  He handed me my belongings and walked off with a big smile.  Noticing the small things, like someone’s name (which I normally am not very good at), and showing genuine appreciation, is rewarding to both the receiver and the provider. 

 

Here is hoping that you have the chance to have a positive impact on another person today, and every day.  :o)

Tags: PMI, bitterness, blogplugs, attitude, appreciation

Home Sweet Home!

It is so nice to be home with Wifey and Critter.  Funny thing is, Sheeba is not that talkative when I am away, mostly some mewing, Go Figure :o)  Some plans fell through, so I was able to get home several hours earlier than scheduled.  The Silver Lining – I had a very productive two days, meeting lots of people, and will be going to Columbus every other month or so over the next several years, so things will work out in the wash.

 

Originally, I was supposed to drive down Tuesday night, but got wrapped up in some last minute work things, and did not hit the road until Wednesday morning (0530 hours).  The thing is, the weather was so nice yesterday and today, it was almost a pleasure (4.5 hours, 245 miles, each way).  The sun was shining, the cruise control was set, my shades in place, and Blacky purred as the miles rolled past.  The route I took was mostly rural, and the terrain was beautiful, lots of farmland, rolling hills, river valleys, and lots of trees.  One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how you can go from rural to urban sprawl in a very short span of miles and time.  At 30 miles out, I was driving through a river valley with signs to ski resorts, and then suddenly, it is all gone – replaced by skyscrapers, freeway interchanges, and the like.  Makes me appreciate Nutwood all the more :o)

 

I would like to make a dining recommendation; I had the opportunity to take my boss out for dinner, and took him to a Mongolian Barbeque.  The premise is basically do it yourself stir fry.  You start off with an empty bowl, with the first stop at the meat bar (round one I had scallops, round two was steak).  After selecting your meat choice, you move to the vegetable bar (I selected fresh garlic, broccoli, sprouts, pea pods, water chestnuts, carrots, etc.) where you select the healthy part of your meal.  Lastly, you move to the spice and sauce bar (Mongolian is heavy on the heat and spice).  The fun part of the meal is when you belly up to the griddle, where the cooks take your bowl contents, and stir fry them, then add your spices and sauces, and return the bowl to you with steaming contents (they also entertain you while they cook, corny, but worthy of some tips from us).  You return to your table and add rice to finish off the presentation.  I got a good laugh watching my boss's reaction to my Chop Stick technique, he was amazed as I selected individual rice kernels.  My years living in San Francisco did result in some new skills :o)  He would not try, so I brought home a gift to Beth of some Chop Sticks – I know, I am so thoughtful!

 

Hope you had a great couple of days, enjoying the first hints of spring.

Tags: Mongolian Barbeque, Rural, Spring, blogplugs

Calling All Animal Lovers!

An Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals.   It takes less than a minute (How about 20 seconds) to go to their site and click on the purple box 'fund food for animals' for free.  This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising. This is pretty simple... Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! Here is the location:  http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

See Food Nite

Tonight was sea-food night for dinner. 

The menu consisted of broiled salmon, crabbie patties, peas, and garlic rice.  Whenever I make crabbie patties, I make my "bachelor" tartar sauce.  I have come up with a sauce mix that starts with mayo, add some regular mustard and ketchup (color is the key, a faint orange color is desired).  Next comes Wasabe powder, garlic salt, and dill weed.  Mix it all up and serve at room temperature.  It is a great seafood sauce.  The menu would not be complete without a nice Chardonnay.  Yum :o)

Beth volunteered to let me finish her fitch and rice, but I was already full.  Five minutes later, her plate was clean.  See Food Nite was complete.

Science Scene

Having lived in both California (born and returned from 1984-1995) and Florida (summer vacations and recent time share weeks), I have had many opportunities to walk along the beach.  One constant during these walks is the "seaweed" that we must step around.  I have always wondered about the little bulbs that are part of the "seaweed".  I avoid stepping on them, afraid that they will pop under my bare feet :o)

In the Spring 2008 issue of the Nature Conservancy magazine, there was an article called Sea Greens.  Our beach "seaweed" is actually kelp, and here is a caption to one of the pictures: "Each kelp stalk, or stripe, develops leaf like attachments called fronds.  At the base of each frond is a small air bladder that buoys the blade up to the surface, where it continues to grow while forming a dense canopy approximately 4 feet deep."  

Mystery Solved!  If you follow the following link, you will discover that the kelp is an integral part of the ocean ecosystem, and the sea otters are just plain cute. 

http://www.nature.org/magazine/spring2008/files/seagreens.swf

Tags: Kelp, Nature Conservancy, Otter

The Priority

The priority of the feminine, in men and women, is the flow of love in relationship.   The priority of the masculine, in men and women, is the mission which leads to freedom. Ultimately, true freedom and true love are the same. However, the journey of the masculine and feminine to this unity of love and freedom is very different.

The Way of the Superior Man David Deida   An interesting perspective.  Thanks Lee for sending this my way :o)

Snot Funny!

Ah, juvenile humor.  As a Clown at heart, it is a part of me, and I have to admit, is one of the things that makes our life here at Nutwood so wonderful.

What made me think of this today, was when I got home at about 6:20 PM, Beth looked at the clock, and said, that's not bad.  How sad that a 10+ hour day is considered "not bad".  Compared to last week and earlier this week though, it is not as bad :o)

As usual, Sheeba did his flop for a manly belly rub (my rubs actually move him across the carpet, but he purrs the whole time, and usually lets out some mews).

After a long day, it is always important to have something to make you smile.  Luckily, we have a crazy cat with a crazier owner, and we are never short of smiles.  So, sending oodles of smiles your way :o)

Tags: Humor, blogplugs, belly rubs

The Water Broke

Sometimes it is all in the timing.  Knowing that I wanted to work out during lunch today, I headed to work a little early.  When I was five minutes from the plant, my phone rang.  Turns out that the water main to the plant (for services, nothing to do with generating the electricity) broke, and there was no water for facilities, etc.  All non-essential personnel were sent home.  The good news is that I did not get in the long line to get into the plant, I just drove by and headed home.

It is not until you have the opportunity to work in the solitude of the dining room table, no music or TV, that you appreciate how many interruptions there are in an office environment.  I accomplish so much more when there is no "dinging" of incoming e-mail, no drive-by-head-in-the-doorway-questions, and no ringing of the telephone. 

It is also about eliminating mistakes.  If there are constant interruptions, and you cannot remain focused on the task at hand, that creates human error traps.  I have coached my newest team member that when she is working on something critical or that needs focused attention, to unplug the phone, disable the e-mail alerts, and post a sign on her cube to Please Do Not Disturb.  It is a paradigm shift, because we are conditioned to provide service and help others, but sometimes you just need to help yourself by staying focused. 

Here's hoping you had a quiet and low stress day :o)

 

Tags: Focus, Human Error Trap, Paradigm Shift

Mouse-In-The-House II

As Beth would say, Phew!  What a long week, there was not a single day that I got out of work before 5:30 PM.  On top of that, I had to be in early both Thursday and Friday, arriving at 7:00 AM.  I know that does not seem early, but since I am not a morning person and it takes me awhile to wake up, and it is a 45 minute drive and 10 minute walk, it sure seems early.  Enough whining and on with the story.

 

There were some strange sounds this morning. First, on three separate occasions, our kitty Sheeba made his presence known.  There was his insistent mew, walking on us, and his fervent kneading on the bed spread.  Then there was the rumble of the coffee pot as my thick-as-molasses coffee brewed (I am not allowed to make coffee for others because it is usually too strong).  Last, there was the sound of the dead battery on my cell phone, with a high-pitched chirp every five minutes, just as I was about to doze off again.  So we were up and about at 7:30 AM. 

 

As I was enjoying the paper, and chewing my coffee <LOL>, Beth noticed that Sheeba had been loafing in the kitchen for quite a while (we call it loafing because when he lays on the rug with his front paws curled up under his body, he looks like a loaf of bread).  She proceeded to investigate with the flashlight, and sure enough, there was another critter in the kitchen, stuck to a trap in the gap (we have a 3” x 3” gap between two kitchen cabinets, and the mice seem to like to use it as a hidey-hole and passage).  We usually catch at least one mouse, using a glue trap, each year at this location. 

 

We keep a yard stick handy for some quick measurements and hard to reach retrievals. Using the yard stick, I was able to retrieve the trap and critter.  Sheeba tried to tell us this morning that something was up, but we just were not listening.  So, thanks for keeping us safe from the little fiend.  My hero!  Even though we did not have a prize waiting for us, it was still priceless :o)

 

Hope you have a great day and relaxing weekend.

Tags: Mouse, Glue Trap, Weekend, blogplugs