Day 30: To all crazy cat ladies

Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 30: To all crazy cat ladies

In the past, when someone called me a crazy cat lady, I was somewhat offended. One can have five dogs, four parakeets, a dozen fish, two tortoises or even a snake and nobody will think anything of it. Have more than one cat though and you’re a crazy cat lady.

A little research revealed that rather than being insulted, I should feel flattered. There are a number of famous people who loved cats, so I’m in great company.

Freddy Mercury 

John Travolta

Robert Downy Jr.

Meryl Streep 

               Cameron Diaz

Taylor Swift

And what, if I may ask is so wrong with loving cats? I’m rather fond of dogs too, all animals come to that, but cats are my favorites. They are beautiful, affectionate, clean and self-sufficient.

Cats are also less trouble than dogs. Cats use a litter box, but dogs have to be taken outside. Taking pooch for a walk or to do his business might be pleasant on a warm sunny day, but it’s quite a different story when it’s raining buckets or when the temperature falls to -35 deg C (-31 deg F). 

Not to mention that dogs have to be trained to do their business outside, which can take days or even weeks before the puppy gets it. With kittens you don’t have that problem. Show kitten where the litter box is and you never have to worry again. If a kitten or a cat uses anything other than the litter box, you can bet there is a health problem.

Then there’s the noise. Cats are quiet but dogs bark. We used to have a neighbor who had an Alsatian and the poor dog missed his owner so much during the day (and often night) that he barked and barked while scratching the door. I felt so sorry for the poor animal. Cats aren’t that vocal and even if they are the noise level isn’t as intrusive as a barking dog.

Then there’s the hygiene. Cats are self-cleaning, but dogs have to be washed. Giving a small dog a bath doesn’t seem all that difficult, but I imagine it’s quite a chore to get an unwilling Labrador or Golden Retriever into the bathroom.

As for food … unless you have a teeny tiny dog, feeding a dog is far more expensive than a cat. I can only imagine the amount of food a big dog goes through.

Last but not least, sleeping arrangements. I regularly have two to three cats sleeping on my bed. If this were two to three dogs … well, there wouldn’t be room for me anymore.

So yes, I prefer cats over dogs and I have four of them. If that makes me a crazy cat lady … so be it.

https://bestlifeonline.com/cutest-celebrity-cats/

Day 63: How to fix the economy

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 63: How to fix the economy

Over the past few days, I’ve been spending time with the rich and famous, the very rich. Well, not actually spending time ‘with’ time as much as helping them decide which yacht to rent or buy by way of describing these superyachts. It was an eye-opener, to say the least.

Usually, I’m not interested in yachts. If I can’t afford them, why go to exhibitions where these ships are on display or watch TV shows that feature these things. However, on this occasion a number of writers were required to give a detailed description of several yachts and since the job paid well I decided to join the team.

I just about fell in love with the first ship I did, the Northern Star. On the outside, she’s just about like any other ship, but on the inside ... OMG like I said, it was love at first sight. It didn’t even look like a ship, it looked like a home. A beautiful, tastefully decorated home. Writing about it was a breeze.

The Northern Star

One of the dining rooms

One of the sitting rooms

One of the bedrooms

One of the decks

Unfortunately, I will never have the pleasure of vacationing on such a ship because, while I have no idea how much the Northern Star costs to purchase, even renting her for a week is way out of my budget. Just in case you’re interested, renting the Northern Star will cost you $768,000 per week. Per week!!!

Following the Northern Star, I wrote about several other ships. Also beautifully decorated, but not quite too my taste. Too modern.

And then I came across the Al Salamah, a mega yacht previously owned by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. If you’re interested in buying this ship you better come up with $300 million. For this price, you and 39 of your friends can revel in the lap of luxury and be waited on hand and foot by a crew of 92. 

And then this morning I came across a plea for a donation from a man whose daughter has blood cancer. He is working, but he can’t afford the treatment for his daughter on his salary.

Now isn’t this ironic? On the one hand, there is a man who can spend $300 million dollars on a ship, and several more millionaires who can fork out over $500,000 to spend one week on a yacht. Yet here is a man who can’t afford to keep his daughter alive.

And he is, no doubt, not the only one.

My guess is that there are tons of people who can’t afford the medical care they need. And I’m not just talking about cancer treatment. Here in Canada for instance, medical care is free, but dental, eye care, hearing, and medication must be paid. Thus, lots of people forego going to the dentist, do without glasses, without hearing aids or without medication.

Others have it even worse. The can’t afford housing, warm clothing, or even decent food.

Where it comes to money distribution, the folks who waste their money on million dollar homes, luxury cars, yachts and other outrages expenses should be forced to share their wealth with the less fortunate. And I’m not talking about the poor people in Africa (although they too can do with some help) or those on welfare. I’m talking about the average working class. Folks who go to work every day and still struggle to make ends meet or who barely get by.

Wouldn’t it be nice if those rich wasters were forced to donate an equal amount of money to what they spent on frivolities? If they pay $300 million for a yacht, they should be forced to donate $300 million. If another waste $40 million on a house, he should contribute $40 million to the people fund. If another still spends $2.2 million on a car, $2.2 million should be donated, etc.

Not only would the rich think twice before wasting their money, the economy would benefit from their donations. Do you know how many people live in million dollar mansions, drive luxury cars, and vacation on superyachts ... tons of them. 

With more money to spend, the working class would be able to afford a house/condo, a car, furniture, clothes, groceries, and anything else they might want or need. With more items needed production the economy would go up and unemployment down. Even the crime rate might go down.

Then again, who would oversee such a donation fund? Charitable organizations have notoriously sticky fingers and with millions coming in it’s only a matter of time before someone or several someones would nibble on the fund for their own gain.

Still, fixing the economy this way is a nice thought, isn’t it?

www.connymanero.weebly.com

Day 16: Addict - What are four things you can’t do without?

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 16: Addict. What are four things you can’t do without?

Have you ever given this some thought? Have you ever wondered what you wouldn’t be able to do without? I don’t mean food, water, smokes, alcohol, or drugs, I mean the more mundane things.

People

Could you live without people? Your first reaction might be ‘Oh yes, I could definitely do without them’. For a lot of people living on a deserted island is a much-coveted fantasy. And to a certain extent I agree, some people irritate me, annoy me or downright make my blood boil, but living without them ...

One of my favorite movies is ‘Cast Away’ with Tom Hanks and it really brings home the message how difficult and lonely life can be when one must survive on one’s own. Nobody to keep you company, nobody to talk to, nobody to share things with.

Living alone might be fine for a few days or even weeks, but indefinitely ... no, it would drive me crazy.

Animals

Could you live without animals? Imagine having to make do without the loyalty of a dog, the affection of a cat, hearing birdsong in the morning or the majestic beauty of a horse. For a lot of people, their pet – whatever that animal may be – is their best friend. It waits for them when they come home, it listens attentively without interrupting and never criticizes. An animal loves its owner, regardless of whether they wear couture or vintage, whether they wear makeup or not, whether they just returned from the salon or have a bad hair day. Whichever way you look at it, animals are our best friends.

Chocolate

I know I said we weren’t going to include food in this lineup, but chocolate isn’t really food, it’s candy. Personally, I’m not big on candy, I can take it or leave it, but chocolate is the exception. Chocolate makes everything better. Whether you’re at work or at home, inside or outside, happy or sad, a piece of chocolate is always welcome. Being from Belgium I consider myself a bit of a chocolate connoisseur and let me tell you, Jacques 3 x 4 is THE best chocolate in the world. Nowhere will you find richer, smoother, better chocolate. Not in Switzerland, not in Holland, nowhere.

Books

Books I couldn't do without either. Through stories, I meet thousands of people, learn about animals, visit places all over the world and get entangled in all kinds of emotions ranging from love to hate, friendship to betrayal, marriage to murder.

I can’t remember the first book I read, but since then I have read hundreds if not thousands. While some people cheer themselves up with buying clothes, shoes, makeup or something for the house, my go-to place when things are not as they should be, is the bookstore. The scent of paper and being surrounded by authors just waiting to introduce their characters to me never fails to lift my spirits.

While these days I shop online and download books to my Kindle, I miss real books. I miss holding a book in my hand, I miss turning pages, and I miss their intoxicating smell.

In many ways, books are like candy. Carefully selected, sampled and when chosen slowly savored.

These are my four things I couldn’t do without. What are yours?

Feel free to comment. I’d love to hear from you.

www.connymanero.weebly.com

Are you an eagle or pigeon?

We came across an injured pigeon yesterday. He was dragging himself along the sidewalk with a broken wing. A sad sight it was. Until recently this bird had soared the skies, but was now reduced to something that resembled limping. If there had been a park or a wooded area around, I would have picked him up and carried him to safety, but being downtown there was nowhere I could take him. I wondered how he would survive, if he would survive.

Many people look down on pigeons, think of them as carriers of diseases. Yet, what makes them so different from other birds? All birds have a head, a body, paws and wings, yet while the eagle is admired and the hummingbird brings about a tender smile, the pigeon is despised by some.

I wonder if the same could apply to people. Imagine aliens visiting our planet. They might see royalty the way we see eagles ... beautiful in their fine ‘plumage’, flying high, looking down their noses, but in general of not much use.
Executives and other big money makers could be compared to hummingbirds. Beautifully attired, constantly on the go, always busy sucking up.
And then there would be the working class, the pigeons. Gathering in flocks, hanging around where there is food and water to be had and pushing each other out of the way when someone throws them a few crumbs.


In which of the categories do you belong?
As for diseases and germs ... are there bigger carriers of diseases and germs than humans?

First day on the job

After being unemployed for ten months and staying up until 3:00 a.m. each night, I was more than a little nervous about going to bed last night. I figured I would lay awake half the night.
The knowledge that my alarm would go off at 5:30 and I would have to get up with only a few hours of sleep, if any, make me even more nervous.

Yet this was not the case.

I preparation for my first early night, I had made myself a cup of extra strong chamomile tea (two teabags in one cup).
The results were satisfactory. By the time I went to bed, shortly after eleven, I was sort of tired and by some miracle I fell asleep within fifteen minutes.

When the alarm went off this morning, I felt fine. I didn’t exactly leap out of bed, but I didn’t crawl out either. It was all much better than expected.

My first day on the job was filled with new experiences. Lots of new people to meet and places to find. The set up of the offices is a true labyrinth, it’s gonna take weeks before I knew my way around.

Everything looks promising though. Good location, friendly people, nice work ... I think this will be alright.
The pay could be a bit better but okay, maybe I can do something about that in the future.

On a different note ... we went to see the bank manager today.
Remember the plans to sell our condo? Well, as it turns out we qualify for a mortgage and as such we’re no longer looking for a place to rent. Now we’re looking for a place to buy.

Stay tuned for updates.

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain

Toronto woke up to another sunny day. We were promised rain for yesterday and today, but so far not a drop has fallen. Oh we saw dark gray clouds yesterday and it’s a little overcast today, but if there was any rain it fell somewhere else.

Outside it’s not too bad. In fact, when I went outside yesterday – on my way to bowling – the first thing I noticed was how nice and cool the air felt. The second thing I noticed was how many people were outside.

Usually the lawn of our condo building is more or less deserted. There might be the odd child running around, or someone walking their dog, but in general the front garden is not a popular area. However, now it seemed to be a hotspot. There were old people sitting on benches, men and women seemingly sleeping on blankets, people playing with their dog and children on bicycles.

It crossed my mind how nice it would be if we could all live outside for the duration of this no air-conditioning period; if we could all bring blankets and just camp outside. There is soft green grass, beautiful big trees, flowers and even the occasional squirrel and wild bunny.

The bowling alley would have been an even better place to stay for a while. Ah the feel of the cold air when I first walked in ... I never wanted to leave.
Coming back home was not a nice experience. As soon as I opened the door I felt like I was walking into a sauna. Even with the windows open and the fans going, the heat is trapped inside the rooms and feels oppressive.

Oh, if only I could have gone back outside and spend the night under the stars. I could have, but it wouldn’t have been fair on the cats. They are hot too. If I left, even if I left the fans on, I would have to close the windows. At least by staying with them I can make them as comfortable as possible.

Not that they seem all that bothered. During the day they sleep stretched out on the floor and in the evening they play. Not as enthusiastically as they used to, but they at least come alive after sundown.

When will we have A/C again? Who knows. I haven’t even bothered phoning the office because on a previous occasion I’ve been told it could take two to three weeks. My guess is, management doesn’t know either. All the residents of 301 Prudential Drive can do is wait and hope it doesn’t take too long.