Blustery Friday

Wicked storms and tornadoes tore through the middle of Michigan Thursday night until Friday morning. Homes were destroyed, electricity went out and five people (I think) actually died. But, thank God, none of them touched Redford. In fact, when I checked the rain gauge Friday morning, there was only a trace of moisture in it. But, the passing of the cold front did leave something behind: wind! As Pooh would say, it was a blustery day!

Naturally, when I got home this time I almost filled the bucket with downed black walnuts. I also picked up small branches from the front yard (I would have patrolled the back yard, too, but it started raining.

Once inside, with clothes changed, I started my weekend by cleaning up the mess from Thursday's fried chicken (I was gonna do it in the morning, but I overslept a tad). I treated the bedspread with some "Shout" and threw it in the wash machine (I got some grease on it last night but didn't notice it until this afternoon).

I have given this a lot of thought. In one respect, the death of Mouse the cat (don't ask) was just another milestone in the simplification of my life as I grow older. But, on the other hand, perhaps I am being selfish.

Why? Because without any other stimulation, Scruffy (although some 15 years old and deserving it) has turned into a cat who mostly sleeps all day and night. I was made aware of the change in him when my friend Tracey would bring her little dog Samson over. Scruffy would beat the snot out of him and for the next several days was very noticeably more animated. But, Tracey's working 60-80 hours a week and hasn't been here in months.

So, when a co-worker of Carla's mentioned her mother had a two year old female cat that they couldn't keep (their granddaughter has allergies) I thought about it long and hard. On the one hand, I really don't want another pet. On the other, Scruffy could really use a friend. So, tonight I called the number and agree to pick up the cat Saturday morning at 10:00 AM. I am a little worried about Scruffy's reaction but am convinced this will be ultimately good for him (although maybe not for the new cat). Neither one has front claws, but trust me, Scruffy can bat you hard enough to hurt (I know this well). I still remember him slapping Samson in the kitchen door and the poor dog sliding across the living room floor and landing into the hallway. Of course, some of it was due to the high gloss sheen I put on the floor, lol!

Jake and Carla are coming over tomorrow afternoon for some cards and cooking. I told Carla I had a new recipe I wanted to try, but didn't tell her what it was. So, it's a bit like Iron Chef America. I know the secret ingredient and they have to cook it. But, I should make some appetizers so I thawed out a bag of good-sized shrimp and the rest of the chicken wings. The chicken wings went into a baggie with my Jamaican Jerk marinade and the shrimp I'll turn into Tequila Shrimp just before they get here.

I warmed up the last catfish fillet and the two remaining baked potatoes for my dinner. I watched TV until 10:00 PM, when I started writing some of this. Now I'm going to go read until sleep overtakes me.