From the East Wing, A Happy Cat, Part of History, November Holidays, Oklahoma Heroes, Spike & The Knife

Greeting to all and welcome new friends to the East Wing.

Now I’m not saying the Sophia’s happy, but did ya ever see a cat do a back flip? Twice? From Sophia’s point of view, things went just swell that election night, November 2nd 2010. Now that’s not the case for everyone involved, such is life, win some, lose some, life goes on. Right now Sophia’s so happy with the outcome of the election she’s not even bad mouthing the President. Although Sophia said she thinks everybody in the whole world got the message except Obama and Pelosi. But you know how those Republican Calico Cats can stretch the truth. I think he got the message. We’ll see about Pelosi, she’s from California ya know, it sometimes takes longer for the word to get that far.

It’s kinda interesting to note that just 24 months ago it seems the whole country just couldn’t get enough of then President Elect Obama and now we seem to have collectively said Uh Oh! Guess that just goes to show ya, a majority is not necessarily always right. Collectively we make mistakes and collectively we correct such mistakes. Some have been corrected, and some still remain.

It's amazing that the largest shift of one political party to the other since the 1940’s has occurred with our participation. Now that’s assuming ya voted. If ya didn’t --- shame on you. But one thing ya gota keep in mind, if ya don’t vote, ya can’t complain. And that’s why I always vote, just in case I need to complain. I voted.

One of the things which seem to be lost in the national media is the extent of the political swing to the concretive point of view. On a national basis this is the largest shift of political position in the history of this nation. At the state level, the change in political position is historic, at the local level, across the nation, the same political change in position tends to reflect the national view.

Never in the history of politics have so many changed so fast because of so few. But what’s so both amazing and gratifying ‘bout the American Electorate is the success of those most demonized of all, the Tea Party.

And to paraphrase “Larry The Cable Guy” when talking ‘bout the Tea Party. “They Got ‘er Done”. And so they did. The American political landscape has been changed forever. Like it or not, it just has, and a new national thought process has come to the forefront. They got ‘er done. Sophia the Republican Cat is all smiles, and I’m glad, ‘cause ya don’t have to live with a mad cat. I do.

Is summer turning to winter while going through fall a neat time of the year or what? Gotta love November. Such major holidays that few participate in, such as November 4th, Will Rogers Day. Now I have some friends who live in Oklahoma, and I’m telling ya, Will Rogers Day is a big deal in Oklahoma. ‘Course if ya ever been to Oklahoma then ya’d know why Will Rogers Day is a big deal in Oklahoma. Will Rogers once said “I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.” Wow, would he have a lot of “facts” to report now days. Will Rogers (1879–1935)

One thing ya can say ‘bout Oklahoma is, its north of Texas, and everybody knows ya don’t mess with Texas. But the really best thing I can say ‘bout Oklahoma is I’ve met Buddy Evans. For those of you who may not know Buddy Evans, well set back and enjoy the Buddy Evans story.

Buddy came into my life unexpected and uninvited and I’m so glad he did. Without fanfare or Gloria last Friday late afternoon, I found myself engaged in conversation with a fellow named Buddy Evans, He’s from Oklahoma, and he’s from Oklahoma, came to Indiana for a wedding to be held at Grand Central Station the next day. Well Buddy turns out to be one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met in a long, a long time.

Buddy graduated from high school in 1950’s and can’t wait to go see the world, but seeing the world in Oklahoma turns out to be a lineman for the county. Looking for a way to escape Oklahoma, Buddy turns to the military recruitment. The army tells him, “we can take you in six weeks”, the air force tells him “ we can take you in three weeks”, the navy tell him “we can take you in two weeks” the marines tell Buddy “we got a bus leaving Tulsa tomorrow” Buddy was on the bus. He spent six years in the Marines. Buddy got his wish to see the world.

Buddy was in southeast Asia, Vietnam, at a time when it was not the politically correct thing to do. He spent 30 days in the jungle, in the river, alone, just Buddy and God, he survived, ‘cause God wanted him to. Jungle food is somewhat limited to things that move, both in the day light and the darkness. Buddy ate ‘em both.

And then the sky angles, the Hueys, those Helicopters sent by God, plucked Buddy out of the midst of the Vietcong and delivered him into the arms of freedom. Buddy came home to a hostile American Public. He was spat upon and laughed at, ridiculed and assaulted as he blended into civilian life.

A hero walked among ‘em and they knew him not. Buddy had paid the price for their freedom and they never even knew. The real important thing ‘bout Oklahoma is not Will Rogers Day, it’s the Buddy Evans’s of Oklahoma. For those that never said it when it should have been said “Welcome home Buddy Evans, and thank you.” And that comes from BobbyRay.

Another big November Holiday is November 6th its Sadie Hawkins Day. Now not everybody remembers Sadie Hawkins Day ‘cause it was invented by a cartoon artist, fellow by the name of Al Capp, creator of the Li'l Abner comic strip. On this day, unmarried ladies could pursue (literally) their men; if caught, marriage was unavoidable. The idea took off in real-life. In 1938, the first ever "girls-ask-boys" Sadie Hawkins Dance was held. Sadie Hawkins Dances were still popular into the 1960’s. I think girls ask boys for more stuff than just dancing now days.

November 7th , not a holiday but important date for sure. Daylight Saving Time Ends at 2:00 A.M. Now if you’re reading this Monday Morning after showing up for church yesterday an hour early, oh well, don’t fret. Come spring time, ya can forget again and show up for church an hour late and everything will be back in balance in your world.

Seems that Ben Franklin first thought up the idea of Daylight Savings Time back in the 1780’s. Was first put into wide use in World War I and again in World War II. Ben Franklin was a kinda neat guy, flying kites and making stoves and all. Done a couple other things too, like opened a post office and proposed a system of public education. To this day some people think both those ideas failed.

They didn’t. Where else can ya send a letter across the whole country, misspell every word and it still costs less than a cup of coffee. I think Ben got his picture on some money too, but I seldom see those kinda dollar bills.

Of course the best for the last of November Holidays is always Thanksgiving, always the last Thursday of November. A special day, for a special nation, set aside to allow us, one and all, to reflect on these gifts we have received from his bounty.

Come Thanksgiving Day, the Family of Howard, will once again offer a Thanksgiving Dinner to all those near and far who choose to join us for the meal. It’s something we started six years ago. Our first year we had 64 guests, and many thought there was some kinda catch to it. There was not. The Thanksgiving Meal has grown in size every year. This year we will cook for 500. Welcome one and all to join the Howards for Thanksgiving at 301 Lane Street in North Judson IN. We even offer free rides and carry outs. Come join us, you’ll be happy.

Last Wednesday Purdue University put up a website called ''Impact: Earth!'' it’s a site that allows ya to calculate the potential damage a comet or asteroid would cause if it hit the Earth. It’s totally programmable. It’s a fun thing to play with. I programmed it to calculate the damage of a direct hit to the East Wing with an asteroid the size of a canned ham traveling at 1,200 miles per hour. When I pushed the button to calculate the damage, I thought I was reading a Soprano’s script, it simply said “Forget About It!” It’s worth the trip at http://www.purdue.edu/impactearth

I think I told ya ‘bout my cat Spike, a boy cat, Spike. A birthday present last May. A gray striped tiger cat, a walking birthday present with white boots. Like all Gods creatures, Spike grew up. He’s no longer the little birthday kitten, he not the little boy cat. He’s Spike the Man Cat, the Spikester in white boots.

Now there comes a time in the life of all Gods creatures, great and small, that a person makes a decision which will have a profound effect on their future. The decision may be as glorious as to pamper the animal for the rest of its life. A new family pet. Provide food for the birds of winter. To end the suffering, to end the life.

And so such a time had come for the Birthday Kitten who turned into the Man Cat, Spike. A decision was made which would have a profound, detrimental impact on the night life of the Man Cat. The date was set, the time agreed upon. The instructions were given me to not feed the Spike after 6:00 PM Friday. The only remaining unknown was how to convince the gray tiger in white boots to go along with the program.

Daylight Saturday Morning revealed the first snow of the season on the window of Mr. Lincoln and temperatures below freezing and a man cat that wanted only to sleep in for the morning. It took some doing, but I convinced Spike we were going shopping at Pet Mart for Sophia’s birthday present. Spike jumped into the cat carrier with glee. In the car Spike asked why I hadn’t fed him breakfast. Told me we would eat out later.

Our destination was Michigan City, a full hours drive from the East Wing. A scant 5 miles from home and Spike is complaining ‘bout his accommodations, too small, nothing to play with, no water, no food, and the list went on an on. Now Spike’s a good fellow but with all this complaining I started to think he’s sounding like Joe Biden jumping on the Tea Party. And we all know that didn’t work either.

Checking Spike into the system was straight forward and easy. They paw printed Spike right up, had me sign my approval for the procedure, and the Birthday Kitten, the Man Cat in white boots, the Spikester, was about to become number 12.

A lady dressed in green scrubs, a net over her hair, wearing glasses and carrying a roll of 1” cream color paper tape, that thin kind ya use when ya want to mask off something for painting. The kind that if ya don’t tear it just right, it splits and then ya have a terrible time getting the end from half way around the roll, that kind of tape. She tore off ‘bout 1” and pasted it to Spikes head, right between his ears. She was pretty good at tearing the tape, I think she’s had lots of practice. That didn’t look like a new roll she was using.

She had a magic marker, a Sharpie, she wrote the number 12 on Spikes little piece of paper tape, right there between his ears. She asked me if I wanted her to write the same number on the back of my hand so we could cross reference my cat when I came back to pick him up. I declined, told her I thought I could recognize Spike even without his number 12 and even after having work done his plumbing. I rubbed Spikes head just past that little paper square with his number 12 and held his paw and told him I’d be back later in the day to take him home. Spike acted leery of the whole deal.

It’s hard to read the green eyes of a birthday kitten, a Man Cat in white boots. Spike meowed as I turned and walked out the door. I don’t know if cats cry, but it sure sounded like Spike was trying to.

They told me I could pick up Spike at 7:00 – 7:30 PM. I arrived at 6:30, just in case. It was 5 minutes after 7 when the doors opened to release the cats of the day. I was in the front of the line. I grabbed the cat with the number 12 on his head and sure enough it looked just like the same fellow I brought up that morning. Don’t know who was most glad to see whom, but Spike sure had a lot to say on the way home.

South bound through Michigan City Indiana at night is a big deal for a country cat. Spike loved the twinkling of the lights. The Pet Mart Sign was lit. By the time we were five miles from town, Spike was out of cat carrier and lying on my shoulders. He whispered in my ear “we didn’t get Sophia’s birthday president” and after he bit my ear lobe, said “that wasn’t Pet Mart you took me to either.” We drove on into the night, me and Spike, going home. They all wanted to see his stitches when we got home, but he didn’t get any, they all liked his partial hair cut, but Spike can only see his hair cut from upside down.

All is well with Spike, the 2girldogs, Sophia, Bentley and the she, as this first Sunday of November comes to the end of the day with the approaching darkness showing up an hour earlier this day than the day before. Daylight Saving Time has gone away.

It’s the middle of Fall and most leaves have. Autumn will soon be gone and winter will bring the special beauty of what only winter can show us. We’ll then complain ‘bout too cold, too much snow, too dark, can’t wait for better weather, and a whole bunch other winter stuff we complain ‘bout every year. But ya gota remember what I said earlier, “if ya don’t vote, ya can’t complain”. Now ya know the rest of reason voting.

Stay Safe in Afghanistan

From the East Wing, A Happy Cat, Part of History, November Holidays, Oklahoma Heroes, Spike & The Knife
I Wish You Well,
BobbyRay