Welcome to Chez Cliff!

Our history is littered with these defining moment, these points in our timeline which seem to affect everything and everyone.  These indelible dates, which will forever be burned into our subconscious.  Horrifically many of these moments are tragic, such as 9-11 or December 7th, 1941.  Not to say that positive dates don’t exist, such as July 4th, 1776 or July 20th, 1969.  And it doesn’t take a historian to remember events, even if the dates aren’t exactly handy.  Such as the Kennedy Assassination or the first Space Shuttle launch.

It is my fervent belief another one of those moments is upon us.

With announcements made this last Thursday and Friday, the face politics will forever be changed.  And even though Americans have no problem remember November 4th as the date we all casts our votes, every one of us will November 4th, 2008 as the election year that carried the first black man into the oval office or the first female into the Vice President’s chair.

Senator Obama (l) and Senator Biden (r)

Senator McCain and Governor Palin

In speaking with my friends and colleagues, this election has piqued everyone’s curiosity, returning the flame of political debate and excitement which I personally have not witnessed in a long time.  And I believe this election is special, due to the historical significance this singular event carries with it.

No doubt about it: people are charged.

Independent of who wins this election, all of us will be able to say “I remember 2008, when the first . . . “

As I waited in the second house for the carpet guy to arrive, I had a visitor.

Mean Grandma has this . . . ferrel cat that hangs out in the yard.  When it cries at the back door, she let’s it in.  I’m assuming she feeds it.  And then she boots it back outside.

I started calling this cat "Disgruntled Worker".

Yesterday, I was sitting in my house on the only piece of furniture I have.  The carpet guy would be joining me momentarily and I was busy making a list of items for the handy-man to accomplish.  I heard this gravelling "Meow" come from the door.  There stood Disgruntled Worker, in my doorway.

He seems like a nice enough cat.  Since I’m having the entire place redone, I didn’t scare him off.  Instead I made some soothing sound with my mouth and it came in.  I scratched him on the head, which he seemed to like.  Then, a thought hit me.

They’re going to leave this cat behind when they move.

Oh, for crying out loud!!  Who are these people?!?!?

It was around 8:15 or so when I arrived back at chez Anne and Tony.  Anne was watching one of my favorite shows on television:  Iron Chef.  I sat down on the couch and relayed the details of my day.  During a lull in the conversation, I stated that Disgruntled Worker came and visited me.

Anne, with a stern voice, said "You know those people are going to leave that poor cat behind."

WTF!!

I replied, "But I don’t want a cat!"

She said, "Cliff, it’s our responsibility to care for all the creatures of the world."

I’m not ready for this kum-by-ya "stuff".  I’m a single dude with zero real responsibility.  And now I have to take care of a cat that I don’t want!

UGH!!