Paws 1 - Racoons 0

Last night I was calling for Paws to come in from the back yard around 11:30pm. Usually she comes right away, but not last night. I kept calling and even walked out past the house in the back and she still didn't come. I couldn't hear or see a thing, so I checked the house for the second time to make sure she wasn't inside ignoring me. I finally put on shoes and traipsed out to the back in the dark to where I finally heard her running around and then all of a sudden this weird barking (undog-like barking) sound and rustling in the weeds/trees and it kept going on all the while I was yelling "Paws!". Then suddenly, whatever she was fighting with jumped up into the tree. I think it was a racoon but couldn't be sure. Paws won and without a scratch or bite this time.

To the news media

Clay Aiken is gay, really! COME ON!

I don't give a rat's ass about him whatsoever, so shut the hell up already!

At that age

I have arrived at the age along with other friends where our parents are aging and some better than others. I know of at least 4 people whose parents are not doing well, all of them are in and out of the hospital and another friend who just lost her dad.

My dad has suffered from depression for years and goes up and down, and by down, I mean down, in bed, not eating. He had a doctors appointment today and when the nurse took his vitals, she immediately took him to emergency where they put him in a bed and started hydrating him as he was severely dehydrated and his blood pressure was down to 45. He doesn't believe that his depression puts him in bed and unable (unwilling?) to eat. He thinks he has stomach problems, of which they NEVER find anything wrong.

In the last couple of weeks he had a CAT Scan, MRI and Endoscopic Ultrasound. They saw something on his pancreas and was told he had pancreatic cancer before they even did any biopsies. WTF? Guess what, all six biopsies came back cancer free. Yahoo. But who in their right mind would tell someone they were 99% sure he had pancreatic cancer BEFORE doing a biopsy? I'm no medical expert, but that just doesn't seem right. Anyway, no cancer. His depression needs new medication which he should be getting soon and I hope they find something that works. It's hard living so far away and not knowing what is going on so I can intervene and say, Hey, something is not working here people! I'll be going home to MI for a visit when my dad turns 73 and mom turns 70. So, I'll be checking up on him!