125 to 220 million smell receptors...come on, really???

For the record, I don't know how many smell receptors I have but I can guarantee you that I wouldn't voluntarily nap in the litter pan, even if it had just been scooped.

scenes from the day

whoring around...

I've been thinking a lot about our modern culture's embracing "friendship" as an acceptable means toward furthering self-serving goals. Specifically, I've been stocking my Etsy shop and feeling very uneasy about networking as the prescribed means of exposure. Basically you are supposed to blog, chat, favorite, build treasuries, facebook, and twitter yourself into revenue. Maybe it's just me but I find that kind of abhorrent. Granted I don't like to chat on a good day but to nurture relationships for the sole purpose of selling stuff to people seems absolutely loathsome. If you're my friend or relative, or if I follow you and on the rare occasion talk to you, I want you to know that I'm doing it purely out of genuine interest, affection, or curiosity; not because I want your business. I mean really, actual prostitution would be more honest and less parasitic than online marketing via social networking. Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticizing others for making it work for them, I'm just saying that it's not right for me. Mostly, I'm just thinking out loud...

local custom...

last week...

Mr. L: "Hi I'm Mr. L. I've been staying at M.K.'s house. We've had a deer die in our yard."

Me: "Yeah, it's that time of year. They just can't take it anymore."

Mr. L: "I don't want to be a bad neighbor, I can't leave it there."

Me: "Yeah, you need to move it. There's a tree on the road to Fetterman, pull over there, there are hundreds of them."

Mr. L: blank stare as if I'm insane.

Me: "Or you could ask around some more..."

Mr. L: "Yeah, I'll do that."

a couple of hours later...

Mr. L: "I've asked around and everyone said the same thing. Plus they say there's a mountain lion hanging around."

Me: "Welcome to Wyoming."

the next day...

Mr. L: "I found the spot you told me about. We said a little prayer and tossed her over.... We're leaving. I think were heading to D.C."

Me (in my head): just a different kind of carnage.

he cracks me up...

I was given a mixed cd for my birthday a couple of weeks ago which included this Tim Minchin song I'd never heard before :)

crying uncle, stuff around here, and rambling thoughts...

******

my kind and grounded neighbor unexpectedly dropped dead last week. he was only 58. he lay there for 48 hours before being found. for 2 days I drove by his corpse (we share a driveway) without an inkling that anything was amiss. it was a reminder that life is too short to waste on being "smart and responsible", or forcing one's self into ill fitting skin. today my neighbor's brother tossed the death couch into the front yard to be carted away, and zoe volunteered to look after his mostly feral, unnamed cat. meanwhile i am crying uncle after a fool hardy experiment because it is more important to live mindfully and with dignity than to be prepared for unknown and uncontrollable eventualities. the silliness ends in May.

rest in peace

******