Invictus

I had to memorize this poem in 2nd grade (English school, American school was way easier than that);

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

By William Ernest Henley

The Best doggies in the World

I could go on and on about my puppies they (they are fullgrown dogs)...but I'll try to keep my list down to 10...

This is why my doggies are the best ever;

1) they snuggle with me and give me love whenever I need it, even if I don't know I'm needing it.

2) they make me laugh. Every day.

3) they tell me they love me. Every day. Anyone who says dogs can't talk, doesnt know dogs.

4) they are smart really smart. Scary smart. They train me to walk them a certain time. They know automatically what is a dog toy and what isn't. They know when I'm happy, sad, in a bad mood, even when I don't know what I'm feeling.

5) they are always up for an adventure. Always.

6) they never complain about what we are doing. Well, hardly ever.

7) they are always smiling.

8)'they love my food.

9) they buffer the bad times. Really. If I take em with me, I can deal with stressful people and situations. Cuz it never gets them down. And I can bring my attention to them and off of the lunatics in my presence.

10) they are family.

Noise 'n Neighbors

It was noisy this morning.

First, construction noises tht awoke me in the early morning hours. Not just the overweight twentysomething that lives next door and body slams her door any chance she can get (I think she's mentally disturbed), but the ongoing shrieking and crashing of cranes and tons of steel slamming against each other in a constant, never letting up alarm clock like crashing and bashing.

So I woke up.

Headed downstairs, fixed a cup (or two) of tea. And decluttered my email inboxes.

As I sat, slowly going through my online obligations, the other neighbors sent their shrill 3 year old outside their front door (and under my window) to play.  Apparently, he's too noisy for them to deal with in their house. Which means I get the pleasure of hearing the noisiest kid on earth outside screaming and yelling and, inevitably, cry-screaming that he wants to go back inside. The kid does this for hours. If anyone needs to get neutered to prevent more of this, it's those neighbors. But I'm sure they have another on the way.

As I sat on my couch, pondering the means of justifiable homicide, the dogs went nuts. They started barking as if someone's pants were on fire. Pretty soon I could hear some hammering and, eventually, someone started slamming what sounded like a metal obje t up against my house. It was the cable guy.

I gave up. Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon looking up land in the quiet countryside on Zillow.