Thomas in France I: Rainy Paris, Saturday 28 June

RIP Tiger 1994?-2014

Sadly, today was Tiger's last on this world. She's been getting more and more feeble but still making it up and down stairs, but today we found her just huddled on the basement floor and she just seemed to give up. So, it was a trip to the vet for her. Here are the earliest pictures I could find of her: Both were taken in the first apartment Jami rented (on Bruce Street in Conway) when she got her first job, at the University of Central Arkansas. Here's one from just over a year later, Christmas '96, when we'd moved to our first actual house in Morrilton: (Jami has just, literally 2 days ago, cut up that shirt to make a quilt. Ah, the baggy jeans of the '90s...) Tiger was taken in by a family she knew when she was found running in the woods with a pack of dogs! She was tiny and bedraggled, so it was assumed she was a kitten. After Jami dipped her and fed her for a while she fluffed up and exploded in size (and vowed to herself that, as God was her witness, she would never go hungry again) and the family refused to believe it was the same cat. At the time I was still in LA and I looked through our old emails, and here is what Jami said about her, on Friday, October 13th, 1995:

I went out to get the cat... She was asleep on the patio, all stretched out with her little feet twitching from dreams. So I picked her up and noticed little black things on her ears. I asked if they were ticks...they were....We got home and came in. Rufus and Sinbad [that's him in the second picture above] ran to see me - until they saw the kitten and they froze in their tracks. I immediately took her to the bathroom and dipped her... She was so pathetic when wet! She almost completely disappeared! ... The dip seemed to work as ticks and fleas were dropping left right and center, and she is, as far as I can tell (it is hard to examine her, she is very wiggly) clean now. Now that her hair is dry I can get a better look-see at her. She is a silver tabby, with very long hair on her jowls and tail , but smoother hair on her face and body. She really has a very cute face and she doesn't meow but chortles all the time. I think Rufus likes that.

When she was taken to be spayed, the vet said she wasn't really a kitten at all, hence our estimation that she was born in '94, she was just small because she was malnourished. Well, she dealt with that all right. She also must have had a lot of Maine Coon in her, hence her distinctive "chortling," which in recent years had become full-throated yowling, usually when waking up from a nap and not knowing where she was. She definitely was a character, but it was time for her to go. She reached about 17 lbs in her heyday but was under 7 when she was weighed today. We're down to 2 cats now - the place is practically empty.

A New Member of the Family

While Thomas slept last night, I unpacked his suitcase so I could get a running start on all the laundry that needed washing. Tucked into one corner of the case was this spoon.The host families had to pack several meals for the kids to take to the all-day rehearsals at the conservatory so I am assuming that, for one lunch, a spoon was sent along but then got forgotten about. So, to return their generosity, Simon took our French guest around Flint.

More Chute Treasure

Simon got a bee up his backside (metaphorically speaking, that is) and decided to settle the issue of whether or not the chute holds any more treasure. So, he got out the chimney sweep brush he bought years ago to clean out our chimney (and then discovered his fears of standing on icy/snowy roofs while the wind gusts) which has been sitting unused in our garage since. Out popped a stuffed bear, a stuffed alligator puppet, one of the Wild Things, a pack of wipes (that explains why we are always running out) and the source of the recent sturm and drang, a small red bit of rubbery latex that makes an excellent fidget (or so I am told). Also there were a random assortment of unmatched socks and a few really old (but not sea themed) underpants.

The Return of the King

I forgot to take my camera with me when I dropped Thomas off to leave for Paris but if you imagine these same pictures only facing the other way and you have the basic idea. I went to pick him up about 5 minutes before the expected return time and the bus pulled up about 15 seconds later. Everyone looked exhausted and glad to be home. I'd like to think Thomas is this happy to see me, but I suspect it more likely he is thinking about getting home to his room to play on his laptop, since rumor has it the kids were without internet connections for the last week of their stay in France. Their journey home started about 11 pm our time Friday night and ended about 6 pm Saturday, dinner time. Thomas fell asleep within about 3 minutes of getting home and slept for about 12 hours. He hasn't left his room yet (he hasn't even gotten dressed). So, not much has changed since when he was gone, really, except that last week I could go in to his room to open windows and air out the room and no one would yell, "What do you WANT?" As usual, he took loads of pictures which we will be getting posted in the next few days.

Carnival II

For the first time in over a decade, Flint has hosted a carnival downtown. We presume this is part of the Flint revival. Frederick was over the moon when we suggested that we would go later in the afternoon when the sun wasn't so hot. Of course, Simon and Frederick headed to the Ferris wheel first.

While on the Ferris wheel, Frederick noticed this introductory roller coaster shaped like an alligator. So, that had to be next. It was a tight squeeze getting his long legs packed into the carriage, but we managed and he loved it. We should get one of these for the back yard. After the coaster we headed to the swinging swings. Here he is waiting for the ride to begin: This was also well received.

We have ride tickets still to use so I think we will be going back tomorrow.

So Cute Yet Way Too Much Trouble

Almost immediately after entering this world, these ears have caused nothing but trouble. When Frederick was young he was prone to horrific ear infections and, ultimately, we had to get two rounds of ear tubes surgically installed just so he could hear consonants. Then came the years of allergy shots and Singulair pills (now Claritin) to keep the ears, nose and throat operating adquately. Recently, I suppose because of the record levels of pollen in the air, these ears have been troublesome again--tickly and full of drainage. Their owner, who lives in dread of shots ("SHOTS!" he shouts when he suspects we are taking him within a mile of Dr. Beene's office)seems to have decided to take matters into his own hands. But, having no formal training whatsoever, things ended badly--not too surprisingly. This ear, the left, is pus-packed and has a ruptured ear drum (we discovered yesterday after an emergency trip to the doctor's office after blood started oozing from his ear). Worry not, The Naughty Ear Owner has been prescribed antibiotics and takes his chewable pills three times a day without too much fuss. And this one has "something white" wedged into it. The GP was unable to dislodge it so we have an appointment with an ENT, Dr. Mukkamala (who is the very physician/surgeon who inserted both sets of ear tubes so many years ago--you know, I really thought we had seen the last of him after the second set of tubes...) in a few weeks. Cotton? Paper? An Easter egg? A new form of life? Only time will tell. (Unless, that is, it falls out in the bath or pool in which case we will never know.)

What Our Weekend Holds In Store For Us

Frederick spotted this before we did--of course. It isn't open yet but with July 4th (a holiday almost as thrilling as Memorial Day, Labor Day and 9/11 Anniversary celebrations) just around the corner, I am sure it will be open of business very soon. Not soon enough for Frederick, I am sure.