Monday, June 27, 2011

A Twist on the Holiday

Did you know that this past Friday was "Take Your Pet to Work Day?" Somebody did, and they observed. The sad part, they didn't take it back home.

I left the parking lot at work on Friday about 10 minutes after 5 o'clock (yes, that's right-after five on Friday!) to head home for the weekend. About two miles outside of town I turned around in a neighborhood when I remembered that I needed something from the grocery store. In the middle of my turnaround, I hear a faint "meow" and immediately assume I've splattered somebody's cat. I quickly look in the rear-view mirror for what I thought I'd hit, but nothing was there. [Insert sigh of relief here.]

A minute or two later, pulling into a parking spot at the grocery store, I hear the faint cry again, "meow." Whoa! Maybe it's my tires on the asphalt.

As I'm walking away from the car toward the store, I hear it again, "meow."

Has somebody put something in my purse to drive me crazy? I had my suspicions.

In and out of the store in a flash, lettuce in hand, I casually stroll around my car once more for the inconspicuous inspection. Nothing. I even opened the back hatch to make sure somebody hadn't played a trick on me--nothing.

Oh well, it's been a long day, what am I thinking anyway?

I get a few miles down the road, it starts again. At this point, I begin leaning my head back between the driver and passenger seats to try to pinpoint this nuisance. All I could determine was that it was "in the back." A general location that could make me crazy if I thought about it more.

The radio is off at this point. Air is on a level just high enough to keep me from having a heat stroke and low enough that I can hear any ambient noises.

As it continues, and I travel at speeds varying from 35 to 85 mph, I decide to stop at the Amoco, where there's always at least one old guy standing around, and somebody would be willing to help me look under my car.

I pull up to the station and walk in to find only one man standing in the corner--he's not a familiar face, and he may be dressed too well to want to sit on the ground to look under my car. I ask anyway.

As we walk to the car, I explain that it may sound absurd to him, but that I was certain there was a cat under my car. He says we'll look.

So we look. And we listen. Nothing.

"You sure it ain't ya radio?" he asks.

"Radio's off. It's a cat."

"You look like you got pretty good sense, but all this talk I'm thinkin' you a little frayed," he suggests.

"No, sir. The radio's off, the air's off, window's up, and there's a cat on thi--

I hear it again and shift my focus to the car.

He looks to the sky.

"See, that ain't nothin' but a hawk you hearin' now."

"Was that a hawk I've been hearing since I left Livingston?"

"Miss, I think you crazy."

I thanked him for his time and efforts, and promised to take a picture of the cat when I got it out. I left the station.

Driving along, I hear the cat again, "meow."

At this point, I'm more than a little aggravated. I turned onto a couple of roads that I knew would be bumpy. If speed hadn't released this clingy feline, maybe a bumpy gravel road would make a nice new home for it.

To save you another couple minutes of reading this intriguing saga, I'll skip to the part where I get home and still hear it. Frustrated, I lie down behind my car and look upward. Suddenly, louder than ever, like a panther lurking in the grass at dusk, "Meerrrrooooooorrrrroooooowwwwwwww."

That's it! Cat under the car. Rode 35 miles. Must be ferocious!

I bravely stuck my arm over everything I could see from the ground up and snapped a few pictures, hoping to catch a glance of this beast. No fur. Not claws. No cat.

I begin to make my way around the side of the vehicle, and Alas! a paw!

About this time, my neighbor, Betty, sees me on the ground and drives over on her all terrain vehicle, stocked with large flashlights and more. I explain the situation, and she offers a hand. After about ten minutes of prying, guess what came out?

A dang cat.

But the story doesn't end there. However, I can finish it in one long sentence:

Betty held the cat while I went to borrow a pet taxi, which the cat would pry its way out of rather quickly, just before it began running like a rabid beast around my yard while lightning struck round about us, causing us to give up on the cat chase with well- or not-so-well wishes for this cat.

Actually, I need a few more sentences. You should know that this cat has been the bane of my existence since Friday at 5:15 p.m., having done all of the above, scratched me, awakened me at approximately 2 a.m. every morning thereafter, and making its permanent hiding place the wheel well that sheltered it across 35 miles of Alabama Highway 28. All I've got to say is, he better play it safe because I'm pretty sure he's used seven or eight of his lives on that quick trip, and he's getting really close to expiring yet another.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

How does the time pass?

June 18, 2005 - A day I'll cherish forever

They say time flies when you're having fun. If that's the case, I've had a lot of fun over the last several years. I took this picture of Minnie on June 18, 2005... a Saturday afternoon at my home in Jefferson. The hand in the picture is one that held me when I cried, set me back on the right path when I wandered off, and guided me through the first 19 years of my life.

It was six years ago today that I lost my sweet mother, but it seems like just yesterday we were laughing over a board game or a dumb movie or one of her amazing home-cooked meals. Boy, does time fly. When I think of all she's missed--all the times I've both cried and celebrated without her by my side--it seems like an eternity has passed since I last saw her smile twitch and her eyes cross as I tried hard not to laugh at her for cracking a silly joke. What I'd give...

Mom and me on my birthday, October 3, 2003

It seems like even longer when I look at my life now and the "me" that she knew. I was really just a child when she last knew me. Maybe I'm still not quite grown, but I like to think I am most days, and I could only hope that she'd be pleased with the daughter she raised. Sometimes I catch myself mimicking some of her habits (good and bad!), and I hope I always do. In a weird way, it makes me feel like she's still here.

Mom and me in 1988 - We had just moved into our house in Pinhook. I was trying on a new dress, one of a pair that my mom had made so we could match.

The saddest part of losing my mom at such an early age is knowing that she won't be around to enjoy her grandchildren. I watch Will play sometimes, and even though I know she's watching too, I just wish she could be a part of his life. She would be on Cloud 9 right now with the most precious grandson EVER, and a sweet little granddaughter making her way into this big world. I know that those two, and any children that I (hopefully, eventually) have would be her reason for living, and I regret that she is not here to see them.

from a 1987 family portrait

She was "known for" so many things... cornbread, caramel cakes, selling ice to Eskimos, pig ear biscuits with buttermilk and prune juice, a knack for making people feel special, and those LONG tub baths. (I don't think the water heater has recovered YET!) Another notable trait was her skillful matchmaking abilities. Now, some of those were a bust, but she's also had some success stories in that department, and I'm so happy for at least one of those. But I can't help thinking she's played a little matchmaking from upstairs, too, and I couldn't be more thankful for her efforts. Funny how things work out, huh Connie Sue?

Me, Maw, and Mom at Dave and Missy's wedding - September 4, 2004

I look back at days, and I look forward to days... both with the sadness of knowing I can't share them with her. Right, she's "here," and that's good consolation, but she's not here. Sometimes that just doesn't cut it. Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays, graduations, Easter, lazy Sundays, cleaning Saturdays, rainy days, sunny days, family reunions, family vacations, weddings (?)... those are the days I will always miss her, but I'll settle for the satisfaction of knowing she can smile down with utter happiness and the deepest peace imaginable in her soul as she awaits the day when we'll all be together again. She better be ready--we've got a lot of catching up to do!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Beach, and MORE Beach

If three beach trips in a month's time won't spoil you, I don't know what will! They were three good beach trips, though... one with a couple of old friends, one with a new set of friends, and one with my family. I feel so blessed to have all these people in my life!
Orange Beach was the site of the Compton family vacay. Saturday to Saturday of nothing but rest and relaxation!
My favorite nephew, Will, was a little tike when we went to the beach last, so this was a whole new adventure for him (skipped the beach last year and went on a cruise instead). I think the beach was a hit for him, especially with BIG floats and beach toys! It's hard to believe this is the same little boy (with the same little Tonka truck)!
We had lots of fun splashing and learning to swim! He'll be shooting around like a little fish in no time. Sand and sun make a little boy thirsty! But on to Will's favorite part(s) of the trip: the 32 holes of golf he played. Control... you've gotta have control! And you may have to blow off some steam by beating a few sharks over the head... I'm not sure who had more fun--the little bit or the big kids! Will's first crab hunting excursion was a hit, too! We weighed in more than 15 crabs!
Of course, the most fun part was watching Will mock everyone else's hysteria, as he "found one, found one!!"
B and Pony (rocking some beverage advertisements?? merely a coincidence!)
Sweet little boy--he'll be a big brother soon!
Since one round of putt-putt wasn't enough, we went back for another...
And of course, another few rounds of air hockey...
We went to play early the first night, so the crowd wasn't too bad, but the second night really tested Will's patience. He had to wait for the group in front of us to finish before he could play, and patience is not in his genetic code, but he was such a good sport. Still, he only made it through 14 holes until he was too sleepy to go on. He relinquished his ball to the alligator in the pedal boat pond. :)
And after all that fun, everybody needs a little rest!
Yay for a fun family vacay! Can't wait to see how the next family vacation unfolds!