So long, Ben.

This is way random: my cat died.

For those of you who know me, you know that I am incredibly allergic to cats. So how could my cat die?

Well, when I moved out to California at age 16 my sister was out there -- and she and her boyfriend had a cat named Ben. Ben lived in the field and in the trailer on our farm where I lived while our house was under construction.

When my sister moved back to Cleveland with her boyfriend, Ben the cat went with her. I long ago forgot about Ben. I guess I figured he was dead or belonged to someone else or whatever.

Well, it turns out that Ben was living with James (my sister's now ex-boyfriend) all these years. And at 17 years old, Ben's health failed to the point that James had him put to sleep today. James wrote a really sweet email about Ben. Would you believe I choked up? It's a strange cluster of emotions -- nostalgia for those strange California tennage days...

Anyway, here's James' eulogy:

Subject: Good-bye to a good friend....
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 18:47:24 -0400
>So once aging I find myself in the position of giving sad news about
> a great furry friend...
>
>Ben-cat has been in some failing health for a few days, and after a
>lot of thinking and a visit to my wonderful vet, I decided to let
>him be at peace and go chase mice with Bear in kitty heaven.
>
>Those of you who knew Ben well, may remember his howling and loud
>purring, and going way back would remember him wrestling with Bear
>throughout the night. Personally I remember how he kept my feet warm
> sleeping on the bed and his head-butts when he wanted me to
>scratch him behind the ear, oh, and the occasional drooling :-)
>
>He was a good natured cat who was always after a thread, and loved the
> warmth a radiator or sunlight on the floor could give him.
>
>Ben you will be missed!
>
>james

Wine not?

A friend of mine just launched a t-shirt company. They literally JUST started so they don't have 90000 designs or anything, but the t-shirts are cool (they're all wine related) and it's always good to buy stuff from small businesses when you can. You know, stick it to the man!

What's most interesting to me is that you can start up a business these days without owning any of the production capital. So this t-shirt company is really outsourcing everything but the ideas. For exmaple, I don't think he'll ever actually see or hold any of the t-shirts he 'makes.' Maybe there is a sunny side to global integration afterall?

Being ok

I had a dream two nights ago -- after a lengthy and deep conversation with my cousin, Adam -- that he was a camp counselor of sorts and I was a camper. One of the activities we did was go through a maze which resembled one of those topiary mazes. He was on the sidelines all along coaching the other campers and me as we made our way. Only, at the end of the labyrinth there stood a locked, wooden gate that looked a bit like an inverted staircase. When we arrived at the end of the maze it was revealed/realized that the true challenge wasn't getting through the labyrinth, but becoming 'ok' with the fact that at the end there would be no way out.